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Allestree
Coordinates: 52.9519° N 1.4856° W
Population	13,017 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SK345395
District	Derby
Shire county	Derbyshire
Region	East Midlands
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DERBY
Postcode district	DE22
Dial code	01332
Police	Derbyshire
Fire	Derbyshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Mid Derbyshire
European Parliament	East Midlands
List of places: UK • England • Derbyshire

Allestree is a suburb and ward of Derby, England. It is situated on the A6, inbetween Darley Abbey and Quarndon about two miles (3 km) north of Derby City Centre. The name comes from Adelardstreu, Nordic for Adelard’s Dwelling.[1] The village became a parish in its own right in 1864[2] and was incorporated into the Borough of Derby in 1968.

Before the Norman conquest Allestree was a hamlet consisting of a few scattered dwellings that was part of the holding of the Earl of Northumbria. Later it was recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 as a berewick, or outlier, of the Manor of Markeaton held by the Earl of Chester. It was given by William the conqueror to Henry De Ferres as reward for his work on the Domesday Book and later it passed to the Touchet family of Markeaton.

During the 12th century most of the land changed hands and was sold to the Abbey of Saint Mary, in Darley and then rented back to the Touchet Family. It was purchased by Sir John Mundy along with the estates of Markeaton and Mackworth from Lord Audley in 1516 and stayed in the family's possession until it was sold to the Evans Family in 1781.

The old village centre was designated a Conservation area by the City Council in September 1991. The designated area starts on Cornhill encompassing part of the Golf Course on Allestree Park. All houses on St Edmund Close, Siddals Lane, The Poplars and the area to the north of Church Walk are included, as well at the St. Edmunds Church itself and the adjacent Red Cow Inn.

Allestree village centre was originally centred around the conservation area noted above, with much of the growth in the area occurred in the last 40 years. The area surrounding the old village centre contains 7 listed buildings the oldest dating back to the 16th century.[3] The church dates back from the 12th century but all that remains of the original building is the Romanesque doorway.

Allestree Park lies in the northern part of Allestree just inside the city boundaries. It has over 129 hectares or 319 acres of parkland, an 18-hole golf course and an angling lake. The Park used to be a private estate. In May 2002, Derby City Council made most of it a Local Nature Reserve because of its wide range of wildlife habitats.

The geology of the area was formed over 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period by mighty rivers. Most of Britain at this time was a huge delta formed by vast amounts of sediment deposited at the river's mouth. This resulted in the Park's make up of "easily eroded, thin-bedded shales and sandstone" [4]. These belong to the Millstone Grit formation which makes up most of the Peak District.

The park dates back to the early 19th century when Allestree Hall was built. The hall itself is a Grade II* listed building made of Millstone Grit from Derwent bank. In 1928 Derwent Buildings Ltd and Offilers Brewery Ltd who planned to build 2000 houses and a golf course obtained the park. By The Second World War The golf course and some houses had been built but the park was requisitioned by the army for the war effort and after that by the fire brigade. On 29th July 1947 the Derby Corporation now the City Council, bought the park to preserve for the people of Derby.[5]

The hall has been unoccupied since the 1980's but in 1984 there were plans for it to be developed into a Nature Museum reflecting the parks varied wildlife. It was to incorporate a nature walk, conservation and education facilities and bird hides. The plan was halted due to lack of funds due to structural problems discovered at the hall. A few years later the Derby Museum proposed another plan to develop the hall into a centre for the park and surrounding countryside involving exhibitions and field study facilities. This plan was also later dropped. [6]

Markeaton Park is the second park situated in Allestree and lies in the south of the suburb, bordering Mackworth Estate below it and Darley Abbey to the east. It was originally part of the Markeaton Hall Estate owned by the Mundy family since 1516. It stayed in the hands of the Mundy's until the early 20th century. In 1903 5 acres were donated by Mrs Mundy to be used as a recreation ground. Mrs Mundy continued to donate land to the City and in 1924 she gave several acres to the people of Derby to be used as a children's playground. The playground is still at the park and is known as the Mundy Play Centre. The Hall and 20 acres were given to the Derby Corporation in 1929 by the Reverend Clarke Maxwell. He had inherited the land from Mrs Mundy who has given it to him on the condition that the land be donated to the public. The Remaining 180 acres were bought by the Corporation in 1930.