The Derbyshire Royal Infirmary was a hospital in

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

that opened in 1810. It was managed by the Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Following the transfer of community services to the

London Road Community Hospital The Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, formerly the London Road Community Hospital, is a community hospital on London Road in Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary auth ...

located further south-east along London Road, the infirmary closed in 2009 and most of the buildings were demolished in spring 2015.

History

Derbyshire General Infirmary

In early 1803, the Reverend Thomas Gisborne and Isaac Hawkins Browne Esq. (Trustees of the late Isaac Hawkins Esq.) signified their intention to appropriate £5,000 towards an infirmary to be erected at Derby. On 5 April 1803, following a request from the Grand Jury, the Sheriff of Derbyshire ( Robert Wilmot) held a meeting to consider the founding of a hospital in Derby. At this meeting it was noted that subscriptions promised had already reached £17,215, with a further £2,592 and 18 shillings annually. On 6 October 1803, a committee was appointed consisting of all subscribers of more than £50 and it was decided that the first payment of 25% of more would be required by 12 January 1804. The infirmary building, principally under the inspiration of the cotton manufacturer, William Strutt, made a deliberate attempt to incorporate into a medical institution the latest “fireproof” building techniques with technology developed for the textile mills. The Infirmary building opened in what is now Bradshaw Way,

on 4 June 1810.

Derbyshire Royal Infirmary

In 1890, during the year that he was Mayor of Derby, Sir Alfred Seale Haslam managed to replace the old Derbyshire General Infirmary with the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. That year there had been an outbreak of disease at the old infirmary and Sir William Evans, President of the Infirmary arranged a three-day inspection which condemned the old building. When

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

came to lay a foundation stone for the new hospital on 21 May 1891 she knighted Haslam for his services and gave permission for the term "Royal" to be used. The new Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, designed by the architects Young and Hall, was completed and officially opened in 1894. In the 2000s, most services were gradually transferred to the new

Royal Derby Hospital Royal Derby Hospital is one of two teaching hospitals in the city of Derby, the other being the Florence Nightingale Community Hospital. It is managed by the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. History The original h ...

, leaving only community services on the Infirmary site. Following the transfer of the community services to the

located further south-east along London Road, the infirmary closed in 2009 and most of buildings were demolished in spring 2015. However a facade with its two "pepper-pot towers" dating back to 1894 was retained for redevelopment. A

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

window was commissioned in the late 1950s for the chapel at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. During 2010, St Peter's Church, Derby raised £6,000 to rehouse and display the Nightingale window in a back-lit position at the west of the north aisle. On 9 October 2010, the church rededicated the window in a service featuring the Hospital Choir and the Rolls-Royce Male Voice Choir with original music by Dana and Anne de Waal. The Rt Rev Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby, presided.

Nightingale Quarter

Redevelopment on the former site of the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary started in 2020 after initially being halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. Renamed the 'Nightingale Quarter' - after Florence Nightingale - by developer Wavensmere Homes, the new site covers 18.5 acres and includes over 900 new residential properties. In 2022, Wavensmere Homes appointed Joseph Mews Property Group to bring the first release of these apartments - The Pavilion - to market. The "pepper-pot towers" were turned into on-site amenities for residents including a gym and restaurant, while the existing exteriors were restored.

Gallery

File:DerbyRoyalInfirmary1891.JPG, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary in 1891 File:Derby DRI stained glass window at St Peters squared.JPG,

stained-glass window, originally at the Royal Infirmary Chapel and now moved to St Peter's Church, Derby File:Hospitals and Asylums of the World - Portfolio of Plans, p. 14.jpg, 1893 Floor plan of Derbyshire Royal Infirmary File:Hospitals and Asylums of the World - Portfolio of Plans, p. 15.jpg, 1893 Floor plan of Derbyshire Royal Infirmary File:Derbyshire R Infirmary.jpg, The infirmary in 2009 File:Derbyshire Royal Infirmary pepper pots.jpg, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary in 2017: only the two "pepper-pot towers" remain

References