Derby: Where to drink and what to see

The latest in our series revisiting destinations from our book ‘Beer Breaks In Britain’, offers a handy update for a day-trip (or more) to this Midlands city.

By Phil Mellows and Kate Simon

Even in a place so rich in beer as Derby, the opening of The Tannery on 6 June felt like a significant event. The first tap house (more are promised) from the new owners of Ashover Brewery is on Sadler Gate and brings something genuinely different to the city centre.

The beautifully tiled bar, just inside the door, has six handpumps serving a well-balanced range from Ashover, while the tap wall behind offers 14 beers from other independent brewers. Tasteful branded glassware is, unusually, displayed in the window overlooking a small terrace, and there’s more seating upstairs. The menu is very much ‘beer food’ with meats and cheeses from local suppliers.

Read more ideas about Derby here

Until The Tannery arrived, Suds & Soda, around the corner, was pretty much the only place to go for craft beer in the city centre. And this small bar continues to offer a distinctive focus in a rather more rustic setting. Originally opened by the owners of Neon Raptor Brewery, it’s now in independent hands and showcases some of the country’s leading craft brewers on the eight taps – plus many more in the fridge.

Between the two lies Derby Museum & Art Gallery (pictured), where Wright of Derby: From the Shadows has just opened, a major exhibition of the work of the visionary 18th-Century artist Joseph Wright, which has transferred to his hometown from The National Gallery in London. The chosen paintings focus on Wright’s extraordinary use of light and shade on equally fascinating subjects – scientists conducting experiments, intellectuals at their study – which reflect the insatiable appetite for knowledge in this era, the golden age of the Enlightenment.

You’ve got until 1 November to see the show, but fear not, this museum holds the world’s largest collection of Wright’s work in normal times. If you are a devotee, you might like to follow the new self-guided walking tour of Wright’s Derby. This museum is also the place to step out on the Derby Dracula Trail. Dracula in Derby? Indeed. Find out how this city prepared the Count for Hollywood with a suave makeover…

Now to The Flowerpot, a large, sprawling venue near the cathedral. Probably better known for live music, the pub has steadily improved its reputation for cask beer, leading to it being named Derby Campaign for Real Ale’s Pub of the Year for 2025. Eight or 10 ales are usually on the pumps, from hazy pales to Bass, including local brews. There’s a spacious beer garden, too, for an extra attraction at this time of year.

Onwards to the Museum of Making in Lombe’s Mill, which powered the production of silk in the 18th Century. The Rolls-Royce jet engine hanging from the ceiling in the entrance hall sets the tone for an entertaining exploration of three centuries of engineering in Derby, told through the objects and processes of local industry. The people get a look-in, too, not least in the artist-photographer Red Saunders’ tableaux vivant (living picture) The Derby Lockout of 1833-34, which portrays the workers in Britain’s first major industrial dispute. This is the spot, too, to pick up one of the new tours of the city’s Georgian era with author and historian Danielle Burton at your side. They depart on 27 June, 11 July and 1 August.

From here, you could set off upstream to explore the Derwent Valley Mills, including the prototype of the modern factory at Cromford – this bucolic industrial landscape is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of its recognition by UNESCO. Or continue south to the Derby Computer Museum, a quirky attraction stuffed with vintage computers from the past 40 years, where you can play games such as early Nintendo. Derby’s technology, you see, isn’t stuck in the distant past. In fact, this is the home of Lara Croft (there’s even a road named for her). Events marking the Tomb Raider heroine’s 30th birthday this year include the transformation of Pickfords’ House into Croft Manor (starting 24 July).

Before you cross the river to sample a trio of recommendable watering holes, assess the seven-year, £35.1m restoration of Derby’s Victorian Market Hall. As is the fashion, the traditional stalls have been swelled by artisan makers and street-food sellers. You may think the iron-and-glass vaulted roof looks familiar – it’s the work of Derbyshire-born architect Rowland Mason Ordish, who also designed the roof at St Pancras Station in London. For the diary: this will be the venue for Derby CAMRA’s Heritage Beer Festival in October.

Now head in the direction of the railway station along the banks of the Derwent and you’ll come to the Royal Standard, on the east side of Exeter Bridge. This wedge-shaped pub (we like wedge-shaped pubs) used to be Derby Brewing’s tap house. Now part of the Pub People group, the new owner has kept up the tradition of good beer with a diverse choice of cask and craft, and it has invested in the characterful Victorian building, including the addition of a rooftop terrace with views of the river.

Follow the riverside path for Smithfield Alehouse. Dating back to 1840, this elegant, curved building once served Derby’s cattle market and stood by a bridge that’s long gone. There are views across the water from the beer garden and beyond to the Bass Recreation Ground, where brewery workers once came out to play. Ten handpumps pour a well-chosen range of ales (including Bass), and there are craft beers, too.

In most towns the Victoria Inn would comfortably be considered the best pub near the station. Unfortunately, in Derby it’s competing with the Brunswick Inn (Derby CAMRA’s 2026 Pub of the Year) and Castle Rock Brewery’s Alexandra Hotel. But new management has upped the pub’s game and it’s well worth a visit before you jump on your train. Beers from the local Leatherbritches Brewery dominate the 10 handpulls, and there are a similar number of boxed ciders behind the bar.

Photo courtesy Derby Museums.