Markeaton Park is a huge municipal park in Derby occupying the former grounds of the old Markeaton Hall. It’s packed with things to do making it one of the best free parks in Britain. Before you visit, it helps to know a bit of the history. This was the estate of the Mundy family who lived here for generations. The hall, which was located by the Orangery, fell into disrepair after WW2 and was demolished, leaving behind a large area of parkland for the people of Derby to enjoy. As a result there are some areas of the park which are landscaped, like the lake and the stone bridge above.
The are few remains from the old hall, but the most obvious is the stables complex which is now a craft village and the Orangery (pictured below) which is now a cafe. The craft village has lots of artisan makers selling the wares, like a pottery studio, a carpenter and mosaic expert. At the bottom of the stables courtyard is the duck pond and a mini waterfall.
Markeaton Park is now packed with activities. Near the main car park are the tennis courts, the basketball court, the pitch and putt course and disc golf. There’s also a large building here which houses a huge model railway. The ‘Famous Trains’ railway is open to the public at weekends and also usually on Mondays. Admission is £3 for adults (2025 prices). There’s also a boating lake which is right by the bridge pictured at the top of the page. Once you cross the bridge, you find the children’s play areas.
There are several play areas which cater for children of all ages and abilities. They surround a rectangular boating pool. The huge galleon pictured above is great fun and has multiple slides and even puzzles along the top. There are also climbing nets and a play area for disabled children. Beyond that is an area with further paid-for activities. There are bouncy castles, ride on scooters and two mini golf courses. Playing mini golf is £3 per person (2025 prices). On a sunny day there’s also a large paddling pool in this area which will be packed with children!
On the opposite side of the path from the play areas is a small skate park and a fairly new high-ropes facility. The skate park is free but the high-ropes are operated by a private company and offers a range of activities at different prices. There’s also a great zip wire from the highest point down to the ground. Surrounding the rest of the park are numerous walkways and open grassland for exploring. There really is something for everyone at Markeaton – it’s a superb park.
There is one other remnant from the old Markeaton Hall. Take a walk around the landscaped gardens near the orangery and you’ll spot some small gravestones in the bushes belonging to the Mundy families pet dogs. They were obviously well-loved to have such a significant resting place. Markeaton Park is free to enter, but there are two car parks with charges of £2.90 for 2 hours (2025 prices).
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: Markeaton Park, Markeaton Lane, Derby DE22 4AA
Phone: +44 1332 640789
MORE ON MARKEATON PARK
Markeaton Park – Derby Parks
Markeaton Park – Wikipedia
Hotels in Derby – We recommend Booking.com