Derby Statue

Derby Statue. . , The Earl of Derby Statue , The statue of Edward Geoffrey Stanley, the 14th Earl of Derby, was sculpted by Mr M. Noble of London and unveiled to a crowd of 40,000 people in May 1873. The statue cost £2.500 approximately £347 of which was raised by workers contributions of 1d each. Born in 1799 at Knowsley Park in Lancashire, the 14th Earl of Derby was an important public figure and landowner. Educated at Eton and King's College he entered Parliament in 1820 for Stocksbridge as a Whig. He moved to Preston in 1826. He famously lost his seat in 1830 to Henry 'Orator' Hunt. Returning as MP for Windsor, in later years he became Prime Minister a total of three times., The Fountain , The magnificent Victorian fountain can be viewed in all its glory from Derby Walk. The fountain is Grade II listed and was designed by the parks' designer Edward Miner. It is made predominantly of Longridge stone and features figures depicting the four base elements of earth, fire, wind and water supported on a cockle shell basin. It is reputed that when first installed the fountain could jet water 20 metres (sixty feet) into the air fed by tanks close to the Park hotel. The display is more moderate today, although it is still the centre piece of the more formal Miller Park., The Park Hotel , Built in 1882 and designed by Arnold Mitchell, the former Park Hotel is now County Council offices. Queen Victoria stayed here as did visiting football teams when Preston North End were in the top fight and travelling the length and breadth of the country took longer. There is said to be a tunnel from the Railway Station to the basement of the hotel whereby the luggage of wealthy visitors would be taken so it was already installed in their rooms once they arrived at the hotel., The Aviary , An aviary used to stand in a cutting on the easterly embankment overlooking the fountain. This aviary was built in 1933 housing exotic birds but was sadly destroyed by fire in the 1970's.