None Too Shabby, It’s Darley Abbey

After the delights of Lovely Lichfield it is back into delightful Derby as Darley Abbey has a fair bit going for it. 

Definitely one of the more salubrious suburbs of Derby, it is situated on the banks of the River Derwent and has an 80-acre park.

Due to the fact an Abbey was once situated here, the village is classed as a conservation area and Darley Abbey is also part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site which stretches from Matlock Bath to Derby.

The Augustinian Monastery only have two buildings left in the village dating back from the 12^th Century and one of these is, in fact, Sir Humph’s boozer ingeniously named The Abbey.

(Not opening any time soon!)

However, a fire put paid to it around three years ago and in a typically incongruous Samuel Smith’s brewery move, they have done nothing with the Grade II listed building ever since.

Derby’s top beer writer Colston Crawford covered it nicely here and it looks unlikely there will be a pub there again…

So, that has left a gap in the market and one that the former British Legion 629 – The Paper Mill DE22 1DX has filled nicely.

I should mention there is an Ember Inn (The Broadway) on the main A6 drag on the edge of the village, but the chimney pots in the village can walk to the Paper Mill in minutes.

It won’t win any awards for aesthetics and has arguably the most unprepossessing pub entrance in Derby

… but it does what it says on the tin and still has the feel of a social club inside.

(Bench seating)

The gaffer was really friendly when I rolled up at just after 1pm on a Thursday and the Ay Up (Dancing Duck) was in cracking form.

Billy Joel, Blondie and then Billy Ocean came on the big screen to keep up the retro social club feel and there was a fairly chilled vibe.

Two other punters were in… a bloke with a dog who was having a long and none too quiet work based conversation and another bloke who was chilled out to the max.

All fairly bog standard pub behaviour…the beer was good, no hassle and The Paper Mill is filling a gap left by Sam Smith’s departure.

I managed to avoid paying the pub blogger’s Toll,

installed from Martin’s last visit after all the carnage caused, and had a leisurely stroll

…I am turning into the Bill Bryson of the blogging world!