Duffield is a large village situated four and a half miles north of Derby, with the busy A6 running through its centre.
Duffield is an attractive residential area, with many fine Georgian and Victorian houses, some on the banks of the River Ecclesbourne, which flows into the River Derwent just south of the village.
Close to its centre is a large mound, known as Castle Hill, which is all that remains of Duffield Castle, once a massive building with keep walls, 16ft thick. It had been built by Henry de Ferres, Earl of Derby and believed to have been destroyed by Royalist forces after Robert de Ferres rebelled against Henry the Eighth, a century or so later. It is in a 2 acre site, owned by the National Trust and relics excavated here between 1886 and 1957 can be seen in Derby Museum.
Duffield Hall is situated at the southern edge of the village. It is an Elizabethan building, enlarged in 1870 and once used as a girls boarding school. It eas also once the Head Quarters for the Derbyshire Building Society which is now part of the Nationwide group.
The Parish Church of St Alkmunds lies a little isolated from the village centre. It has a 14th century east tower with a recessed spire and a beautiful Perp east window in the chancel. It was much restored in 1846 and again in 1896. It contains a monument to Sir Roger Mynors who died in 1539, and his wife. There is also a wall monument to Anthony Bradshaw, his wife and their 20 children. Bradshaw was a barrister and the deputy steward of Duffield Firth, a former hunting forest between Duffield and Wirksworth.
The railway station was once known as a 'Top Hat' station because several of the railway hierarchy lived here. It is now only a stop on the local line between Derby and Matlock.
Trinity Methodist Church on King St was opened in 1904 and hosts a variety of activities throughout the year.
Thre are a variety of shops in the village centre, several inns, and a sports club. The village also has both a primary and a secondary school.
An annual carnival, organized by the Community Association is held in Eyes Meadow.
