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West Derby

West Derby (/ˈdɑːrbi/ DAR-bee) is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, in the east of the city. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382.

Mentioned in the Domesday Book, West Derby achieved significance far earlier than Liverpool itself. The name West Derby comes from an Old Norse word meaning "place of the wild beasts" or "wild deer park" and refers to the deer park (now Croxteth Park) established there by King Edward the Confessor. West Derby became the main administrative area in today's Liverpool for the Norman Conquest and was the largest area within the West Derby Hundred which covered most of south west Lancashire.

Contrary to popular belief, the original Earls of Derby were not conferred their title from West Derby, but from the county of Derbyshire, Robert de Ferrers being the first Earl. Subsequent titles were created and bestowed on the Stanley Family. The Derby (horse race) is named after the 12th Earl.

Note that the term 'local Derby' actually comes from the town of Derby[citation needed], though it may also derive from the Earldom family's interest in sport.

There still remains a courthouse built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I: the first (Wapentake) court in West Derby was established around 1,000 years ago. The West Derby Courthouse, built in 1586, was restored and conserved in 2005 and is the only freestanding post-medieval courthouse in Britain. The tiny Grade II* listed building is open to the public between 2 pm and 4 pm every Sunday except Easter from April to October inclusive, admission free.

Opposite the courthouse is a set of Victorian cast iron stocks once used as a public restraint for offenders. Villagers used fruit and rotten vegetables to throw at the offenders. The stocks were placed in their current position to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII in 1902. Temporarily removed in 2008 whilst the site was renovated, the stocks have since been put back in place.

The area was home to the Earls of Sefton (family name Molyneux), whose house, Croxteth Hall, and the surrounding countryside estate now forms Croxteth Park, an attractive public space.

In 1835 and 1895, Liverpool boundaries expanded to include West Derby.

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district of Liverpool, England
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