▁Derby ▁nearly ▁ 2 5 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁– ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 0 s ▁– ▁but ▁its ▁villa ▁dates ▁back ▁further ▁than ▁that . ▁The ▁villa ▁( for ▁one ▁Thomas ▁G os ling ) ▁was ▁built ▁around ▁ 1 7 5 0 , ▁in ▁the ▁era ' s ▁fashion able ▁landscape ▁style , ▁with ▁trees ▁forming ▁a ▁per imeter ▁screen ▁and ▁placed ▁in ▁art ful ▁cl umps ▁to ▁suggest ▁a ▁natural ▁landscape . ▁The ▁house ▁was ▁partly ▁re built ▁by ▁Robert ▁Taylor ▁( arch itect ) ▁for ▁John ▁Bur go y ne ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 5 ▁and ▁by ▁Robert ▁Adam ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁Earl ▁of ▁Derby ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 0 . ▁The ▁villa ' s ▁b ake house , ▁stable ▁block ▁and ▁some ▁out build ings ▁remain ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁O aks ▁Park ▁estate ▁l ent ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁O aks ▁horse - race ▁which ▁was ▁inaugur ated ▁by ▁the ▁Earl ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 9 , ▁and ▁is ▁run ▁ann ually ▁during ▁the ▁Derby ▁meeting ▁at ▁E ps om ▁Down s ▁Race course , ▁about ▁ 4 ▁miles ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁The ▁original ▁O aks ▁Race ▁ran ▁from ▁Bar row ▁Hed ges , ▁north ▁of ▁The ▁O aks ▁and ▁through ▁O aks ▁Park ▁before ▁heading ▁west ▁to ▁approximately ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁E ps om ▁Down s ▁Race course . ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁off - road ▁route ▁still ▁exists . ▁ ▁The ▁modern ▁day ▁open