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Bold Lane Garage (Car Park)
The 10th Most Secure Building
American Guard Services Presents…
The Most Secure Buildings
THE WORLD’S MOST SECURE… parking garage? WELCOME TO BOLD LANE, DERBY.
What if we told you that one of the top spots on our list is a parking garage in Derby?
Yes, really.
Welcome to Bold Lane, a street in the heart of Derby, England, is home to what has been described as one of the most secure buildings in the world. No, it’s not guarding priceless artifacts or housing top-secret intel. It’s safeguarding your hatchback.
PARKSAFE AND SOUND
The Bold Lane parking garage is a 10-story structure with 440 parking bays, open 24 hours a day, and run by a company aptly named Parksafe Systems. Back in 2003, this parking fortress was ranked alongside legends like Air Force One and Area 51 in a BBC Focus magazine report about the most secure places on Earth.
Security experts raised their eyebrows. After all, it’s just a place to park your car. But when you dig into its history, you start to understand how this parking garage earned its unlikely status.
A PAST WITH A PLOT TWIST
The land’s story starts back in 1910, when it was opened as a public park, donated by Mary Shuttleworth in memory of her husband, Henry Boden—a lace industry magnate. It was once a tranquil spot called Boden’s Pleasaunce. That tranquility didn’t last.
Fast-forward to the 1990s, and the area had become a magnet for anti-social behavior. Begging, drug use, and muggings were common—161 criminal incidents were reported in 1997 alone. Not exactly the kind of place you’d want to leave your car overnight.
That same year, Derby City Council teamed up with Ken Wigley, inventor and head of Parksafe Systems, to transform the troubled site into something revolutionary. Wigley footed most of the bill in return for a slice of the profits—and he brought tech to the table.
THE FORTRESS IS BORN
In 1998, after a massive security overhaul, Bold Lane parking garage reopened with a serious upgrade: barcoded entry tickets, motion sensors at each bay, panic buttons, and 24-hour surveillance. Each car space is individually monitored. Move your car without scanning your ticket? Alarms go off. Try to tamper with a vehicle? Good luck.
Since reopening, the parking garage has had zero reported crimes. None. Nada.
STILL POPULAR DESPITE THE COMPETITION
Even though cheaper, more conveniently located parking garages exist nearby, Bold Lane remains a favorite, especially with cautious shoppers. After all, peace of mind (and an undamaged bumper) is worth a few extra quid.
So next time you park your car, just know there’s a spot in Derby that could probably give Fort Knox a run for its money—at least when it comes to keeping your Vauxhall safe.