Site Investigation

Site History

Friargate station opened for business in 1876, four years after an Act of Parliament had been granted to the Great Northern Railway for its construction. Carving its way through the city, and causing the demolition of a large number of middle and working class housing and other properties, the construction had caused huge controversy throughout the town. Despite this, when it opened it proved immensely popular with the general public and provided a convenient and badly needed rail connection for the many mills and foundries situated in the Friargate area and the West End. Along with the station GNR also built a rail yards and sidings, a huge warehouse and offices and many other ancillary buildings.

Despite its popularity by the 1960’s British Rail had decided that it was no longer economically viable and announced its closure. The last train left the station, for Nottingham, at 10:10 am on Saturday 5thSeptember 1964 and the station officially closed the following Monday.

On the edge of the city stands a huge brick building that, although derelict and roofless, remains majestic, patiently awaiting a bright new future. This is the Friargate Goods depot and it was once part of a major railway complex which included a station, sidings and goods yard.

In 1872 an act of parliament enabled the Great Northern railway Company to begin construction of a new line going through the town of Derby. They sought. to provide a link between the industrial midlands, the north and the ports of the North West. The line was to run from Nottingham to Burton through the centre of Derby with links to all the major coalfields within the region. The Friar Gate Goods Yard was intended as the main goods depot for the GNR line. It’s location was also well chosen for the great many mills and foundries in this part of the townOpening in 1878 to the designs of Kirk & Randall of Sleaford and built of red brick and Welsh slate the building would seem to have an unusual shape. The triangular portion at the Stafford Street end of the building contained not only offices but also living accommodation on the third floor for the Goods manager and his family Although now derelict a glimpse through the upper windows reveals the remains of fireplaces and cornicing. After nationalisation in 1948 this upper floor was used by the BR Chief of Supplies and Contracts Officer and his staff to print railway timetablesIn 1928 the accommodation was lived in by a young girl called Sybil Ride and her family. In the book Memories of Friargate Station she described vividly what it was like to live there. She states that “the Goods Depot was a very busy place, with wagons being shunted in and out and horse drawn drays coming and going all day long. Each side of the building had sidings into which, day and night, wagons were being shunted”.

The main part of the warehouse was built over three floors. The basement level was used for storing bonded goods of all types. The next floor provided more storage whilst the top floor served as a grain store and featured two grain chutes and ten hydraulic cranes. The goods yard handled a whole range of produce including coal, steel, timber, tin and livestock and also, during World War II it was used to house ammunition and supplies for the US army
Despite all this activity, by the 1960’s the building’s time was up. The railway closed to the public in 1964 and then 4 years later, it closed to freight as well, another victim of the Beeching Cuts. Since that time this beautiful building has slipped further into decay, the victim of neglect, vandalism and numerous fires. In 2017 the Victorian Society included it in its list of the top 10 endangered buildings

[source Derby in Pictures]

Development Plan

The redevelopment at the former Friar Gate Goods Yard will deliver an extraordinary mixed-use development, featuring 227 elegant two- and three-bedroom townhouses, and a stunning four-storey apartment building with 49 contemporary apartments. All homes will benefit from air-source heat pumps, solar PV panels, and EV charging as part of the embedded sustainability features. [credit Wavensmere Homes]

Site video [credit Wavensmere Homes]