St Helen's House
| St Helen's House | |
|---|---|
 St Helen's House in its days as Derby School, with the Old Derbeians' war memorial |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Palladian |
| Town or city | King Street, Derby |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°55′39″N 1°28′50″W / 52.92738°N 1.48065°W |
| Completed | 1767 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Joseph Pickford |
St Helen's House is a Grade I listed building situated in King Street, Derby, England. It has been used in the past as a private residence and as an educational establishment. Currently disused, it is planned to reopen the building as a hotel.
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[edit] Construction
The house was built about 1766-67 by the English architect Joseph Pickford for John Gisborne, an alderman of Yoxall Lodge, Staffordshire, in the Palladian style, and originally stood in 80 acres (320,000 m2) of parkland.[1] Although the interior has been altered, the facade remains intact. It has been described by the Georgian Group, of London, as "one of the finest and largest eighteenth century townhouses to survive in any provincial city".
[edit] Strutt family
During the 19th century, the house was the home of the Strutt family, including Edward Strutt, 1st Baron Belper. In 1840 it was the birthplace of Henry Strutt, 2nd Baron Belper.[2] The first Lord Belper sold the house to the governors of Derby School in 1863.
[edit] Educational uses
Between 1863 and 1966 (apart from five years during the Second World War), the house was occupied by Derby School. During WWII Derby School was evacuated first for a short period to Overton Hall, Ashover and then from June 1940 until July 1945 at Amber Valley Camp, Woolley Moor. The school returned in September 1945 and remained there for another 21 years until 1967. The school was then moved to the Moorway Lane site in Littleover in 1967, but the house and adjoining building, the Pearson Building, known as 'B' Block to old pupils remained in public ownership, first as the home of the Joseph Wright School of Art and from 1972 as an Adult Education centre. Due to the deterioration of the fabric, these uses were also moved and the building became vacant.
[edit] Planned conversion
In November 2006, St Helen's House (Block 'A') and the Pearson Building (Block 'B') was sold by Derby City Council to property developer Richard Blunt on a 299 year leasehold. Originally it was proposed to convert the two buildings into a fifty-room hotel, and to construct an apartment block within a crescent where the current Chapel, gymnasium and craft workshops stand. Planning permission was granted in 2009.[3] During 2008 and 2009 the building was made wind and weather proof by the new owner and generally tidied up and modern educational equipment removed. Due to the present economic climate (2011) the hotel development was placed on the 'back burner' and in July 2011 a revised planning application to change the use of the two buildings in King Street into high quality offices was submitted.
In 2008, BBC Radio Derby broadcast an in depth programme including interviews with Richard Blunt and this may be both seen and heard by going to the Old Derbiean Society website at www.oldderbeians.org and also into BBC Radio Derby archives.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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