Report - Great Northern Railway Warehouse (After the Fire), Derby – September 2020

[MotionlessMike]

More of an update than a full report, I fancied another look here to see what damage the recent fire had done.

The Railway Warehouse was built for the Great Northern Railway at their Friargate Station in Derby between 1877-8 by Kirk & Randall of Sleaford. The main part of the warehouse was built over three floors with a three story office building towards the front. The basement level was used for storing bonded goods of all types.

Services stopped operating from Friargate station in 1963 and from the goods yard in 1968. Other parts of the redundant line are the nearby Friargate Bridge and Bennerley Viaduct in Ilkeston.
Current owners Clowes intends to restore the warehouse building with possible conversion for apartments. Clowes also announced a deal to create the school on the nine acres of Friargate Goods Yard with work beginning last summer.

In the early hours of 26th May this year, the bonded warehouse was engulfed in flames after an arson attack. There have been many fires here over the years but this one was particularly severe and destroyed what was left of the roof.

Some pictures yoinked from the Derby Telegraph of the fire

Outwardly not a lot has changed, just lots of floppy heras fence around the perimeter of the site.

The main warehouse last summer

And currently - oh dear...

Other bits - the car and some ruined former office space

Thankfully access to the cellars and garages is unchanged

The former engine house was open on this occasion – also completely ruined

Thanks for looking
​

 

[urbanchemist]

Interesting, I haven't seen pictures of the engine house accumulator tower before - got any more of this area?

 

[Calamity Jane]

Nice update. That was a blaze and a half.

 

[MotionlessMike]

Interesting, I haven't seen pictures of the engine house accumulator tower before - got any more of this area?

No mate, unfortunately not. Glad you cleared that up because I wasn't sure what I was looking at exactly!

Nice update. That was a blaze and a half.

It was indeed, thanks CJ

 

[urbanchemist]

No mate, unfortunately not. Glad you cleared that up because I wasn't sure what I was looking at exactly!

You may be looking at the central pipe from something like the attached.

The pic on the left is one in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

There aren't many complete examples of these things left in the wild.

 

[MotionlessMike]

You may be looking at the central pipe from something like the attached.

The pic on the left is one in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

There aren't many complete examples of these things left in the wild.

Oh that's pretty cool actually, I'll have to pop back for a better look.

 

[HughieD]

Cheers for the up-date mate. Good work getting on in there.

 

[Wally_urbex]

I've driven past this many times while exploring in the area and always wondered wot it was, just never had time to stop and look. Another victim of a mysterious fire aswell I see .