Derby, fifteen miles west
Derby lies along the A52 from Nottingham, well within the 30 miles around the city that we cover. Much of its housing came in waves. Slum clearance in the 1920s and 1930s moved families from the centre to new council estates in the suburbs, where private houses were built too, and council and private building continued on a large scale for about thirty years after 1945. Newer estates include Boulton Moor and The Pastures at Mickleover.
Moving a wall rather than adding one
Sometimes the right partition replaces another: making a box room big enough for a double bed, or giving a cramped bedroom a bit more of its neighbour. The old wall is stripped out, a new frame goes up on the new line with its door lining, both faces are boarded and skimmed, and the strip of ceiling and wall where the old partition stood is made good. Where the old sole plate sat, the floor may need a little patching before new carpet goes down.
The important check comes first. Some internal walls carry loads from the floor or roof above, even upstairs. Only a wall confirmed as non-load-bearing should come out without structural advice, so if there is any doubt, a structural engineer should look at it before anything is touched. Any switches or sockets in the old wall need moving by a qualified electrician, and if a radiator hangs on it, a plumber will need to take it off and refit it on the new wall.
Railway cottages and Victorian Derby
Opposite the station, the North Midland Railway built cottages for its workers in 1841 and 1842 to designs by Francis Thompson. Calvert Street, Midland Place and Railway Terrace are all Grade II listed, and 57 of the original 92 houses remain. Internal alterations to a listed building need listed building consent from Derby City Council, so a new partition in one of these cottages starts with an application, not a frame.
Derby has sixteen conservation areas, eight of them grouped as "Victorian Derby", including Railway, Arboretum, Little Chester and Strutts Park. Conservation area status mainly controls the outside of buildings, so in an unlisted house an internal wall is normally fine. Building regulations still apply where a wall creates a new bedroom or changes your escape route.
Get in touch
Whether you are in Allestree, Chaddesden, Littleover or near the city centre, call 07877 353120 or email Patchmeifyoucan@outlook.com. We work seven days a week, 7am to 5pm.
