Sponsored by East Midlands Railway Community Fund, this plaque replaced an inaccurate one on North Midland House – the home of Spire Insurance – at the entrance to the railway station forecourt on Malkin Street. This corrects a local tradition that the building was a remaining part of the original North Midland Railway station building, which was opened in 1840 and designed by Francis Thompson. This is not correct. I actually t appears that North Midland House was  built from reclaimed masonry from that first station, which had been carefully demolished when the more direct line to Sheffield we know today was opened in 1870. This plaque was fitted in July 2024.

 

North Midland House (a recent name) – on the approach to Chesterfield Railway Station, Malkin Street.

The North Midland Railway and ‘North Midland House’

The North Midland Railway, which ran from Derby to Leeds, via Rotherham Masborough, was opened in 1840. George Stephenson was its chief engineer – the reason he came to live at Tapton House, near Chesterfield.  George was assisted by his son Robert, but Frederick Swanwick is recognized as being chiefly in charge of engineering operations.

The successor to the North Midland – the Midland Railway – decided to construct a more direct route to Sheffield; the route through Dronfield we know today, opened in 1870. This saw the original Francis Thompson designed building at Chesterfield demolished when a new station was constructed on its present site. The masonry from the old station was carefully dismantled and used in the construction of the present ‘North Midland House’.

North Midland House – its name is relatively modern – has had a variety of uses.  It was for some years believed to be a railway-related engineers’ office. Listed grade II, it was converted into an insurance company office by the present owners.

Members of the Midland Railway Society, Philip Riden and members of the Derbyshire Victoria County History Trust’s research group contributed to the historical background. The society is grateful to East Midlands Railway Community Fund for sponsorship and Spire Insurance for permission to site this plaque.

Follow this link for the entry at Historic England

Follow this link for the entry at British Listed Buildings

Page last updated 9 August 2024.