Pickford's House

Pickford’s House is a Georgian town house in Derby, built in 1763–65 by architect Joseph Pickford as his family home. It stands on Friar Gate, a street known for its elegant 18th-century buildings. The house became a museum in 1988 and is now Grade I listed. It was once divided into two homes in 1812 after the death of Pickford’s mother. Later owners included a surgeon and a politician before Derby City Council bought it in 1982. The council later restored it after removing parts without permission. The museum shows how a Georgian professional family lived, with rooms arranged as they would have been in Pickford’s time. The ground floor displays furniture and costumes from the 18th and 19th centuries. The family bedroom and dressing room from 1815 show the comforts of the Pickfords. Above them, the servants’ bedrooms are far plainer. The kitchens, scullery and laundry are kept as they were in 1830. At the back, the builder’s yard and cellar now form part of the museum. Visitors find a collection of model toy theatres gathered by Frank Bradley. The cellar has been turned into a 1940s bomb shelter display. The house still shows signs of its past uses, including the driveway that once led to the builder’s yard. It remains a rare example of a professional man’s home preserved as a museum. The contrast between upstairs and downstairs rooms gives a clear picture of Georgian life.