Derby Gate

Derby Gate

(Formerly 47 Parliament Street)

Architect: Charles Parnell. Date: 1864-6. Listed Grade II*

Northwards along Parliament Street, no. 1 Derby Gate was originally the Whitehall Club a Victorian gentleman's club house, built in the manner of a Venetian palace.

The exterior displays fine architectural sculpture designed by Parnell and executed by James Tolmie. Inside, on the first floor is to be found a former Smoking Room with easy-to-clean patterned ceramic tiled walls.

Severe grey granite wall-cladding was introduced to the stair hall, in 1907 when Pearson, a firm of engineers took over the club building. Another Edwardian addition was a double-height mahogany panelled reading room or library.

A full refurbishment took place by the Casson Conder Partnership between 1985 and 1991.

The House of Commons run a satellite library service and reading rooms from the building and from the adjacent former 45 and 46 Parliament Street dating from 1870-71.