First look at Grade II-listed goods yard renovation

In World War Two, the site was used as a store for the US Army to house ammunition and other supplies

Pictures have shown the progress of work to transform a historic goods yard on the edge of Derby city centre into homes and commercial space.

Friar Gate Goods Yard, which was built in the 1870s as the main goods depot for Great Northern Railway, was left derelict for nearly 60 years.

The restoration has revealed the original railway tracks and timber cobbles, which were softer on the hooves of horses dragging carriages in.

Managing director of Wavensmere Homes, James Dickens, said: "It will be special. This building has got a soul and an identity. Local people have got a real connection to it, which is why it needs to be a public building."

"I want people to maintain that connection for it to stand the test of time going forward," Mr Dickens added.

Plans for the site include 276 houses and a four-storey apartment building containing 49 apartments.

The bonded warehouse will become a mixed-use public space, including a gym, coffee shops and a restaurant.

Mr Dickens said it was essential for the history of the bonded warehouse to be preserved.

An artist's impression of the redevelopment, which began in October 2024

Work continues on the front of "curved houses" along a new access road

Mr Dickens added: "That's why I wanted the site. It wasn't for the houses around it, it was for the warehouse itself. I really believe this is one of the top three landmarks in the city.

"We're all quite invested in it, and some of my site team have really taken the project to heart, which is why we selected them for the project.

"We find something pretty much every day. We've uncovered the original rails that came into here. There were two train tracks that came into the building and four that approached the building itself. We're going to make a feature of those, obviously.

"There's timber cobbles, because there were horses dragging the carriages in, and it was obviously softer on their hooves. There's all sorts of weird and wonderful things that we find as we go through it.

"We've got a water tank that we thought originally served the building, but actually it was to feed the headers of the engines."

The original railway tracks have been uncovered during the restoration work

The first 63 terraced houses will be available to be occupied in the summer of 2026.

Tony Austin, 46, assistant manager of the project, said: "It's going to be absolutely amazing. People are going to want to come to the bonded warehouse.

"The only challenge was the curved houses to match the corner of the bonded warehouse. We wanted to do it a little bit quirky, something that stands out. Not just the house, but something you look at and remember."

The entire £80m project is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2028.