Northwood is a striking three-storey Victorian property set within mature grounds on the northern edge of Buxton, on Corbar Road. Originally built as a family home in the late 19th century, the building was later converted for use as an educational facility and has remained vacant since 2021. Sitting within a designated conservation area, Northwood is a locally significant building of considerable character — defined by its steeply pitched roof, coursed stone elevations, distinctive gabled forms, hung clay wall tiles and fine timber sash windows.

 

Two parallel planning applications have been submitted to secure the long-term future of the Northwood site. The first proposes the sensitive conversion of the existing building into eight high-quality residential apartments, working carefully within the historic fabric to restore and repair the structure, remove unsympathetic institutional additions, and bring the building back into viable use. The second proposes a new four-bedroom dwelling on the site of former outbuildings to the north, designed to be subservient to Northwood while echoing its form, materials and detailing — with a compact L-shaped plan, steeply pitched roof, stone walling and hung wall tiles that draw a clear and considered connection to the existing building.

 

Both proposals are rooted in a commitment to sustainability and quality. The conversion retains and reuses the embodied carbon of the existing structure, with a fabric-first approach to thermal performance, upgraded glazing, improved air tightness and modern energy-efficient systems. The new dwelling is designed to the same high standard, with highly insulated walls, roof and floors, and a well-sealed structure. Across the wider site, areas of hard standing are to be replaced with native planting and biodiverse landscaping that reflects the original Paxton vision for the grounds — restoring the setting of Northwood and delivering a net gain in biodiversity for the benefit of future residents.