| Customer | Lots for Tots Childcare |
| Sector | Early Years Education/Childcare |
| Building Usage | Nursery/Office |
| Location | Hilton, Derbyshire |
| Architect/Project | Midbrook Design |
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In Hilton, Derbyshire, a well-known site has been given a completely new lease of life. Many locals will remember the site on Egginton Road as The White Swan Inn – a pub that had stood for over 250 years, or more recently, The Mandarin Chinese restaurant.
The original structure, dating back to at least the early 1800s, has now been completely demolished and replaced with a contemporary timber-clad steel building designed to serve the community for generations to come. This inspiring redevelopment will soon house the latest branch of Lots for Tots Childcare, set to open its doors in September 2025.
Lots for Tots, an established childcare provider and a much-loved magazine for families across the East Midlands, saw the site as a prime opportunity to create a standout facility in a fantastic location!
Our Client: Lots for Tots Childcare
Lots for Tots Childcare is passionate about providing children with safe, stimulating, and inspiring spaces to learn and grow. Their vision for the Hilton site was to transform it into a bright, spacious, and modern nursery that stands out both inside and out – a perfect match for Midbrook Steel Buildings’ expertise in delivering turnkey steel-framed buildings tailored to specific needs.
Midbrook’s Role: A Complete Turnkey Solution
Midbrook Steel Buildings was appointed to deliver a full turnkey package, managing every stage of the project from initial planning through to completion. Our work included:
- Full planning and design services
- Demolition (organised and managed by Midbrook)
- Groundworks and foundations
- Erection of the commercial steel-framed building
- External finishes including cladding, brickwork, and timber cladding
- Installation of mezzanine flooring
- Tarmacking and external works
- Landscaping
- Coordination of the internal fit-out for the tenant
Work began on site in February 2025 and was completed in August 2025, ensuring the building was ready well ahead of the nursery’s planned opening.
Design Features: Modern, Light, and Welcoming
The new nursery’s design incorporates features that make it both functional and visually striking:
- Timber cladding for a natural, distinctive exterior
- Large windows and double doors to maximise natural light and create a bright, airy interior
- Open-plan layout, allowing parents to easily see activities and creating a sense of transparency
- High-quality brickwork for a long-lasting, low-maintenance finish
- Mezzanine floor to provide additional usable space
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- Playground
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- Little Clouds
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- Rainbows
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- Shooting Stars
Client Experience and Feedback
What made you choose this new unit for your new nursery building?
When we saw it as the Mandarin, we loved the location of it. We thought it was a great area and then meeting Simon and going through the plans of what it was going to look like - I just thought it was brilliant. I thought you could imagine it as a nursery. The size of it, what we could then do with the layout of it. And like I said, the location and being straight on Eington Road is perfect.
Did you meet anyone from Midbrook, and what was your experience if so?
So we met some of the groundworkers and some of the labourers – they were all really friendly. Because we had some guys on site at the same time, they all worked really well together. They were always helpful if I came on site, would show me anything I needed or answer any questions that I’d got.
How would you describe the finished building?
We love the finished building. We’ve had lots of parents come round and look and say about the space of it and how nice it looks. It’s fresh, the windows make it look amazing. There’s lots of space. I think for a nursery, it’s brilliant from the fact that people can see it’s open plan, they can see what’s going on. Yeah, it’s a really lovely building. We’re super proud of it.
Would you recommend a Midbrook steel building to other businesses looking for a new commercial building? If so, why?
Definitely. I think it’s been great working with Midbrook. It’s been easy. If I’ve had questions, they’ve been answered. They’ve been able to recommend people that you’ve used along the way. And we’ve got a really nice building at the end of it. And it’s been a really easy process. So definitely.
Delivering More Than Just a Building
At Midbrook, we pride ourselves on creating spaces that go beyond bricks and mortar – or in our case, steel frames and timber cladding. The Hilton project is a great example of how our steel buildings can be tailored to unique purposes: here, providing a warm, welcoming environment for children, while still delivering the durability, efficiency, and low-maintenance benefits of a steel-framed structure.
With the opening of the new nursery on the horizon, this redevelopment has transformed a long-standing site into a building that will serve Hilton’s families for many years to come.
