Riddings House is a well-proportioned Regency building of 1820 possibly designed by John Welch of Derby, with alterations and additions a decade later by Francis Octavius Bedford. It is three by four bays in size, with a low hipped roof and was built for James Oakes of Derby who purchased the estate in 1818 from Lancelot Rolleston of Watnall, Nottinghamshire. It is said that the house was completed in only 18 months, although the service wing in its present form was added in the 1860s, probably to the designs of Giles & Brookhouse of Derby. The Oakes family sold the house in 1982, after which it was converted into a retirement home. (1) Riddings House and coach house was built in the early 19th century with late 19th century additions and alterations, now old people's home, converted c. 1970. It is built from coursed squared sandstone, ashlar and red brick with stone dressings. There are hipped roofs throughout, those to house of Welsh slate and those to former coach house of plain tiles. The original house was of 3 by 3 bays, extended by a single bay to the west, then with a large billiard room and tower added to the north-west corner and a coach house beyond to the west. It is mostly two storeys. The entrance front to the main house has a plinth, raised quoins and a plain first floor band. There is a central 20th century panelled door with a plain overlight below a flush lintel flanked by 2-pane sashes, with three 12-pane sashes above. All the windows have raised wedge lintels, incised with voussoirs and keystones. The billiard room has a deep rusticated stone basement with inserted 20th century doors to the left return. To the right is a red brick square tower with stone quoins, a plain stone band to the first floor and a hipped slate roof with wide bracketed eaves which has a square glazed lantern to the centre under a hipped leaded roof with a square clock tower over. This has clock-faces to all sides below gables and a small leaded spire. Attached to right is a 20th century glazed screen which links to the former coach house of red brick with a hipped roof and brick ridge chimney stacks. The interior of the original house has a grand late 19th century staircase with a landing with an elaborate iron balustrade, carved oak newel and marquetry treads to the stairs, lit by a central lantern. There is a painted and moulded hall and landing cornice. The Billiard room has richly carved pitch pine panelling, a painted cornice, coved timber ceiling, marble fireplace with mirror overmantel and carved window surrounds. The house was built and extended by the local ironmaster, Oakes, who also developed the village of Riddings. (2)