Matlock

Matlock and its surrounding townships are built on the banks of the River Derwent. There are actually eight Matlocks that make up the town, but most have simply been engulfed and have lost their identity as the town grew. Just downriver of the main town Matlock Bath, the site of the spa, still maintains some individuality and contains the main tourist attractions of the locality. The Matlocks are just outside the boundaries of the National Park, but for many visitors marks the southern entrance to the Peak District. The towns, villages and much of the surrounding countryside have plenty of the typical Peak District characteristics. There are also some fine views over the Lower Derwent Valley from its well planned vantage points.

Matlock lies right on the divide between the gritstone of the Dark Peak and the limestone of the White Peak. The whole area is dominated by the imposing cliffs of High Tor and the Heights of Abraham, which tower 120 metres above the gorge. Though the hilltops are often windswept and bleak, the numerous dales, cut deep into the limestone, provide a lush and green haven for all manner of wildlife and plant life. Several of the rivers are famous for their trout, particularly the Lathkill, which was greatly favoured by the keen angler and writer Sir Izaak Walton. The attractive four-arched bridge across the Derwent was built in the 1400s. It was made famous by Joseph Turner’s painting - ‘The Bridge at Matlock’.

In many respects Matlock seems quite a new town, certainly when compared with Buxton or Bakewell for instance. This is because until relatively recently Matlock was a collection of insignificant hamlets, but then the thermal springs were discovered and harnessed to make Matlock’s name as a fashionable Victorian retreat. In the early Matlock village, known as Old Matlock you will find most of the buildings that predate the town’s spa heyday.

The Parish Church of St Giles is an attractive building with fragments of masonry dating from its foundation in the 13th century, and its tower, in the perpendicular style, dates from the 16th century. However, most of the medieval church was destroyed in the 18th century during alterations, and in 1859 the chancel was completely rebuilt. Inside the church can be seen a preserved funeral garland or ‘virgin crantse’, though the church has others in storage. These were once common all over Derbyshire, and were bell-shaped, decorated with rosettes and ribbons and usually containing a personal item. They were made in memory of a deceased young girl of the parish. At her funeral the garland was carried by the dead girl’s friends and, after the service, it would be suspended from the church rafters above the pew she had normally occupied.

Matlock is famed as, at one time, having the steepest gradient (a 1-in-5½) tramway in the world. It ran between the railway station and the hydro of John Smedley, and it was so steep that a cable beneath the road connected the two trams - one going uphill and one going downhill. It was also the only tram system in the Peak District. Opened in 1893, the tramcars ran until 1927 and the depot can still be seen at the top of Bank Road. The old ticket office and waiting room at Matlock station have been taken over by the Peak Rail Society and here can be found not only their shop, but also exhibitions explaining the history and aims of the society.

For train enthusiasts, the Peak Rail run regular steam and diesel hauled heritage passenger trains between Matlock Riverside station, through the charming rural station of Darley Dale to the terminus at Rowsley South. Run entirely by volunteers, this lovely old line operates on different days throughout the year. The full journey (one way) takes just 20 minutes, and passengers can alight to enjoy the picnic area at the entrance to Rowsley South Station, or the exhibition coach at Darley Dale platform to learn about the history of the reopening of the line. Special events are held throughout the year, and engine-driving courses can be taken.

High up on the hill behind the town is the brooding ruin of Riber Castle, which sits 850 feet above sea level. The castle was built between 1862 and 1868 by John Smedley, as his residence. He was a local hosiery manufacturer who became interested in the hydropathic qualities of Matlock, and drew up the designs for the building himself. It was lavishly decorated inside, and Smedley constructed his own gas-producing plant to provide lighting for the castle and it even had its own well. The castle has been the former site of a boys’ school, a food store during the Second World War, and later a nature reserve before it was left to become a ruined shell. It is currently privately owned, and not open to the public, with planning permission to convert it into luxury flats.

A popular attraction in the area is Matlock Farm Park, set in 600 acres of working farm and providing a great day out for all the family. The Park is home to a wide variety of animals including llamas, red deer, donkeys and peacocks, which children can feed. The Two Dales Riding School and Trekking Centre is part of the farm park. This offers riding lessons as well as pony trekking in the nearby forests (booking is essential).

To the west of Matlock, down a no-through road, can be found one of Derbyshire’s few Grade I listed buildings, the secluded and well-hidden Snitterton Hall. The hall, built in the 1630s, is a rare surviving example of an Elizabethan manor house in a substantially original state. It was bought in 1996 for use as a private home and underwent a seven-year restoration project relying on authentic materials and traditional craftsmanship. The gardens were also restored in the late Elizabethan-Jacobean style with extensive terraces and lawns and formal box hedging. The main architect was quoted having said: “Snitterton was saved just in time. Another two or three years and it might have been too late”.