Matlock Bath is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

, England. It lies in the

Derbyshire Dales Derbyshire Dales ( ) is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Derbyshire, England. The district was created in 1974 as West Derbyshire; the name was changed to Derbyshire Dales in 1987. The council is based in the town of Matl ...

, south of Matlock on the main A6 road, and approximately halfway between

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Alston, Cumbria also claims this, but lacks a regu ...

and

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 753. Originally built at the head of a dead-end dirt road running along the valley of the River Derwent from Matlock, the settlement developed in the 19th century as residential and a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

which remains a tourist destination. The steep hillside restricts development, with most buildings on one side of the valley and only footbridges across the river. The road was upgraded, becoming a through-way, now designated A6, avoiding the previous coaching road approach to Matlock from Cromford over very steep hills near to the Riber plateau area. Matlock Dale is a hamlet about north of the village, and the term also refers to this stretch of the river valley.

History

In 1698, warm springs were discovered and a bath house was built. As the waters became better known, access was improved by building the bridge into Old Matlock and in 1783, the opening of a new entrance at the south of the valley. Princess Victoria of Kent's royal visit in 1832 confirmed Matlock as a society venue of the time. Victoria's party visited a pair of museums and a petrifying well.RA VIC/MAIN/QVJ (W) 23 October 1832 (Queen Victoria's handwriting). Retrieved 2013-05-24

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...

and

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

were visitors, Byron comparing it with alpine Switzerland, leading to a nickname of '' Little Switzerland''. Erasmus Darwin recommended the area to

Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indu ...

I for its beauty and soothing waters, and members of the families vacationed and settled there. Edward Levett Darwin, son of Francis Sacheverel Darwin, lived at Dale House in Matlock Bath, where he was a solicitor. When the North Midland Railway opened in 1840, carriages plied for hire from Ambergate station. The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway ran a number of excursions, taking the passengers onward from Ambergate by the Cromford Canal. Matlock Bath is a designated conservation area with an

Article 4 direction An Article 4 direction is made by a local planning authority in the United Kingdom and exceptionally may be subject to intervention by the government. It serves to restrict permitted development rights, which means that a lot of the things peopl ...

in relation to properties, predominantly along North and South Parade.

Government

Matlock Bath is in the local government district of Derbyshire Dales, and is part of the parliamentary constituency of the same name. The Member of Parliament is John Whitby of the Labour Party.

Tourism

Matlock Bath has attractions including the Heights of Abraham park, Gulliver's Kingdom

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

, the Peak District Lead Mining Museum, the former Life in a Lens Museum of Photography & Old Times, the Grand Pavilion, Derwent Gardens, Lovers' Walks and an

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

. On the opposite bank of the river Derwent stands High Tor, a sheer cliff used by climbers and walkers. High Tor features Giddy Edge, a narrow winding path along the cliff edge. The Heights of Abraham cable cars link the base of High Tor rising to the Heights of Abraham. In autumn of each year, the "Venetian Nights" are held with illuminations along the river and illuminated boats. On Sundays in summer many hundreds of motorcyclists congregate in the town.

Popular culture references

Andrew Asibong's phantasmagorical novel ''Mameluke Bath'' is set in a futuristic version of Matlock Bath, and Eleanor Bowen-Jones' film ''Return to Mameluke Bath'' explores both real and fictional versions of the town. Each year the Parish Council organises Pro Loco events in the area. There are pro loco art and photography competitions which are free to enter. The village is mentioned in the

Half Man Half Biscuit Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...

song "The Light at the End of the Tunnel (Is the Light of an Oncoming Train)".

Transport

Railway

Matlock Bath railway station was built in 1849 on the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 in rail transport, 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had ...

line between

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. The section from Matlock to

was closed in 1968, as result of the Beeching cuts. Today, trains run generally hourly each way between Matlock and

on the Derwent Valley Line, operated by

East Midlands Railway East Midlands Railway (EMR; legally Transport UK East Midlands Limited) is a British train operating company owned by Transport UK Group, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise. Originally owned by Abellio (transport compan ...

Roads

The A6, which links

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

with

Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...

, passes through the town; it provides access to

Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...

, Bakewell, Matlock and

Sport

The River Derwent in Matlock Bath is a location for canoeing, both recreational and competitive. Matlock Canoe Club hosts national-level wild-water racing and slalom events here, and it is an assessment location for the BCU 4 Star award. There are numerous cliffs around Matlock Bath used for rock climbing. Generally unequipped, the climbing on the cliffs is in traditional style placing protection as you go. High Tor, Pic Tor, Willersley Castle Rocks, Wildcat crags and many others are all documented as having many climbs.

Gallery

File:Matlock Bath.jpg, The main shopping and refreshment area situated on the A6 road, Matlock Bath File:Cable Cars(Heights of Abraham Matlock) - geograph.org.uk - 194529.jpg, Cable Cars high above the A6 road and the River Derwent File:High Tor, Matlock Dale - geograph.org.uk - 426617.jpg, View of High Tor from the cable car showing the A6 road through the Bath with Matlock town in the distance File:High rise living - geograph.org.uk - 462756.jpg, Most of the development on one side of the valley – steep hillside building solutions File:Footbridge over River Derwent, Matlock Bath - geograph.org.uk - 1285959.jpg, Most of the development on one side of the valley – footbridge over the River Derwent

References

External links

Video footage of Matlock Bath railway station

Extensive site on the history of Matlock and Matlock Bath
{{authority control Villages in Derbyshire Spa towns in England Towns and villages of the Peak District Civil parishes in Derbyshire Derbyshire Dales