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Matlock
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Riber Castle looks down over Matlock

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Looking down onto Matlock

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Matlock Bath

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Sheep and cable cars taken from above Matlock Bath at Starkholmes

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Looking down on Matlock Bath and over to Riber Castle from the Temple Hotel

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The White Lion at Starkholmes above Matlock

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All the fun of the fair at lively Matlock

Location: Matlock & Matlock Bath
County: Derbyshire
Telephone - please mention Let's Stay Peak District: + 44 (0)1629 583388 - Matlock Tourist Information centre
Website: http://www.peakdistrict-nationalpark.com/tourist/Matlock.html

Area Guides:
Matlock


Details: Matlock & Matlock Bath holiday accommodation and town guide including hotels, holiday cottages, b&bs, guest houses, pubs and much more tourist information for both Matlock and Matlock Bath.

Matlock holiday accommodation listings - hotels, holiday cottages, pubs etc - please click here

Matlock Bath holiday accommodation listings - please click here

Matlock holiday accommodation and town guide
A Regency playground of the wealthy and fashionable, the dramatic limestone gorge which is home to Matlock, Matlock Bath and Matlock Dale is typical of the landscape described by Byron as being as striking as the best the Continent could offer. Today the area and its towns and villages form a superb holiday or short break venue with outdoor pursuits opportnities galore and a host of added attractions for all ages."Standing a mere stone's throw from the south-eastern boundary of the Peak National Park, Matlock is the largest town of the area designated as the Derbyshire Dales and owes most of its growth to the Victorians' long lasting interest in the hydrotherapy.

Eccentric John Smedley built Matlock's first hydrotherapy centre on the steep hillside which rises above the Derwent and proceeded to saturate, soak and spray anyone who cared to give the therapy a try. Oddly, the people cared very much and came in droves to try the 'water cure' for a bewildering array of ailments so that soon the town was firmly on the map, Smedley rich enough to build himself a castle at nearby Riber, and the whole area became filled with hotels, riverside walks, fairs and attractions to keep the, usually wealthy, patients and their money around as long as possible.

Victorian Charm
The result for modern visitors is that Matlock and Matlock Bath - a mile or so along the river - share a particular feeling of slightly faded but very pleasant Victorian charm. There remains an abundance of interesting attractions, some old and some decidedly new, and this is, therefore, a great place to stay if you have children, or if you prefer a livelier setting for your stay, with more the feeling of a resort.Matlock itself is a considerable administrative centre for Derbyshire and so has supports a relatively large town with a good selection of shops and restaurants including some with especially pleasant locations along the banks of the Derwent.

Matlock town
The town crowds around the bridge over the Derwent and the pretty Hall Leys Park beside it. A stroll through the park by the river will bring you to a second bridge and one of the routes up to Riber - a more ambitious bit of walking but well worth it for the view.A mile along the Derwent, Matlock Bath is the result of earlier development in the Regency period when the town was a popular spa - indeed, visitors can still taste the spa waters in the Pavilion building which now houses the Tourist Information Centre. Matlock Bath's main street has much of the feel and appearance of a traditional seaside resort, but one has only to cross the Derwent and explore the various paths up to the top of the gorge in which the town nestles, to find complete seclusion in which to admire the spectacular views.

Cable Cars
For those who prefer not to walk, cable cars are available to the Heights of Abraham with its interesting visitor centre and guided tour of two large natural caverns.Perhaps the finest panorama of the entire Matlock area, however, is gained by ascending High Tor, a breathtaking precipice well known by climbers from around the world. Fortunately the summit can be gained by less life-threatening routes than straight up the cliff face. The views alone are reward enough for the effort, though there are also caves and abandoned lead workings to be explored.

Each year between late August and the end of October Matlock Bath's Illuminations and Venetian Nights transform the gorge with thousands of coloured lights and tableaux and with magical floating illuminated boats on the Derwent. originally candle-powered, these illuminations pre-date Blackpool's and, if you ask the locals, outstrip them easily for sheer magic.

Something for everyone
It's a tourist guide cliche, but Matlock and Matlock Bath really do hold something for everyone, and can cater for a wide range of ages and interests. Accommodation is plentiful, from B+Bs to characterful hotels (if you can't get into Hodgkinson's Hotel or the Temple Hotel to stay, at least go for an evening meal). Larger market towns with all the additional facilities they offer, such as bustling Chesterfield or even the City of Derby are within easy reach, and the immediate surroundings offer plenty in the way of outdoor pursuits, from walking and cycling to canoeing, fishing and climbing.

Cromford and Wirksworth
Nearby Cromford and Wirksworth offer a change of scene and some interesting industrial heritage. There is also a wide choice of eating out venues - so much so that, even with children in tow, you could easily eat out somewhere different every night of the week. Don't miss Smedley's Factory Shop. The world famous knitted products of this long established mill are sought out by fashion devotees across the globe and the Factory Shop is full of genuine bargains.

Lea Gardens
The Smedley mill is at Lea, where you will also find Lea Gardens which, in April, May and June, are an enchantment of rare rhododendrons, azaleas, alpines and conifers.If you'd enjoy an easy walk in a waterside setting, drive or bus down to Cromford and wander by the restored Cromford Canal, once a vital link in the chain of events which gave Derbyshire and its mills such preeminence in the industrial revolution. Break your walk at the little restaurant at restored mill of Richard Arkwright or hang on until you're back in Cromford and bag a table at the Boat Inn.

Further afield
A short drive or bus ride away, the historic town of Chesterfield -once the home of George Stephenson - is full of interest. Much larger than the towns within the Peak Park it also offers a lively night scene based on a host of pubs and clubs, a good choice of ethnic dining and a multiscreen cinema.


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Another Peak District Tourist Guide listing created by Let's Stay Peak District - Tel: 01629 640 640.