An alternative look at the town of Matlock in Derbyshire

Is Matlock the town it once was?

So far on my tour of Derbyshire’s towns I have come away from each one with a renewed appreciation for what makes each of them special and unique.

It’s perhaps a little harder to be objective when it comes to Matlock as it’s where I live and where I have spent much of my life.

Yet it also affords me the opportunity, as a resident, to be slightly more forthright when it comes to Derbyshire’s proud and historic County Town.

On the day I chose to meander through this familiar place, the optics weren’t great. It was an overcast day punctuated with the odd flurry of rain. Bank Road was closed to cars as ‘absolutely necessary’ investigations were carried out and across the town a number of routes were compromised due to roadworks, as has become the norm over recent years.

Online, the self-deprecating Matlock community forums have once again poked fun at Matlock’s perceived problems, and the now familiar moniker, Welcome to Gridlock’ is back with a vengeance.

Matlock from Riber Hill, with Saint Giles Church bottom left Photo: Gary Wallis All these issues are, of course, temporary. Nobody can control the weather and roadworks are a necessary fact of life. In this, Matlock is clearly not alone.

The creation of flood defences post-Covid caused a great deal of disruption in the town, but such futureproofing is vital, not least to the dozens of independent town centre businesses which have been greatly affected by flooding in recent years.

And here’s the thing. Matlock is undeniably a jewel in Derbyshire’s crown. One glance at the traffic flowing into it on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend is all the evidence you need that Matlock is a go-to destination.

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The iconic crown on Crown Square, the sight of Riber Castle which towers broodily and majestically over the town, the rugged tors etched into the landscape that lead you towards Matlock Bath, beautiful Hall Leys Park… Matlock is a draw for locals and visitors alike.

The day of my ‘visit’ to Matlock saw me take advantage of the new Derbyshire Dales District Council initiative of free parking for half an hour.

Truth be told, there’s plenty of spots I could have parked legally for free which would have afforded me more time, but I quite liked the challenge of seeing how much I could explore within a 30-minute time limit.

The answer, I discovered, was plenty. Firstly, Matlock must be the Derbyshire flag flying capital of the county. I spotted ten in and around the town centre alone – nothing quite like a bit of local pride!

Matlock’s Victorian stone buildings might not be quite as eye-catching as the architectural delights found in places such as Ashbourne and Melbourne but they are nevertheless grand in stature, evidence of the late 19th century boom which saw Matlock become a very popular Hydro town during the Victorian era when hydrotherapy was enjoying its heyday.

I noticed many building which stand today were built in the late 1800s – presumably to coincide with Matlock’s increasing popularity – and wondered how different Matlock must have looked at the beginning and end of Queen Victoria’s reign.

The blue plaque outside what was once the Crown Hotel (c1895-1990) I had seen before, but never had I been present enough to observe the beautiful stone carving of a crown that adorns the side of the building as Crown Square becomes Bank Road.

A few shops caught my eye on Crown Square itself. 2nd Chapter, selling a vast range of books and all for under £5, seems a wonderful way to make books accessible.

Round The Corner, Matlock (Image: Nathan Fearn)

It was also nice to see Round the Corner open for business, a welcome addition to the town after the much-loved, family-run Robert Youngs Florist vacated the premises last year, moving just up the road to Tansley.

One thing I noticed on my walk around the town that I hadn’t fully appreciated before is just how inter-connected Matlock is.

Across from Hall Leys Park you have Dale Road, a path well-trodden in my youth, in fact it’s where I met my wife, but a part of town I seldom visit now.

Some of the shops here felt comfortingly familiar – such as Matlock Antiques and Collectables Centre and Elliott Carpets – but many of the bars and eateries that have sprung up over the years I’ve never stepped foot in.

I felt a mix of nostalgia and unfamiliarity walking down Dale Road on my way to Hall Leys Park. It was the first sign that perhaps it isn’t Matlock that’s changed, but more my perception of it as I have gotten a bit older.

Over the bridge I went, with the Derwent flowing steadily below my feet. The plaque on the park side of the bridge indicates what the water levels rose to during the floods of December 1960 and 1965 respectively.

Hall Leys Park is magnificent. The bandstand beautiful, the Café in the Park doing a roaring trade and a group taking part in a bowls match. Quite the picture.

At the bottom end of the park, by the play area, which itself has undertaken a redevelopment recently, I observed a new building taking shape where Densel’s once stood. Densel was, by all accounts, a popular local figure and the go-to place for fuel back in the day.

I remember stopping there semi-frequently with my grandma for diesel and felt sure people would go there as much for a catch up with Densel as the need to fill the car.

Then onto one of my favourite parts of Matlock, Knowleston Garden, an oasis of calm with the babbling brook and the path which can lead you up Pic Tor, which affords sensational views over Matlock below and where I occasionally take my eldest, Aurora, for a walk.

I walked back along Causeway Lane, past Maazi – a cinema when I was growing up – and past Firs Parade – which I thought was called First Parade until I was about 20 – and Iceland – my favourite shop back in the day when it was Woolworths – before being hit by the unmistakable smell emanating from Matlock Fish Bar – some things never change!

Jess and Mez at The Garden Room (Image: Nathan Fearn)

With five minutes left on my free 30 minutes parking I made a b-line for The Garden Room which, to me, has the most inviting window display in Matlock – especially at Christmas time.

I had a lovely chat with Mez, who runs the shop, and Jess, who runs the accompanying Garden Room Café, and the buzz and feeling of local community was palpable.

Back to the car I headed, which was parked at ‘The Lido’ car park, opposite the Imperial Rooms, a vital community hub. It reminded me that I was stood where the deep end would once have been at Matlock Lido, where I and so many of my friends learned to swim.

It’s a shame it’s no longer around, although the facilities at The Arc nearby are infinitely better – another win for progress, even if tinged with a degree of wistfulness.

Next, I drove to Smedley Street and onto the top of Bank Road where the current County Council is housed – an impressive building which was once Smedley’s Hydro.

Where Smedley Street meets Rutland Street, I noticed stone carvings above one of the many grand buildings here – it reads ‘Central Buildings’.

The buildings don’t feel particularly central as far as the geography of the town is concerned but perhaps it has something to do with the fact trams would once run from here down into Crown Square.

Crown Square looking south towards Dale Road Photo: Chris Cookman Photography Along Smedley Street I went before reaching Chesterfield Road and down into Matlock Green. From here, it’s a quick incline up to Starkholmes which, despite being a stone’s throw from Knowleston Place and the start of Hall Leys Park, has a calming feeling of separation about it.

I was keen to visit somewhere in and around Matlock I had never been before, so headed for Saint Giles Church. I hear the chimes of the church’s bells multiple times every single day, so it felt good to finally stand where those chimes originate from.

The church door was open and I happened to be the only person there. It was delightfully peaceful and the stained-glass windows I have heard much about are truly beautiful.

It’s wonderful that such places remain open despite being unattended and that so much trust is placed in those who visit. It’s clearly appreciated. ‘Beautiful architecture’; ‘A lovely and welcoming church’; and ‘Beautiful, so peaceful’ just three of the many comments in the visitor book.

This had been an eye-opening visit to Matlock in many ways and there was still a surprise left in store.

Many years ago, I read in regular contributor Richard Bradley’s book Secret Matlock and Matlock Bath about a faded stone carving opposite the church in Starkholmes which, although no longer very legible, is believed to say: ‘Here Lies the Body of a Witch’.

‘Here lies the body of a witch’! Photo: Nathan Fearn While nobody, I believe, is certain of its origins or backstory, it definitely still exists as, after ten minutes or so of searching, I discovered it!

And so, on that rather exciting find, the visit to my hometown was over and I wondered whether, perversely, I had learned more here than at any of the other towns this year. Certainly, it made me question my relationship with Matlock.

Has Matlock changed? Of course it has, but then, so have I. Perhaps it is I that had the identity crisis with the town, rather than the other way around.

Before this visit, when was the last time I wandered the streets of my hometown without doing so with a specific purpose – be that errands, doing the weekly food shop or picking up the children from activities. Maybe it has led me to lose my connection with it a touch.

Approaching Matlock from Tansley as the valley opens up, or down through Farley Hill with the Derwent meandering below, are sights that never get old – especially when the latter is accompanied with the sight of a steam train rolling into the station from Darley Dale.

My late grandma, who lived on Wooley Road for years, would recognise these vistas in an instant if she was still alive. Yet there’s plenty she would not recognise. What she would make of some of Matlock’s changes, I’m not sure.

As I finish writing this piece I observe outside the transient nature of town life – the cars that go past, the shops – old and new – and yes, the roadworks. Yet the key fabric of this place, not least the stunning scenery, remains.

The key to Matlock’s future? Accepting places evolve, embracing change but never losing sight of the key ingredients that make this town the wonderful place it undoubtedly is.

Matlock will always have its heritage and, for me, its memories – but it can build a thriving future for itself too.