Matlock

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Matlock is the county town of Derbyshire, UK. It is situated at the south eastern edge of the Peak District, and is twinned with Eaubonne in France. Matlock Bath lies immediately south of the town on the A6. Matlock is ten miles south west of Chesterfield, surrounded by the cities of Derby (19 miles), Sheffield (22 miles) and Nottingham (29 Miles). The A6 road continues to the Metropolitan areas of Stockport (30 miles) and Manchester (45 miles away). Although officially occupying a central England position geographically, Matlock is in the west of Derbyshire in what is known as the Derbyshire Dales which includes the towns of Wirksworth and Bakewell. Industry in the area is now relatively low since the decline of the mill industry and job opportunities are quite poor apart from tourism and administration jobs. Many now travel to Chesterfield and the South Yorkshire conurbation for work.

1 History
2 The town centre development
3 Transportation
4 Railways
5 Hall Leys Park
6 Sport
7 Matlock on film and television
8 Youth Hostels
9 FEEDBACK

History

A former spa town, Matlock lies on the River Derwent, and has prospered from both the hydrotherapy industry and the mills constructed on the river. It was an unimportant collection of small villages — Matlock Town, Matlock Green, Matlock Bridge, Matlock Bank — until thermal springs were discovered in 1698. The population increased rapidly in the 1800s, largely due to hugely popular hydros being built. At one stage there were around twenty hydros, most on Matlock Bank. The largest was built in 1853 by John Smedley. This closed in the 1950s, when it became home to Derbyshire County Council. Matlock is also home to the Derbyshire Dales District Council as well as Matlock Town Council.

The town centre development

For many years, the council have proposed to build a sainsburys supermarket in Cawdor Quarry, a disused quarry next to the railway station. They are also bulding a new relief road from Darley Dale, a nearby village so the Sainsburys store can be accessed from the A6 northbound without driving through the town centre. A footbridge from the railway station is also going to be built. The bus station will also be relocated next to the train station to create a nice big transport terminal.

Transportation

In 1893, Matlock Cable Tramway, a cable tramway was built up Bank Road from Crown Square at Matlock Bridge to Wellington Street (at the top of Bank Road) with a stop half way up at Smedley Street where Smedley's Hydro (built by John Smedley) was situated. Conceived by Job Smith, the tram was inspired by San Francisco's famous cable cars, and cost £20,000. When it was built it was the steepest tramway in the world at a gradient of 1 in 5½, and it rose 300 feet. The fare was tuppence up, penny down. It closed in 1927 after losing business to cars and buses.

Railways

Matlock railway station was on the Midland Railway line between London and Manchester, until the section between Matlock and Buxton was closed in 1968 during the Beeching Axe.The rail council have been considering opening it again but the locals of Matlock know that it won't happen. Trains still run between Matlock and Derby on the Derwent Valley Line. Peak Rail, a preserved railway, runs steam trains on a section of the closed line between Matlock, Darley Dale and Rowsley. It is hoped that in the future Peak Rail will be able to share the mainline station – it currently has its own station, Matlock Riverside, a short distance to the north.

Hall Leys Park

The tram shelter from Crown Square is now in Hall Leys Park, a large Victorian park next to the river which opened in 1898. The park boasts a miniature railway, bandstand and a boating pond, with the oldest running powered boats in Britain, for many years, as well as tennis courts and a war memorial. There is an ongoing project to update and upgrade all the parks in the Matlock area - Hall Leys Park was the first to benefit from this and the children's play area has been greatly modernised. There has also been a skateboard park added replacing grass tennis courts. The park hosts the Matlock Victorian Christmas Weekend on the first weekend of December.

Sport

Matlock is home to Matlock Town Football Club, known as 'The Gladiators'. They are currently in the Unibond Premier League and play home matches at their Causeway Lane ground.

Matlock is also home to Matlock Cricket Club who also play their games next to the football ground.

Matlock has a growing reputation for the creative and performing arts which was enhanced in 2004 when the annual arts festival Matlock Live! began. It takes place in June or July each year featuring local musicians, dancers, artists, etc.

The local secondary school, Highfields School, achieved status as a Performing Arts College due to its connections with Matlock Live!

Matlock on film and television

Women in Love, Ken Russell's Oscar winning 1969 film, uses a house at the top of New Street (No. 80) as the home of the Brangwen sisters, Gudrun and Ursula. The house is currently a B&B.
Peak Practice, the ITV series, used locations in Matlock although the main location is the nearby village of Crich.
Dead Man's Shoes, the 2004 film by Shane Meadows, was filmed in and around Matlock.
In Denial of Murder, 2005 BBC dramatisation of Matlock Mercury editor Don Hale's campaign to free Stephen Downing

   * Jane Eyre, 2006 BBC Adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë novel was filmed at the nearby Haddon Hall and in the Countryside nearby.

Youth Hostels

The Youth Hostels Association has its national headquarters on Dimple Road, Matlock. Despite the close proximity of the HQ, the YHA announced in 2005 that they would be closing down the Matlock Hostel which is situated on Bank Road.

Famous Residents

Simon Groom, the DJ and former Blue Peter presenter.
Ben Ottewell, from the band Gomez
Geoff Hinsliff, actor, famous for playing Don Brennan in Coronation Street
Bruce White, famous British Wrestler

Pages linking here

FEEDBACK

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County: Derbyshire

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