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(1) Cromford village

(2) Pig sty with sluice

(3) North Street

Cromford 1 hour - Cromford is well known through its connection with Sir Richard Arkwright, who established a water powered cotton spinning mill here in 1771. Cromford is set in a valley, surrounded by wooded hills and cliffs, bordered by the River Derwent to the east and vast quarries to the west.

 

Start in the Market Place, outside the Greyhound Hotel. This imposing inn was built in 1778 by Arkwright for businessmen and his many visitors. It incorporated a bank, its windows and door can be seen on the left side of the building. The original clock is still there. In 1790 Arkwright obtained a charter for a Saturday market (closed 1880). The houses next to the Greyhound were originally shops, and the row of shops on the right were market stalls. Before the advent of the railways, this would have been a hive of activity. Coaches, such as the Defiance and the Lord Nelson set off daily to London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham and Manchester. Carriers operated services several days a week to London and various towns in Derbyshire.

 

Cross the road, walk right as far as ellie's shop, then follow the path to the left. Here can be seen the circular stone walls of the sluice, constructed in 1785 to control the flow of the Cromford Sough to the cotton mills by means of gates and wooden stop boards. The sough drained water from lead mines at Black Rocks. Pig sty with sluice behind Beyond the sluice are the remains of stone pig sties and troughs (2).Opposite is a yard where a square of cobbles can be seen. Here animals were slaughtered. The old village lock-up, which has two small cells where offenders were held, is on the opposite corner of the yard. It is the middle part of a building which predates the Arkwright period, and was originally three cottages.

 

Return to the path and continue between allotments and more pig sties. On the right is the old pinfold, used as a holding field for cattle awaiting slaughter. The backs of the houses on North Street can be seen, note the blocked up windows of the top storeys which were used by framework knitters. The path comes out opposite the rear of the school. Built in 1832, together with a schoolmaster's house, by Richard Arkwright junior, it had provision for 200 boys and girls who were housed in separate buildings along the sides of a square court. Later enlarged and altered, it is now a Church of England primary school with about 100 pupils.Turn right, and you enter the bottom end of North Street (3). These houses were built between 1776-7 by Arkwright to house his mill workers. It is the first planned industrial housing in Derbyshire, with two Houses on North St, Cromfordrows of gritstone 3-storied houses, originally consisting of a living room, bedroom and framework knitting room in the attic. Bathrooms and kitchens were added later at the rear. The attic rooms had windows at the back and front to give good light for the outworkers at their frames, the windows at the back of the houses have since been blocked off. Number 10 belongs to the Landmark Trust which has restored the house inside and put back the rear attic window.The railings at the front of the school were replaced in 2002 after being removed in WW2 to help the war effort. You will see a trough to the right of the school railings. This was Old barn off Cromford Hillthe original water supply for the entire street, being fed by Longhead sough.

 

Follow the path winding between the back of the North Street houses and the raised gardens. Down here you will see a barn, pre-dating Arkwright, (pictured right). Inside are the old cattle stalls. The building is currently being converted into a house.The path emerges on to Cromford Hill. Turn left and a short way on turn left again into Bedehouse Lane. The path veers to the right and then forks right, following the backs of houses. Views open out on the left across the fields to Ferny Rocks. Coat of arms on side of Almshouses Look back to see Willersley Castle in the distance. Continue uphill to the Almshouses. These were founded in 1662 in accordance with the will of Mary Talbot, the Lady Armine, who left money and land for bede houses for six poor and elderly widows and widowers. A weathered stone coat-of-arms can be seen on the side of the building, which is still in occupation. The path passes some pretty stone cottages, before emerging on to Barnwell Lane.

 

On Barnwell Lane turn right. The road comes out on Cromford Hill. The house on the left at the junction by the bus stop was once the Red Lion Public House. Turn right to return to the market place, keeping to that side of the road which is very busy with continual traffic. There are Arkwright houses lining the opposite side of the road, these are later than those in North Street. Further down adjoining Alabaster Lane are several late 17th and early 18th century houses. Below North Street and on the same side several houses have the traditional wet wash finish. Some of the houses have the original window frames.

 Crown Square

(2) Smedleys Hydro

(3) The glass roof of The Winter Garden

Matlock Town  1 mile taking 2-3 hours - Matlock as we know it today, didn’t really exist when Victoria became queen in 1837. It was then astraggling collection of buildings around the church and the green, with cottages on the bank linked bytracks across the valley. One man’s interest inhydropathy (water cures) led to Matlock becoming amajor Victorian tourist town. On his honeymoon John Smedley, a woollen underwear manufacturer, started using the warm Matlock mineral waters as a cure forvarious ailments he was suffering. He was soimpressed by their healing powers that he opened hisfirst establishment or “hydro” in 1853 on BankRoad, in what is now the County Buildings or Smedley’s Hydro. The “cure” grew rapidly and by1867 he was treating more than 2,000 people everyyear. With the new railway line and station open,tourism grew and so did the number and size of thehydros - by 1898 there were more than 30. A cabletramway, based on the San Francisco model, was built to carry people up steep Bank Road to the hydropathy establishments. By the turn of the 20th century Matlock was one of the most fashionable resorts in England.

 

From the Tourist Information Centre walk up Bank Road, just after the Methodist Church the road widens, this was to enable the trams to pass, detour into the County Council car park return to Bank Road and then left along Smedley Street West and right into steep Wellington Street as far as Rockside Steps where you can sit and enjoy the views. Along this route you will see:

 

1. The Town Hall (Derbyshire Dales Council Offices).This was the Bridge Hall hydropathic establishment which was taken over by the town council in 1894.

2. Derbyshire County Council Offices. This was Smedley’s Hydro (2) of the 1850s; the most famous and largest hydro of all with it grand façade,formal gardens, orchestra and entertainment andenormous capacity. By the 1860s there were over 200 staff and 2,000 patients a year. In World War II when the buildings were used by the military, Dirk Bogarde was stationed here for a time as atrainee airman.At the west end of the building are:

3. The Winter Gardens. This enormous glass structure (3) was added in 1901 to allow patients to be in sunlight in the colder months. Many famous people came here to take the cure and drink tea in this wonderful building.

4. The Hydro Extension. Smedley’s Hydro was extended to allow more patients to be treated and roofed walk ways built to allow them access to the main building.

5. Malvern House. Formerly a hydro at bottom of Smith Road. Now a private home but in 1890 said to be able to cater for 20-30 guests and had a“great china bath” for the patients to take the waters. It was eventually purchased by Smedley’s and used as staff accommodation. Go up Rockside Steps to sit and rest on the bench half way up. The view is magnificent and you will realise just how far you have climbed! The roofs of Smedley’s Hydro with the ornate tower can be seeand on the hillside to your left is Riber Castle, built by John Smedley in 1862 and his home until he died in 1874. The route up takes you up onto Cavendish Road (the highest part of the walk you will be pleased to know!), turn right along the rear of Rockside Hall and then down a small alleyway with steps down, almost opposite Farm Lane. Turn right when you reach Wellington Street and walk down hill a short distance to get the best views of:

6. Rockside Hall, Built in 1863 it was considered second only to Smedley’s and one of the best hotels in England! The building is certainly impressive with its twin pagoda-like towers and crag-like situation; the views must have been stunning and much enjoyed when it became a student residence before converting to flats. Just below is the old tramway depot. Double Decker trams ran up and down Bank Road and Rutland Street from Crown Square to this point. The trams were hauled up and lowered down by a cable laid in the road. The two trams were connected and the cable ran around a great winding wheel at the depot.The more passengers going down the better as their weight counter balanced the tram being pulled up and less power was needed in the winding house. Thus the fare was 2 old pennies up and 1 old penny down! Retrace your steps to the bottom of the alleyway you descended from Cavendish Road and cross the road to another small alleyway opposite to:

7. Wellfield House. Not easy to see behind its highwalls and now a private residence. This was one of the smaller hydros started up by ex-Smedley employees. The cottage opposite, dated 1667, is one of the earliest buildings in Matlock and a former ‘lockup’. Continue down the alleyway, with iron rallings on your right.

8. As you descend the hill, to your right is a line of buildings set back from the road although not soeasy to see due to new houses. This was the Matlock House Hydro opened in 1863 with 54 rooms.

Matlock Bath  1 mile taking 1 hour - In 1698 a small establishment called “The Matlock Bath” was opened using the thermal waters that spring from the rocks 2000 ft below as a remedy for the aches and pains of the times, and thus was born the name of the village. This first spring supplied what became the Old Bath Hotel, later the Royal.The “New Bath” was opened in 1745 and the “Fountain Bath” opened in 1786. As the “cure” became more popular the town expanded rapidly and many shops, hotels and places of entertainment were built. The combination of the setting in the picturesque gorge and its constant 20ºC mineral waters made it a very fashionable spa resort on a par with Buxton,Tunbridge and other resorts of the period. Princess Victoria visited as a teenager, gaining the village ‘royal’ title, John Ruskin loved it and Byron too. The coming of the railway in 1849 drew day trippers from the mill towns and led to even more spas and amenities. The place has often been affectionately referred to as ‘Little Switzerland’. The coming of the railway in 1849 brought many thousands of visitors adding the title of‘ Little Blackpool’ to its list of aliases!

 

On this trail which starts from the Tourist Information Centre in the Pavilion, the site of the stables of the Old Bath, you will see:

1. The Derwent Gardens – at both the start and finish of the trail. These wonderful gardens are full of pools, fountains and grottos all fed naturally by the warm spring water. The pools therefore never freeze and the goldfish thrive in them. The water comes from the springs used originally by the very first bath house – the 1698 Old Bath - and the Old Bath Hotel.

2. The Pavilion. This was built in 1905 by a team of German contractors and was given a German name– The Kursaal – which literally means the ‘cureroom’. There were many such fashionable German spa towns of the time. After the outbreak of World War I the name was changed to “The Pavilion”. Now it houses the Mining Museum, which is well worth a visit, and the Tourist Information Centre where you will find one of the original drinking fountains from the pump room is preserved.

3. The Well and Fishpond. This small pond is again fed by a thermal spring and supports the most enormous carpe! It was originally where the horses and carriages from the Old Bath Hotel were washed.

4. Royal Well Fountain. This delightful pond, with its cascades and fountain, is fed from the Royal well. In cold weather it steams and you can feel how warm the water is by running your hands through it.

5. The Temple Road Car Park. This was the site of the first purpose built spa hotel – the Old Bath Hotel. It was rebuilt in 1884 as the Royal Hotel but was severely damaged by fire in 1929 and eventually demolished. Some of the brickwork and walls still form part of the car park.

6. The Royal Pavilion. From the car park look up to what is now “Gulliver’s Kingdom”. This was the site of the very grand Royal Pavilion built in 1884, at the height of the town’s popularity, but demolished in the 1960’s. Pictures of this hotel and the Royal Hotel in their hey day can be seen in the Matlock Bath Aquarium exhibition.

7. The Royal Well and Grotto. This is the original spring first used in 1698 by the Wolley family. They built a lead-lined bath here where 8 -10 people could both bathe in and drink the waters.

8. The Temple Hotel. This has been known by a variety of names, first Solomon’s Temple and then the Temple Coffee House. It was extended to its present size in1773 and in the garden is a small thermal spring.

9. Matlock Bath Aquarium or Fountain Baths. This building of 1786 was the third Spa Hotel to be opened here. The once magnificent glass-roofed swimming pool is now an open-air fish pond. The spring here has an output of over 2 million litres a day at a constant temperature of 200c. It now contains an aquarium and various exhibits about the village’s history. You also have the chance to see the last petrifying well, a once common type of attraction in the village. People would pay a penny to see artefact turned to stone by the rich mineral waters. Should you wish, the trip can now be extended to see Jacob’s Well in the Great Rutland Cavern on the 60 acres of the Heights of Abraham. Walk further up North Parade and turn left up Home Road or if you prefer to walk up or for the cable car, continue 70 metres past the railway station entrance and turn right over the footbridge to reach the cable car base station. The views from the top are magnificent and there are various exhibitions and 2 show caves to see. Be warned though that the walk down to the Rutland Cavern (and more importantly back up) is very steep. Despite this the trip is well worth it and you will discover much about the early days of the area and its lead mining heritage as well as enjoy wonderful views over the Derwent Valley.Otherwise, after the Aquarium cross over Jubilee Bridge and walk along the Lovers Walks – which are high with steep drops in places, to enjoy the views over the river and the town. Cross back over the New Bridge, not far from Willersley Castle, built bySir Richard Arkwright of Cromford fame, and loop round the southern end of Derwent Gardens. Not far from here is

10.The New Bath Hotel. The only hotel left where you can still take a mineral bath, in their plunge pool fed by the mineral spring. 

(2) The Market House

Winster  - 2 miles taking 1 hour 30 minutes - Winster is an old lead mining village - once most prosperous - as illustrated by the large number of 18th Century buildings. The main street is all 18th Century and contains several fine buildings, including the Hall (built in 1628) and the 16th Century Market House. On the short walk you reach many of the key buildings and some of more than twenty inns that Winster had in the 18th Century.

 

 

Begin this walk from the Market House - Winster's most prominent landmark (2) - Originally the lower half, which dates from the 16th Century, would have had open arches for trading. The upper half is 18th Century and is believed to have replaced an earlier wooden construction. In 1906 it was in poor condition and given to the National Trust - their first property in Derbyshire. This storey is now used as a National Trust Information Centre, and is open on certain afternoons during the summer months. 

 

Turn right and ascend East Bank. Pass the Bowling Green Inn on your left and later a Wesleyan Chapel, dated 1823. Almost immediately afterwards turn right along a "gennel" - a walled pathway. Follow this past the top of Woolley's Yard to West Bank. Turn left and ascend West Bank, passing Bank House on your right - Bank House (3) dates from about 1580, and a plaque on the righthand side of the doorway records that it has been the home of the village doctor for more than 100 years. At the top of the steep hill, you'll pass the former Workhouse on your left, built in 1744.

 

To your right is the Miner's Standard Inn - built in 1653, and over the doorway can be seen the dates and initials - E.P., E.P. and F.P. - stand for the names Edith, Ella and Frank Prince. In more recent times the initials have come to mean - Every person entering pays for a pint!. Cross the B5056 road onto the Pikehall road.

 

On your left is Lead Ore House and Mosey Mere. At the crossroads shortly afterwards, turn right onto the walled track known as Islington Lane.Keep on this track for half a mile as you gradually descend to a farm track on your left. Turn right as footpath signposted through the stile and cross the stiled fields to the B5056 road.

 

Cross the road to another stile and follow the path across the fields to the churchyard, passing Oddo House on your left. Walk through the churchyard, keeping to the righthand side. Walk along the lane for 20 yards to West Bank. Turn left and right almost immediately and walk along Main Street, past the Hall back to the Market House.

(3) Bank House 1580

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