Places of interest in Derbyshire
DERBYSHIRE
Buxton
The Heart Of A Peak District
Long ago, since the Romans first began to exploit the area for its minerals and the spring waters, Buxton and the Peak District have today, become the centre of attention for millions of visitors. This very beautiful area, with its many varied and truly striking landscapes, has made it the number one of all Derbyshire tourist attractions. It's one that clearly has many special features, attractions and sources of entertainment and wonder, this for everyone and throughout the year.
Visitors pour in from around the world, to enjoy the annual Gilbert and Sullivan festival in the glorious surroundings of Buxton's wonderful Edwardian Opera House. There is also the highly popular and quite unique Buxton festival, with its host of topical events that are held throughout the town. Further afield, there is the extremely popular annual Bakewell show, an event which highlights our large and very important rural community. Ancient customs also play a very important role throughout most of the Peak District towns and villages during the summer months, the most widespread being, the mystically ancient and beautiful floral tradition of Wells Dressing.
Today, tens of thousands of visitors come to sample Buxton spring water, which flows freely at the St Anne's Well, situated opposite the grand Crescent. Many more will travel to admire the magnificent local architecture, ( some of which dates from the early 17th century ), or take a more leisurely stroll through the Pavilion Gardens , which at present is being beautifully restored to its former Victorian splendour.
Matlock
Matlock, the county town of Derbyshire, is a former spa town situated at a sharp bend in the River Derwent, where it turns south to carve its way through the ridge of limestone which bars its route towards Derby . Just downriver of the main town lies Matlock Bath, which is enclosed by the limestone cliffs of the gorge and contains the main tourist attractions of the locality.
In many respects Matlock seems quite a new town, certainly when compared with Buxton or Bakewell for instance. The reason is that Matlock was an unimportant collection of small villages centred around the church at Matlock Town (where the only buildings of any age are to be found) until thermal springs were discovered in 1698.
The Victorian era saw the development of Matlock Bath as a fashionable resort and the construction by John Smedley in 1853 of the vast Hydro on the steep hill to the north of the river crossing at the centre of Matlock. This functioned as a spa until the 1950s, when it closed and became Derbyshire County Council's headquarters.
The coming of the railways in 1865 transformed Matlock again, this time into a resort for day-trippers from the Derby-Nottingham area. Matlock Bath spawned tourist attractions in the form of show caverns, cable railways, petrifying wells, pleasure gardens and even a theme park.
The town has a full range of shops and facilities, mostly situated at the Matlock end of the town. Also at this end, up the hill towards the hydro, is the Youth Hostel, and there are numerous guest houses and bed-and-breakfast establishments in both Matlock and Matlock Bath. However, the principal hotels are both in the Bath - the New Bath Hotel is out on the road to Cromford opposite Wildcat crags and the Temple Hotel is on the hill below the Heights of Abraham. |