Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for MATLOCK-BATH

MATLOCK-BATH, a village and a chapelry in Matlock parish, Derbyshire. The village stands on the river Derwent, and on the Derby and Buxton railway, under High Tor and the Heights of Abraham, amid highly romantic scenery, 1½ mile S of Matlock village, and 13½ N by W of Derby; sprang into existence subsequent to 1698, in connexion with medicinal springs; consists partly of a street with hotels, and partly of cottages of many forms rising tier upon tier above and around that street; presents a beautiful, picturesque, and attractive appearance; includes a fine terrace, laid out in 1820, and commanding a view of the best features of Matlock-Dale; contains three principal hotels, numerous lodging-houses, some museums or museum shops, and three petrifying wells; publishes a weekly newspaper; and has a head post office,‡ a railway station with telegraph, a church, an Independent chapel, and a national school. The church was built in 1843, at a cost of £2,250; and is in the decorated English style, cruciform, with handsome tower and crocketted spire, 129 feet high. The lndependent chapel was built in 1 866, at a cost of £2,100; and is in the early English style, with tower and spire. A previous chapel was purchased by Lady Glenorchy, when on a visit to Matlock-Bath, and given by her to the Independents, and was originally a dwelling-house built in 1777 by Sir Richard Arkwright for Mr. Need. The mineral springs are three; were visited in 1832 by the Princess Victoria; are provided with baths; and have much repute for dyspeptic and Inephritic affections. Their water is limpid and tasteless; has a temperature of 680, and a specific gravity of 1.003; and contains minute quantities of lime, soda, and magnesia.—The chapelry includes also the hamlet of Scarthin-Nick, and was coustituted in 1844. Pop. in 1861,1,258. Houses. 266. The living is a vicarage in the dio. of Lichfield. Value, not reported.* Patrons, Trustees. A church built in 1869, and chapels for Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists, are at Scarthin-Nick.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village and a chapelry"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Matlock AP/CP       Derbyshire AncC
Place: Matlock

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