A vignette^[1] view of High Tor and Matlock Bath station, with its distinctive chalet-style roof. A train is emerging from the station, travelling south.

The engraved illustration was done for the London publishers Rock & Co. Ltd.^[2]; it is number 4466 and dated 20 Feb 1862. To the left of the station is the High Tor Tunnel^[3]. Between the tunnel and the station is a bridge under the line and a footpath connecting Matlock Bath and Starkholmes goes underneath. The white building on the left must be the old vicarage - a more obvious depiction of it can be seen elsewhere on this site^[4]. The station approach, for the carriages, curricles and phætons of the day, sweeps down to the left towards the recently built stone bridge that is just out of view. The iron footbridge bridge across the river Derwent, just past the bend, was not to be put in place for several more decades.

When writing about Matlock Bath and the Dale in 1851, William Adam went on to observe "Added to all these striking changes which have altered its original condition, Matlock [Bath] can now boast of one of the best roads in the kingdom, and also the Railroad, which renders it of easy access from all parts of the kingdom"^[5].

View even more about the station by clicking on the images below:

1860s	19C stereoview1	19C stereoview2	Tunnel, 19C
About 1906	1906-08	1912	Station House	Today, image3

References (coloured links are to transcripts and information elsewhere on this web site):

^[1] A vignette engraving is an engraved illustration that is not enclosed in a definite border and, as is the case here, the edge of the image might be either fuzzy or just fade into the background.

^[2] Rock & Co. was founded by William Frederick Rock. The firm specialised in, amongst other things, steel engraved vignette views.

^[3] See image 3, High Tor Tunnel on Matlock Bath Today (4) where the building of the tunnel is discussed.

^[4] There is a vignette engraving of High Tor Tunnel from "Bemroses' Guide" of 1869, showing the railway station building (at the bottom of the page). It is similar to this image and the former vicarage is shown. Also see the engraving from Mrs. Smedley's "Ladies' Manual".

^[5] Adam, W. (1851) "The Gem of the Peak; or Matlock Bath and Its Vicinity. ... John and Charles Mozley, Derby and 6, Paternoster Row, London; Bemrose ....