Prominent in the foreground is the Georgian Greyhound Hotel in Cromford's Market Place, built in 1778^[1]; when this picture was taken over 100 years later Matthew Hill was running the hotel^[2]. Behind the Inn is the Greyhound Pond, at times also known as the Mill Pond or Cromford Pond. It was made by Sir Richard Arkwright about 1785 when he dammed the Cromford Sough to supply his mills with water^[3].

The road to the left of the pond is Water Lane, Cromford. To the right of the pond is the hamlet of Scarthin which was for many years part of Matlock Bath. The ancient parish boundary went along the edge of the pond^[4]. In 1892 Scarthin consisted of the row on the waterfront and the three or four rows of houses further back and was quite densely populated^[5].

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

^[1] Glover, Stephen (1833) "The History and Gazetteer of the County of Derby ..." Edited by T. Noble. pub. Derby and London . Glover described the inn as large and handsome.

^[2] "Kelly's Directory of the Counties of Derby, Notts, Leicester and Rutland" London (May, 1891) is in a different section of this website

^[3] "The Derwent Valley Mills and their Communities" (2001), The Derwent Valley Mills Partnership, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG. ISBN 0-9541940-0-4. Also see the Arkwright section of "The Beauties of England & Wales", 1802.

^[4] Ordnance Survey Map (1903), pub H.M.S.O.

^[5] The 1891 census returns for Scarthin Nick are elsewhere on this website