This postcard of Matlock Town, designated Old Matlock by the artist, is from a painting by Henry Hadfield Cubley who lived in Matlock Bath at the time. It is difficult to provide an exact date; whilst it was quite possibly painted in the first decade of the 20th century it is likely that Cubley painted this scene in the last part of the nineteenth century. The webmistress believes that he included his wife. also an artist, and two little girls to add something extra to the picture and they provide a tiny focus of red paint which he liked to include in his work. It is not quite clear what Julia is carrying although it may have been a small easel.

Here is the area near St. Giles' parish church, which is off picture on the right, at the bend in Church Street. Behind the lamp is the entrance to the late eighteenth century Rectory. The Wheatsheaf (Wheatsheaf Farm) is the very old building behind the ancient tree. According to Pevsner's architectural guide, it dates from 1681 and has "a symmetrical front with windows of mullion-and-transome-crosses"^[1]. Other sources state that the roof was replaced in the late nineteenth century. Pevsner also commented that "no one can feel the nearness of modern Matlock here^[1]". This is still true today, despite the increased use of the motor car.

Church Street was part of the old road connecting Matlock and Cromford - the only road until the Scarthin Rock was blasted through - and there were several inns along the route. The Wheatsheaf served as an Inn for many years ; the Inn was in the building attached to the main house and its doorway, with the sign above it, is to the left of the tree. It is not clear when the Wheatsheaf ceased to be an Inn, although the 1881 census refers to the Inn as closed^[2]. It was still shown as the Wheat Sheaf Inn on the Ordnance Survey map 2nd edition of 1900, but the Waltons who lived there were by then farmers, not Innkeepers.

The sign on the building on the left of the image belongs to the former King's Head, a late seventeenth century building. In the 1890s Joseph Marsden was the both the publican and a butcher^[3]. Cubley has also included the stone steps, to help people mount their horses, which are next to the pub's wall.

Both the Wheatsheaf and the former King's Head are Grade II listed today.

There used to be a biography of the artist on this page.
This has moved to the Biographies page

A selection of Cubley's paintings of Matlock & Matlock Bath that are on this web site:

The Old Bridge, Matlock

Matlock Bank from the Derwent, 1903

Matlock Church from Hawe Leys

Lea Hurst

Pic Tor

Riber Hall

High Tor 1887

References (coloured hyperlinks are to transcripts elsewhere on this website):

^[1] Pevsner, Nikolaus (1953) "The Buildings of England, Derbyshire" Penguin Books London, Melbourne, Baltimore, p. 179.

^[2] See the transcript of the 1881 census entry for the Wheatsheaf.

^[3] See his name in Kelly's 1891 Directory | Kelly's 1895 Directory | Kelly's 1899 Directory