MATLOCK
Engraver not known
The engraving, dating from the second half of the nineteenth century, is of the River Derwent at Matlock
Bath. The hand colouring was a later addition. It was published in an undated American Guide, "England
Illustrated with Pen and Pencil[1]", which was written after
Matlock's hydros - mentioned in the text below - had become established.
"At this junction, too, [i.e. Rowsley] the traveler
comes upon the railway, and will be tempted to pass only
too rapidly by the beauties of the Derwent Valley between
Rowsley and Ambergate. We can but assure him that he
will lose much by so doing ; that Darley Dale and Moor
are very beautiful, and that the tourist who rushes on
to Matlock Bath without staying to climb Matlock Bank
does an injustice to Derbyshire scenery ; while, if he
be in pursuit of health, he can find no better resting-place
than at the renowned hydropathic establishments which
occupy the heights. Still, most who are in search
of the picturesque will prefer to seek it at Matlock
Bath, where indeed they will not be left to discover
it for themselves. In this famous spot the beauties of
nature are all catalogued, ticketed, and forced on the
attention by signboards and handbills. Here is the path
to 'the beautiful scenery' (admission so much); there
'the romantic rocks' (again a fee) ; there the ferry
to 'the Lovers' Walk,' a charming path by the river-side,
overshadowed by trees ; and so on. Petrifying wells offer
their rival attractions, and caves in the limestone are
repeatedly illuminated, during the season, for the delight
of excursionists. The market for fossils, spar, photographs,
ferns, and all the wonderful things that nobody buys
except at watering-places, is brisk and incessant. But
when we have added to all this that the heights are truly
magnificent, the woods and river very lovely, and the
arrangement of the hotels most homelike and very satisfactory,
it will not be wondered at that the balance of pleasure
remained mostly in favour of Matlock. It would be certainly
pleasanter to discover for oneself that here is 'the
Switzerland of England,' than to have the fact thrust
upon one's attention by placards at every turn ; but
perhaps there are those to whom the information thus
afforded is welcome, while the enormous highly colored
pictures of valley, dale, and crag, which adorn every railway
station on the line, no doubt perform their part in attracting
and instructing visitors. They need certainly be at no
loss to occupy their time to advantage, whether their stay
be longer or shorter. Everything is made easy for them.
Practicable paths have been constructed to all the noblest
points of view : the fatigue of mountain-climbing is reduced
to a minimum ; and the landscapes disclosed, even from
a moderate elevation, by the judicious pruning and removal
of intercepting foliage, are such as to repay most richly
the moderate effort requisite for the ascent. Lord Byron
writes that there are views in Derbyshire 'as noble as
in Greece or Switzerland.' He was probably thinking of
the prospect from Masson, from which the whole valley,
with its boundary of tors, or limestone cliffs, is outspread
before the observer, while the river sparkles beneath,
reflecting masses of foliage, with depths of heavenly blue
between ; and, beyond the scarred and broken ramparts of
the glen, purple moorlands stretch away to the high and
curving line of the horizon.
The traveler southward, who has accompanied us thus
far, if yet unsated with beauty, will be wise in walking
or driving by road from Matlock to Cromford, the next
station, instead of proceeding by railway. The pass between
the limestone cliffs, although the great majority of
passengers leave it unnoticed, is really, for its length,
as fine as almost any of the dales in the higher part
of the country[1]".
Most of the above is fairly flattering about Matlock Bath
and some of the criticism undoubtedly justified. The warnings
on the entry fees to see the various attractions in the above
extract were repeated by other guide writers and newspaper
journalists but it is only fair to point out that locals were
only trying to earn a living from what they had. Plus someone
had to pay for the maintenance of a particular site as paths
didn't stay charming on their own and it is hardly ever mentioned
who cleared up the rubbish after the visitors had gone!
The buildings on the riverside, demolished in the 1960s, included
the Devonshire Hotel. Wellington House on Waterloo Road is
the large property with the unevenly spread windows. Behind,
slightly higher up the hill, are the embattled Lower Tower and Guilderoy.
The three males in the boat are fishing; the right hand figure is lifting a
net out of the water.
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References:
[1] Quotation from: Manning, Samuel, L.L.D.& Green, S. G., D.D. (no date), "England
Illustrated with Pen and Pencil", published by Hurst & Company, New York. From the section on "The Peak
of Derbyshire". Two advertisements were found (2018)
for this book; the first in 1887 and the second in 1878.
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