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].
It was the coming of the railway that led to a major change in Matlock Bath's tourism. In May 1850 it was reported that "this delightful
watering place is now crowded with gay company", and the majority had arrived by train on a day trip. The previous week some 1,500 scholar from
Sheffield's Wesleyan Schools had "enlivened Matlock [Bath] with their presence". They had previously contracted with Mr. Bryan for admission
to his pleasure grounds, caverns and prospect tower at the Heights and made similar arrangements with Mr. Smedley to visit the Cumberland Cavern,
Romantic Rocks and petrifying well. Shortly afterwards 1,000 arrived from Birmingham and a couple of days later 600 visited from Derby[6].
View even more about the station by clicking on the images
below:
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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 ....
[6] "Derbyshire Courier" 20 July 1850. See Biography of Benjamin Bryan
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