These Arts and Crafts style cottages in Matlock Dale, close to the bottom of St. John's Road, were designed by the architect Sir Guy Dawber in 1899. They were built on land at the edge of what was then the Harvey Dale Quarry. About two years before this Dawber had designed St. John's chapel of ease for Mrs. Harris, who lived at The Rocks.

The properties were briefly mentioned in "The Building News":
"This group of cottages, now building at Matlock, calls for no special mention. The walls are of local gritstone, with the upper part brick, rough casted and coloured, and the roofs are of red tile. The builders are Messrs. J. and W. Lewis, of Matlock Bridge ; and the architects Messrs. E. Guy Dawber and Whitwell, of Buckingham street, Adelphi, W.C.^[1]"

In 1934 T. L. Tudor recalled these striking examples of Mr. Dawber's work - "the harmonious, even beautiful buildings to his design which may be seen by every visitor to Matlock as he goes along Dale-road. The little hill-side church of St. John, with its neighbouring cottages, make an ideal picture, in complete accord with the rising ground, and indeed, is just as it should be in such a situation^[2]."

Enlargement of ground floor plan shown in the top left hand corner.

Some relatively modern photos, that include the cottages, can be seen at the bottom of Matlock Dale: Looking towards Matlock from High Tor, 1920s

References:

^[1] "Building News and Engineering Journal ", Vol. 76, Jan-June, 1899, p.129.

^[2] "Derby Evening Telegraph", 4 April 1934. A Derby Man's Diary.