The view of Matlock, the War Memorial, High Tor and Masson hillside was taken from the recreation ground above Jackson Tor on Cavendish Road. On the extreme left is the road through Starkholmes but where the houses of Whitewood Way are today was still fields. At the entrance to Matlock Dale the quarry seems to be enveloped in a cloud of dust.

Down in the town centre the buildings at Park Head, on the left of the second image, had been demolished just a few years before, leaving an open vista of the park from Crown Square. On the far side of Bakewell Road, in the middle of the picture, we can see the Railway Inn and its former stable block^[1]. A little further to the right is a single storey unit with the word Garage on the roof which was probably the Premier Garage run by Bill Furniss^[2].

The building with the two centrally placed chimney stacks on the photographer's side of Bakewell Road would have been Allen's Garage in 1928. Their stables, later garages are behind the main building. Next to it is an undeveloped area with a gap in the wall providing access. This was then known as Bateman's Park. On this land, next to Allen's Garage, are what look like trestle tables which were presumably market stalls. It wasn't until 1952 that the bus station was built and opened next to the market.

The former Rag Mill, the building with the tall chimney in the final picture, can be seen in other images on the site^[3]. In 1934 patent rights for new inventions were granted to G. W. Poyser and the Curtis Cultivator Co. Ltd. of the Curtis Works in Matlock for improvement in lawnmowers; they were trading from the former mill^[4].Unfortunately, in late 1937 there was a serious fire and the building burned down^[5] with forty to fifty people losing their jobs^[6]. The company went into voluntary liquidation in 1939^[7].

In the station goods yard there was a heavy hoist, substantially built for large loads such as slabs of stone or major pieces of machinery. This one appears to be double width to enable loads to be moved from a lorry to a wagon or vice versa. The hoist had a hook, which seems to be suspended from the middle. It was unusual to find such a large hoist in a local goods yard^[8].

Also see: Building the Railway Line to Matlock Station | Matlock Railway Station Buildings, 2008 and before | Matlock Station: Smart's Quarry, 1928
A kit for 00 model railways gives a good view of how a wide hoist would be - click here (external link).

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

^[1] When the Matlock Town Football Club Supporters Auxiliary Association was formed in 1958 the very small upstairs room of this building became the football office which they occupied until about 1979. The building was then owned by the Brewery. With thanks to Susan Tomlinson for contributing this information.

^[2] William Henry Furniss advertised in Kelly's 1925 Directory - Premier Garage, Bakewell Road, with offices on Causeway Lane; Also Premier Garage, Matlock Bath.

^[3] The mill chimney can also be seen on Matlock - looking towards Hackney, early 20th Century | Matlock: Holt Lane and Dale Road, about 1900 | The Popular Album of Matlock. You have to look hard, but it also can be seen on Matlock Bank and Bridge, 1900-02 (second image) and Matlock Bank, the Hall Leys and Dale Road, 1912-14 (top image). There is another view of the rag mill on The Bridge (4), and the Broad Walk.

^[4] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 5 March 1934. Local inventions.

^[5] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 11 November 1937. The fire was not discovered until the flames actually burst through the roof and, despite the prompt response from the fire brigade, the only this that could be saved were items from the office.

^[6] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 26 November 1937. They applied to the Council to use the former tramway depot building.

^[7] "Derbyshire Times", 24 November 1939.

^[8] With grateful thanks to Andy Andrews for providing the hoist information.