Charles College's card, shown above, was probably taken not too long before the 1909 postal date as the College family were not in Matlock in 1901^[1]. The picture is another that was taken from above the Holt Quarry on Dale Road but is of a slightly earlier date than the previous image. The trees bordering the river, for example, are a little less mature and the path at the foot of Pic Tor looks as if it has just been laid down.

As this is an autumnal shot, with less leaves on the trees, more of the cycle track is visible. Behind the track is the grassy area of the tennis courts. The long reddish-brown line above the tennis courts is the walkway on the Hall Leys, fairly newly laid when this picture was taken. Centre left are the Harrison Almshouses^[2] and the buildings of Knowlston Place.

Before the cycle track was laid down, cycling events in Matlock had been held on the cricket field (in 1893, for example). Sports and inter club races were held at Matlock Cycle Club's new track in 1897^[3]; they became an annual event. It was announced at their AGM in 1899 that they had extended the track, making it a first class one^[4].

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

^[1] Charles College was on Smedley Street in Kelly's 1908 directory.

^[2] There is a photo of the almshouses in the MI section.

^[3] "Derbyshire Times", 18 September 1897.

^[4] "ibid", 22 April 1899.