"At the top of the Bank is the Rock Side Hydro, cosily nestling in pretty grounds, and commanding one of the finest views in the neighbourhood. Tennis, croquet and bowls may be enjoyed in the five acres of gardens and grounds, and a series of amusements keep things going happily indoors" (1903)^[1].

Charles Rowland's hydro, designed and built in 1860, was enlarged about 1880. "Immediately in front of the house is a glass enclosed promenade, 72 feet long by 20 feet wide, where visitors can enjoy amusements, and take recreation in the coldest winter^[2]". The verandah, which can be seen on this picture, was by 1893 heated with an improved system of hot water pipes^[3] so would have been very welcome in bad weather.

In 1894 Rockside was under new management and in the hands of the Goodwin family^[4]. They were to oversee the building of the tower in 1903-6, which is the by and large building we see today, although further extensions and improvements were made in 1925. The Goodwin family's tenure covered two wars and came to and end in 1945^[5].

The engraving is taken from the 1903 advertisement below and the same image was also used on the hydro's stationery. It dates from William Atkins' time at Rockside^[6]; he was there between 1880 and 1892^{2][7]. It is not known if an image of the original building exists.

The full advertisement

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Rockside	1908	From the South	Tennis 1920s	1925-45	1945-88
Lounge	Kitchen Staff & Waitresses 1920-5	Staff Ball	Ups & Downs	Claremont & Mr Rowland

Matlock House & Rockside Hydro advertisement, 1869, in Bemroses' Guide
See Matlock: Letterheads of Local Businesses, 1900-1949 (4), N - R

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

^[1] Ward Lock & Co's "Guide to Matlock, Dovedale, Etc.", Illustrated Guide Books of England and Wales (Guide Series 1903-4).
^[2] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 6 November 1880.
^[3] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 30 December 1893.
^[4] 27 June 1894 - Derby Daily Telegraph.
^[5] They advertised in the following on site directories: Kelly's Directory, 1895 | Kelly's Directory, 1899 | Kelly's Directory, 1908 | Kelly's Directory, 1912 (under Goodwin) | Kelly's Directory, 1912 (under Rockside) | Kelly's Directory, 1916 (under Goodwin) | Kelly's Directory, 1916 (under Rockside)
^[6] A copy of the Atkins advertisement, using the same image of the hydro, was published in: "John Smedley of Matlock" (1888), John Heywood, Manchester & London. Re-published by the Arkwright Society, c/o Tawney House, Matlock.
^[7] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 31 December 1892. This was the last time William Atkins is reported at Rockside. A newpaper published about three years later say he was there for "a dozen years".