Rockside was open for business for most of the First World War. In 1915, an advertisement in The Times read: "MATLOCK-Rockside Hydro; complete in own extensive grounds; near golf course; garage^[1]" and similar notices were published in the Derbyshire press until the end of June 1918^[2]. John Godfrey Goodwin, the proprietor of both Rockside and Rock Café, argued that his hydro was a health resort, so was of national importance in 1917, when he tried to retain his chef. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't easy to keep male staff.

On the 9th February 1918 Mrs Eliza Goodwin, whose family had been associated with Rockside since 1894, died at the hydro. She was 84 years old^[3]. The family were to suffer a second bereavement just over a month later when Mr. Goodwin's eldest son, Godfrey John Whitehouse Goodwin, was killed in France^[4].

Only a few months afterwards a notice in The Times announced that "The Hydro Rockside, Matlock, has been taken over by the military authorities as a convalescent hospital for officers of the Royal Air Force^[6]". The hydro's owners had, seemingly, been given very little notice^[5]. The war was to end just under three months later but it wasn't until the following March that the military authorities vacated three Matlock properties - Rockside, Daysmill Hydro on Henry Avenue and the Cavendish School on Smedley Street. The latter two buildings had been used as auxiliary institutions. It was expected that Rockside would re-open as a hydropathic establishment under Mr Goodwin's management by the summer of 1919^[7]. It did not re-open until October as it had been redecorated and improved throughout and offered baths, golf and tennis^[8]. The baths on offer in 1920 were Modern Electric, Turkish and the "famous" Whirlpool Baths^[9].

This postcard of the hydro (above) shows some buildings lower down the hill but within the grounds that border Wellington Street, as well as properties on both Rockside Steps and Cavendish Road behind the hydro. Rockside's rear extension, beside Rockside Steps, is also shown on the photo. There are two people standing at the top of the steps, sheltering under an umbrella or parasol - a man on the left and a woman on the right. Part of the postcard's caption reads "The carriage drive gives an easy gradient approach" yet the viewer cannot really see the drive!

Below are two relatively recent photographs of the south side of Rockside, taken in early April 2005, of the restored building. The newly built unit can be seen in the bottom picture of the two.
Rockside, the Former Matlock Hydro has more photographs of the twenty first century restoration.

Rockside	1903	1908	Tennis 1920s	1925-45	1945-88
Lounge	Kitchen Staff & Waitresses 1920-5	Staff Ball	Ups & Downs	Claremont & Mr Rowland

See Matlock: Letterheads of Local Businesses, 1900-1949 (4), N - R