"Nearly opposite Saxton's hotel, a broken rock, fringed with light foliage, rises majestically out of a group of trees that adorns its base : its topmost pinnacle is denominated Wild Cat Tor, and from its craggy summit a noble landscape is displayed^[1]". Ebenezer Rhodes, writing in "Peak Scenery" nearly one hundred years before this photograph was taken, thus describes the magnificent limestone Tor in the southern part of Matlock Bath. Wild Cat Tor is now known as Cat Tor and the hotel he referred to as Saxton's Hotel was The New Bath.

Bottom left can be seen the Royal Hotel; it stood on land where the Old Bath Hotel had been in Rhodes' time. The Royal Hotel was to function as an hotel for a further sixteen years after this photo was taken, and during the First World War it served as a hospital for Canadian Army Officers. The front of the hotel was destroyed by a disastrous fire on 1st April 1929, although the section with the three dormer windows in the roof lasted until the 1950's. By then it had become very dilapidated.

Behind the Royal Hotel is Holy Trinity Church and tucked up amongst the trees on the hillside on the right is the Old Pavilion.
Postcard of the Old Pavilion & Royal Hotel

Portland House and the mews behind are almost mid picture, with what was Walker's Hotel originally and later the Bath Terrace just behind it. This building was taken over by the New Bath Hotel and eventually demolished. The New Bath is the furthest building away from the photographer, visible just above the Old Pavilion.

On Derby Road, opposite the junction with Clifton Road is Clifton Cabin, a small shop that sold spar and later mementoes connected with the Cumberland Cavern. It became derelict but has been renovated in recent times.

There is more on site information about Cat Tor:
Gem of the Peak, 1840. See The Southern end of the Dale

There are pictures of the Old Bath Hotel, which preceded the Royal Hotel, in the 19th century section of images

Matlock Bath from Heights of Jacob, 1908-14

Royal Hotel, Pavilion & Holy Trinity Church

High Tor, Switzerland View