Matlock guidebook

To live in picturesque Matlock, you need to be as fit as a fiddle and have a high tolerance for day trippers: it's full of steep hills, and lots of visitors descend on this sleepy tourist town every year.

It used to be a Victorian spa town with more than 20 hydros attracting thousands to enjoy its healing waters. 

Now its main business is providing a home for civil servants and catering for the multitudes of tourists who pour into this gateway to the Peaks each year.

This pretty, stone built, hilly town is famous for its annual illuminations and cable car - the first in Britain – and is the base of three councils, the county records office, and the HQ of the Youth Hostelling Association.

Set in a gorge, pedestrians need to be fit to climb the busy shopping streets like "Bank Road" and "Steep Turnpike" that run down to the town centre; fortunately there's a good range of touristy cafes and pubs to help revitalise the weary shopper.

The town is a real mix of housing styles from throughout the years - from Victorian and Edwardian terraces right through to 21st century properties. 

Shopping is the same. From bric-a-brac shops to high spec climbing gear, you'll find it all here somewhere.

The A6 used to plough through the centre of town, but a new mini bypass, Derwent Way, now takes half the traffic from the outskirts on Dale Road around the town centre, which has certainly been a worthwhile improvement.

And the town is set to change even more dramatically in coming years.  A council survey revealed residents thought it was "tired", so a masterplan to facelift the town is being drawn up.

Plans include making part of Matlock pedestrianised and building 400 new homes on the outskirts next to the new Sainsbury's superstore. 

More radically, the creation of a whole new town centre is being considered, which would involve relocating The Lido sports centre, although the jury is still out on that one.

Property in Matlock

Rich in facilities and administration jobs, it's the kind of place people like to bring up their children and are willing to pay to do so, as reflected in the house prices which are higher than in neighbouring towns.

Eighty per cent of houses are owner-occupied with more than 50 per cent of the residents being managers or professionals.

Set around the stunning Hall Leys Park, which boasts a paddling pool and riverside walks, Matlock town centre consists mainly of upmarket terraced houses.

Plans are afoot to build 400 new homes next to the Sainsbury's superstore in Cawden Quarry just off the town centre.

Add that to the new bypass and the good transport links, and you can see why Matlock may soon be tempting more families away from the big cities.

Areas in and around Matlock 

1. The Town Centre

  pic: Matlock Town Centre
Where is it? Climbing the hills around Crown Square and the main shopping street of Bank Road.

This road was made famous in Ken Russell's Oscar winning film 'Women in Love' when number 88 was used.

What's there? Mostly well built, large Victorian houses and neat stone terraces.
 
Buyers: A mixture but quite a high proportion of more mature residents who don't like the climb out of town and prefer to be on the flat.

Pros: Attractive period properties, close to all the amenities of the town centre, Hall Leys Park, the bus and rail station, and the river.

Cons: Generally more expensive and busy with tourists all the time. Parking is a nightmare.

2. Morledge

  pic: New builds
Where is it? On the edge of town, basically just off the A6 to Buxton and Darley Dale. The only substantial new housing development in the town.

What's there? A large private estate of over 200 properties.  There is a mixture of modern terraced and town houses through to four-bed detached homes.

Buyers: Good mix of professional couples and families working and living in the town.

Pros: Attractive new houses on the outskirts of town.

Cons: Tightly packed houses: as one estate agent put it, an "economic use of space".

3. Cavendish Park

  pic: Flats in Victoria Court
Where is it? Climb steep Bank Road and head out of town in the direction of Chesterfield. It sits on the cliff overlooking the town.

What's there? Mostly 1960's semis, chalets, detached and bungalows set in tree-lined avenues in the countryside.

Buyers: Families who want open space, good walks and countryside activities.

Pros: Set around the town's large playing fields, plenty of open space and access to lots of walks.

Cons: On the edge of town and a steep walk home. Built on the top of a hill...so the winter wind takes its toll!

4. Hurst Farm Estate

  pic: Semi-detached houses
Where is it? Off the A6 up Chesterfield Road and left into Matlock Bank, not far from the County Records office.

What's there? Post war council house estate close to the town centre. Traditionally built, sturdy council houses with decent size gardens – a bonus in a town tight for space.

Buyers: Couples and families looking for affordable housing.

Pros: The estate has undergone a major refurbishment so all the houses are modern inside, although dated on the outside. Many residents took the chance to buy their own homes and have renovated them to a high standard.

Cons: On the outside, it still looks like a council estate, despite the good quality of the housing.

5. Starkholmes

  pic: Old terraced houses
Where is it? Go down the A6 towards Alfreton into Matlock Green, and this district, which overlooks the gorge, is up the hill.

What's there? A good blend of older and new homes with a real village feel.  Some 20s and 30s houses through to modern day individual builds.

Buyers: Mostly families with children who want school amenities close at hand.

Pros: Close to the local secondary school which makes this a sought-after area. Good views over the town and countryside.

Cons: Premium prices among buyers because of its proximity to the school.

Living Here

Transport:

Trains: Basically one rail service to Derby, which is 19 miles and 32 minutes away, stopping at all the towns on the way into the city.  The station is in Snitterton Road.

Buses: Now boasts two bus stations on either side of the river, with an excellent bus system serving scores of destinations, including Derby, nearby Chatsworth House, and Manchester. There's even an express coach to London.

Road: Because it sits on the A6 corridor, road transport is good - though it can be slow if the road turns into a car park when road works spring up.

Air: Nearest airport is East Midlands International Airport (EMA) 35 miles away. Manchester Ringway Airport is 46 miles away in the other direction.

Shopping:

pic: Matlock Bath
Matlock is a traditional town with traditional shops, mostly supplying day to day needs.

The shops are set around Crown Square in the centre and stretch up hilly Bank Road and Steep Turnpike, which has a dated row of post-war shops.

The newest addition is the huge Sainsbury's, built across the river in Snitteron Road next to the new bus and railway stations.

Matlock hosts a farmers' market every third Saturday.

Just down the A6 at Matlock Bath is Masson Mill, four floors of shops and bargains housed in one of the old mills.

Eating and Drinking:

For such a small town, it has a good array of pubs and restaurants, with some surprising varieties.

As well as the traditional tourist town mix of pubs, cafes and fish and chip shops, you can find French, Chinese, Indian, Turkish, Italian and even a Vietnamese restaurant.

Sports and Leisure:

Matlock football club, the 'Gladiators' is in the Unibond League and have their own town centre ground in Causeway Lane.

Matlock Rugby Club, the 'Baileaus' play at Cromford Meadows.

Matlock Lido in Imperial Road has a swimming pool and a gym, and even a canoe club.

"Dimple", a huge new multi-million pound sports and leisure centre, is a short distance away on the A6 towards Darley Dale.  If the plans to move Matlock Lido go ahead, this is where its new location would be.

Entertainment:

Not much nightlife here apart from traditional pubs, one trendy bar and night club.  Matlock is geared more towards families than youngsters.

For cinema and theatre, head to Derby, Nottingham or Sheffield.

Parks and Open Spaces:

Five major parks link Matlock and Matlock Bath, which is located just down the river; the two towns are connected by the Derwent river walk and Lover's Walk.

The jewel of the parks is Hall Leys Park in Matlock town centre which has scenic walks, sports facilities including tennis and bowls, a boating lake, skateboarding park, crazy golf and a miniature railway.

Heights of Abraham, a natural beauty consisting of two huge caverns set in the cliff side, is well worth visiting to take a ride on the cable car.

Tourist Attractions:

Gulliver's Kingdom, a theme park aimed at younger children, is set high in the cliffs over Matlock.

Just down the river is Matlock Bath, better known as an "inland seaside town" which has elegant Victorian villas clinging to the Cliffside.

Ideal for a day trip, it boasts amusement arcades, show caverns, cable railways, petrifying wells, pleasure gardens and a theme park.