Matlock is the county town of Derbyshire, UK. It is situated at the south eastern edge of the Peak District, and is twinned with Eaubonne in France. Matlock Bath lies immediately south of the town on the A6. Matlock is ten miles south west of Chesterfield, surrounded by the cities of Manchester, Sheffield and Derby. Although officially occupying a central England position geographically, Matlock is in the north west region of Derbyshire which includes the towns of Bakewell, Buxton and Glossop. Industry in the area is now relitivaly low since the decline of the mill industry and job opportunities are quite poor apart from tourism and administration jobs. Many now travel to Chesterfield and the South Yorkshire conurbation for work.

History

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A former spa town, Matlock lies on the River Derwent, and has prospered from both the hydrotherapy industry and the mills constructed on the river. It was an unimportant collection of small villages — Matlock Town, Matlock Green, Matlock Bridge, Matlock Bank — until thermal springs were discovered in 1698. The population increased rapidly in the 1800s, largely due to hugely popular hydros being built. At one stage there were around twenty hydros, most on Matlock Bank. The largest was built in 1853 by John Smedley. This closed in the 1950s, when it became home to Derbyshire County Council. Matlock is also home to the Derbyshire Dales District Council as well as Matlock Town Council.

Transportation

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Bank Road Tram

In 1893 a cable tramway was built up Bank Road from Crown Square at Matlock Bridge to Wellington Street (at the top of Bank Road) with a stop half way up at Smedley Street where Smedley's Hydro (built by John Smedley) was situated. Conceived by Job Smith, the tram was inspired by San Francisco's famous cable cars, and cost £20,000. When it was built it was the steepest tramway in the world at a gradient of 1 in 5½, and it rose 300 feet. The fare was tuppence up, penny down. It closed in 1927 after losing business to cars and buses.

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