Matlock Bridge Business & Shopping
A vibrant shopping district on the edge of the Peak National Park
A vibrant shopping district on the edge of the Peak National Park
Matlock is the largest town in the Derbyshire Dales. There were a string of settelments forming Matlock which later were split into separate conservation areas. The area known as Matlock Bridge is the area around the 13th century bridge, Crown Square which is the main roundabout and Dale Road leading to Matlock Bath.
This buildings in this area are mainly from the end of the 19th century, when the railway station opened up the area to visitors who flocked to the town to enjoy hydrotherapy, including Smedley's Hydro, in Matlock Bank.
There have been shops and businesses along Dale Road since it was built. It has attacted visitors with it's inns and hotels from the days of the railway, offering lodging such as the Olde Englishe Hotel and various guest houses. The tradition of dining along this road continues with a number of bars, restaurants and take-aways.
This area still welcomes visitors with a string of shops, businesses and services, all as unique as the area they enjoy.
Hall Leys Park opened in 1898 and lies in the center of Matlock. The River Derwent runs along it's length to the south and it offers visitors a space to releax or excercise. The tennis courts are free to use and a skate park is open to all.
A foot bridge takes visitors from the park to the shops and restaurants on Dale Road, through a sensorary garden. The bridge has markings showing the height of floods that hit the town in the 1960s and 1970s. Other floods are marked on the café, on the opposite side of the bandstand.
Wikipedia explains the secondary use of the park: Hall Leys Park is now a central part of the town's flood protection. The wall which surrounds the northern side of the park has the ability to have the footways sealed with sheets of wood which would dam the progress of any overflow from the river and turn the entire park into a large reservoir.
During the summer visitors can hire boats on the boating lake, which has several small islands and is home to a large number of birds, including ducks and moorhens. It is said to be the oldest running pleasure boat lake in the country. There is also a miniature railway running along the river.
