| e lived in Derbyshire for a long time and one place | | | | that you can browse at your leisure. The shops are |
| which I love to visit time and time again is the town of | | | | mainly located on one side of the street, the other is |
| Matlock Bath. I live about 15 minutes away, or in peak | | | | like a promenade, following the line of the river. Many |
| tourist season on a hot Summer Sunday, about an | | | | of the locals call Matlock Bath the seaside town |
| hour away. The traffic into Matlock Bath on such a | | | | without a sea. With it's vast array of arcades and fish |
| day is heavy, but it somehow adds to the excitement. | | | | and chip shops, you could be fooled into thinking |
| Matlock Bath has a truly excellent atmosphere on | | | | Derbyshire in fact has a coastline. It doesn't of course, |
| warm Summer evenings, the more people there, the | | | | but no visit to Matlock Bath is complete without walking |
| more fun the atmosphere is. If you've never been to | | | | along the riverside eating fish and chips out of the |
| Matlock Bath before, then it is quite difficult for an | | | | wrapper. It simply has to be done. There are some |
| outsider to understand the true relevance of the town | | | | lovely tourist-y type shops, with all sorts of gifts, with |
| within the locality. It is traditional to visit the town on a | | | | new ones opening up all the time. If you don't want |
| Sunday, especially if you are a biker. By mid-afternoon, | | | | your chips whilst on the move, there are plenty of |
| motorcycles of all shapes and sizes, all colours and | | | | sit-down and eat cafes, all with their own specials |
| models line the streets, attracting many admirers of | | | | boards. |
| many ages. | | | | Matlock Bath Aquarium and Hologram gallery is well |
| So what does Matlock Bath offer for those of us who | | | | worth a visit. The site of an original thermal swimming |
| are simply tourists, wanting a good day out with our | | | | pool with various aquaria containing species of British |
| family and friends? As you approach Matlock Bath | | | | and tropical freshwater fish. There is a large open pool |
| along the A6 from Derby you pass the New Bath | | | | which is fed by a thermal spring and illuminated at night |
| Hotel on the left hand side. The New Bath Hotel at | | | | containing common carp, mirror carp and koi carp. The |
| Matlock Bath has been reviving tired spirits since the | | | | fish may be fed by visitors with fish food obtained on |
| year in which Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie | | | | the premises. There is a hologram gallery, a petrifying |
| Prince Charlie led his Jacobites as far South as nearby | | | | well and a gemstone and fossil collection. There is also |
| Derby. The new bath after which the hotel is named | | | | a photographic history display of the past times in |
| was a naturally heated spa bath opened in 1745 about | | | | Matlock Bath. |
| a quarter of a mile away from the first primitive | | | | Another museum worth a visit is Matlock Mining |
| mineral bath which had operated since 1698. The New | | | | Museum. It is devoted to the history of lead mining in |
| Bath, to distinguish it from the Old Bath had water "as | | | | the Peak District. One of the main displays inside the |
| warm if not warmer than the other Bath". By the end | | | | museum is a collection of old mining equipment taken |
| of the 18th century the bath and its arched stone roof | | | | from the numerous former mines in the area. |
| were incorporated into the hotel building. Today the | | | | Impressive re-creations of lead mines are complete |
| "new bath" serves as the hotels indoor plunge pool | | | | with sound effects, which give visitors insight into the |
| and is still fed by the waters of the mineral spring | | | | history of the lead mining industry. |
| which emerge from the ground at | | | | The best time to walk along the “sea |
| As you approach Matlock Bath, there's a steep left | | | | front” is definitely evening-time. Unlike most |
| hand turn-off. This leads to the children's theme park | | | | places on a Sunday, the shops remain open way past |
| going by the name of Gullivers Kingdom. It is a | | | | 4pm, only really closing when the public decide they |
| well-planned theme park aimed at families with | | | | have spent enough money. Around September |
| younger children. Gullivers Kingdom has a lovely | | | | October, the town holds illumination nights where the |
| wooded hillside setting and there are thirty rides and | | | | streets are lit up, and special floats sail up and down |
| attractions as well as shops, places to eat and picnic | | | | the river, which are brightly decorated and illuminated. |
| areas. The best bet is to arrive early and get on the | | | | Across the River Derwent there is a woodland walk |
| rides before it gets too packed. As with any theme | | | | with a children's playground to let them release some |
| park food and drink can be expensive so it might be | | | | of that energy, scenic gardens and even a bandstand. |
| good idea to bring your own. | | | | If you can pack it all in to one day, then a visit to the |
| Next to the theme park is Temple Mine. Here, visitors | | | | Heights of Abraham is well worthwhile. the Heights of |
| can actually pan for lead and gold and see the railway | | | | Abraham is a unique hilltop Park set on top of a |
| system that was so essential for the transportation of | | | | dramatic limestone gorge, amid great natural beauty. |
| the mined material. Temple Mine has displays which | | | | Ride high above the Derwent Valley in the Cable Cars. |
| recreate the atmosphere of mining in the twentieth | | | | Go down two famous Show Caverns, play and picnic |
| century. | | | | areas, 'Who+Why=What' exhibition. Spectacular views, |
| When you've had enough, either leave the car where it | | | | cafe and gift shops. |
| is, or my personal favourite is to move the car to the | | | | In summary, Matlock Bath is well worth a visit if you |
| car park at the other end of town. In the modern-day | | | | are touring the sights and sounds of Derbyshire, it is |
| age of commercialism, Matlock Bath is unusual in that it | | | | very difficult to pack it all into one day, so you will just |
| has no high street names among its fine array of | | | | have to come again another time and see the things |
| shops. This makes a pleasant change and you feel | | | | you didn't see before! |