Lovers' Walks | |
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Location | Matlock Bath, Derbyshire |
OS grid | SK 29531 58055 |
Coordinates | 53°07′07″N1°33′36″W / 53.11861°N 1.56000°W |
Operated by | Derbyshire Dales District Council |
Designation | Grade II* |
Website | www |
Lovers' Walks is a public park in Matlock Bath, in Derbyshire, England. Its history dates from the 18th century, and it is listed Grade II* in Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens. [1] It is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. [2]
Lovers' Walks, on the east bank of the River Derwent opposite Matlock Bath, dates back to before 1742; it is said be the oldest surviving example of a public pleasure ground. It featured The Cascades, where a thermal spring flowed to the river. The site became in 1782 part of the estate of Richard Arkwright, adjacent to the landscaped gardens of his home at Willersley Castle. [2]
About 1785 Birdcage Walk, a stepped path leading up the slope, was created by the landscape gardener William Emes. The site was extended northwards at about this time. [1] [2]
In 1887 the Jubilee Grounds were opened in the northern part, accessible from Matlock Bath via Jubilee Bridge. It was a venue for riverside entertainment, with a bandstand built in 1893. Before the bridge was opened, Lovers' Walks was reached only by a ferry, which continued in operation until about 1950. [1] [2] The Ferry Grounds, on the opposite bank of the river, is now the northern part of Derwent Gardens. [3]
The area of Lovers' Walks is about 5 hectares (12 acres). Jubilee Bridge, built in 1887, leads there from North Parade in the village, and New Bridge further south, built in 1969, leads to the site from Derwent Gardens. A path constructed in 1997 leads from Matlock Bath railway station to the northern end of the grounds. [1]
About 60 metres (200 ft) south of Jubilee Bridge there is a children's playground; in the 1920s and 1930s there were animal houses and an aviary nearby. The northern limit of the site was about here before 1785. About 180 metres (590 ft) south of Jubilee Bridge are two small building, a former shop and a shelter once used by ferry passengers. [1]
There is a riverside path, and a parallel path above a wooded slope, which are linked by winding paths. The upper path runs along the limestone ridge at the edge of the woodland, from which there are views towards Matlock Bath and across the countryside. [1]
The Derwent is a river in Derbyshire, England. It is 50 miles (80 km) long and is a tributary of the River Trent, which it joins south of Derby. Throughout its course, the river mostly flows through the Peak District and its foothills.
Bakewell is a market town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, known for Bakewell pudding. It lies on the River Wye, 15 miles (23 km) south-west of Sheffield. It is the largest settlement and only town within the boundaries of the Peak District National Park. At the 2011 census, the population of the civil parish was 3,949. It was estimated at 3,695 in 2019. The town is close to the tourist attractions of Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall.
Matlock is the county town of Derbyshire, England. It is in the south-eastern part of the Peak District, with the National Park directly to the west. The spa resort of Matlock Bath is immediately south of the town as well as Cromford lying further south still. The civil parish of Matlock Town had a population in the 2021 UK census of 10,000.
Matlock Bath is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England. It lies in the Derbyshire Dales, south of Matlock on the main A6 road, and approximately halfway between Buxton and Derby. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 753. Originally built at the head of a dead-end dirt road running along the valley of the River Derwent from Matlock, the settlement developed in the 19th century as residential and a spa town which remains a tourist destination. The steep hillside restricts development, with most buildings on one side of the valley and only footbridges across the river. The road was upgraded, becoming a through-way, now designated A6, avoiding the previous coaching road approach to Matlock from Cromford over very steep hills near to the Riber plateau area.
Whatstandwell is a village on the River Derwent in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England. It is about five miles south of Matlock and about four miles north of Belper. Whatstandwell railway station is on the Derby–Matlock Derwent Valley Line, and the A6 trunk road crosses the River Derwent in the village. Most of the population is included in the civil parish of Crich but the village may be said to extend across the Derwent into the parish of Alderwasley.
Darley Dale, formerly Darley, is a town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, with a population of 5,413. It lies north of Matlock, on the River Derwent and the A6 road. The town forms part of a built-up area with both Matlock and Rowsley.
Cromford is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England, in the valley of the River Derwent between Wirksworth and Matlock. It is 17 miles (27 km) north of Derby, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Matlock and 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Matlock Bath. It is first mentioned in the 11th-century Domesday Book as Crumforde, a berewick of Wirksworth, and this remained the case throughout the Middle Ages. The population at the 2011 Census was 1,433. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright and the nearby Cromford Mill, which he built outside the village in 1771. Cromford is in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
The Heights of Abraham is a tourist attraction in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, England. It consists of a hilltop park on top of Masson Hill, accessed from the village by the Heights of Abraham cable car. The heights are named after a supposed resemblance to the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Heights of Abraham, in Quebec, Canada, where General James Wolfe died in battle against the French in 1759.
The Derwent Valley line is a railway line between Derby and Matlock in Derbyshire, England. It follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, just south of Ambergate; it continues to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.
Matlock railway station serves the Derbyshire Dales county town of Matlock, in Derbyshire, England. The station is the terminus of both the Derwent Valley Line from Derby and Peak Rail which operates heritage services to Rowsley South. Both lines are formed from portions of the Midland Railway's former main line to Manchester Central; through running is technically possible, but is not done in normal service. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
The Monsal Trail is a cycling, horse riding and walking trail in the Derbyshire Peak District. It was constructed from a section of the former Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway, which was built by the Midland Railway in 1863 to link Manchester with London and closed in 1968. The Monsal Trail is about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long and opened in 1981. It starts at the Topley Pike junction in Wye Dale, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Buxton, and runs to Coombs Viaduct, 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of Bakewell. It follows the valley of the River Wye. The trail passes through Blackwell Mill, Chee Dale, Millers Dale, Cressbrook, Monsal Dale, Great Longstone, Hassop and Bakewell. The trail has numerous landmarks including Headstone Viaduct, Cressbrook Mill, Litton Mill and Hassop railway station, and passes through six tunnels.
Bentley Brook is a stream in Derbyshire, England. It rises on Matlock Moor, flowing south through Cuckoostone Dale, under the A632, into Lumsdale, gathering the valley's waters—notably from Knabhall Brook, out of Tansley, itself dammed and supporting large mills. In Lumsdale it enters a now disused mill pond or reservoir, then flows over a waterfall in the course of passing several historical mill ruins. Finally, it runs through control gates into the outside bend of a tight oxbow of the River Derwent, just beyond Hall Leys Park in Matlock. Although only about five miles in length, Bentley Brook is classed as a 'main river' by the Environment Agency.
Matlock Bridge also known as Derwent Bridge, is a stone bridge spanning the River Derwent in Matlock town centre, Derbyshire, England. The bridge dates back to the 15th century, and is a Grade II* listed structure.
The Derwent Valley Heritage Way (DVHW) is a 55 miles (89 km) waymarked footpath along the Derwent Valley through the Peak District. The walk starts from Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District National Park via Chatsworth, the scenery around the Derbyshire Dales, and through the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. It follows the Riverside Path through Derby and continues onwards to the historic inland port of Shardlow. Journey's end is at Derwent Mouth where the River Derwent flows into the River Trent.
Willersley Castle is a late 18th-century country mansion above the River Derwent at Cromford, Derbyshire, outside Peak District National Park. The castle has been a Grade II* listed building since April 2000.
The Heights of Abraham Cable Car is a gondola lift in the English county of Derbyshire. About 1/3 of a mile long, it links the spa town of Matlock Bath with the Heights of Abraham, a tourist attraction 554 feet (169 m) above. The line was built by Poma and opened in spring of 1984. The cable cars were upgraded in 2004, making them larger and more accessible, to 12 x six-seater cabins, which operate in four trains of three cabins each. An example of the smaller 1984 cabin can be seen displayed at the base station
The Wye Valley is the limestone valley of the River Wye in the White Peak of Derbyshire, England. The source of the River Wye is west of Buxton on Axe Edge Moor. One main channel runs underground through Poole's Cavern. The river flows though Buxton Pavilion Gardens and then along a culvert under the town centre. After leaving the flat area of central Buxton, the Wye Valley becomes distinct as a gorge running east for 10 miles (16 km) before the valley broadens at Ashford-in-the Water.
Derwent Gardens is a public park in Matlock Bath, in Derbyshire, England. Its history dates from the 19th century, and it is listed Grade II in Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens.