Digital Hearing Aids Matlock – Derbyshire Digital Hearing Aids

Digital Hearing Aids Matlock – Derbyshire Digital Hearing Aids 

Matlock in Derbyshire has a relatively small population of just over 10,600, but is the County Town for the area.  Set on the River Derwent on the edge of the Peak District, Matlock has an interesting history.

Thermal spring and hydros
Even smaller is the village to the south of Matlock, Matlock Bath a spa town at one time.  In fact Matlock was once a series of villages – Matlock Town, Matlock Green, Matlock Bridge and Matlock Bath.  Then the thermal springs were discovered right at the end of the 17th Century.

The son of one of the mill owners, John Smedley, was responsible for building the biggest hydrotherapy spa in Matlock about 50 years after the thermal spring discovery.  Smedley built it at Matlock Bank.  The Smedley’s Hydro Spa became world famous and people of note such as author Robert Louis Stevenson, English Philharmonic conductor Sir Thomas Beecham , Welsh composer Ivor Novello, boxer Jimmy Wilde and cricketer Gilbert Jessop, came to benefit from its warm, healing waters.

Smedley built the hydro, the biggest in the area, after successfully ‘taking the waters’ himself in Yorkshire and Cheltenham.  In the 1950s the hydro closed and it is now Derbyshire County Council’s HQ.

The Mills
Because of the River Derwent and also the tributary Bentley Brook, mills also sprang up along their banks.  The Smedley family – four generations of John Smedleys – ran Lea Mills near Matlock.  The mill had been built by Peter Nightingale, the more famous Florence’s brother.  He had also been Richard Arkwright’s accountant.  Arkwright was responsible for the invention of the Spinning Frame and also had mills in the area.

Lea Mills produced muslin and spinning cotton which was used in the cottage industry of spinning.  Eventually their work included knitting and hosiery production and they are thought to be responsible for the origin of Long Johns.

The Masson Mill
The Masson Mill in Matlock Bath is now a World Heritage site and a working textile museum.  Arkwright bought the old paper mill and used his cotton Spinning Frame (powered by water) for the production of cotton.  The mill worked continuously manufacturing cotton from 1763 until 1991 when it closed.  It continues working as a textile museum today and is open for all to see.  You can watch the huge looms working in the weaving shed in twice daily demonstrations.

Cromford Mill
Arkwright also had a mill at Cromford.  The building is now Grade I listed and also a World Heritage site.  Visitors can tour the mill and exhibition, as well as the village of Cromford built for the mill workers by Arkwright.

The noise of the looms
If you’re a tad hard of hearing, not feeling the full impact of the noise of the looms could be a blessing!  Of course working in these conditions may well have caused some people hearing problems.  If you would like to hear more clearly, why not look at Digital Hearing Aid’s website to see how we can help?  Give us a call on 01782 698090 if you would like more information.

Riber Castle
Staying with John Smedley, the Gothic Riber Castle in Riber, close to Matlock was the home he built for himself.  It was constructed using locally quarried gritstone which was transported to the top of the hill by a series of pulleys.  Unfortunately getting water up there wasn’t as easy.

Smedley’s wife lived there until her death, when the castle was sold off and became a boys’ school.  When that became unsustainable it was bought and used as a wildlife park and zoo.  This finally closed in 2000 and not without controversy about the way the animals were cared for.  Developers are now trying to convert this Grade II listed Castle into apartments.

The Peak District
Matlock sits right on the edge of the beautiful Peak District national park.  Its rolling hills and peaks offer great views and countryside to explore.  Some of the ‘high’ points from Matlock include the Heights of Abraham.

The Heights of Abraham sit on top of Masson Hill, once only accessible if you could make the climb.  Since 1984 a cable car has made it accessible to a wider audience.  Once at the top, there are woodlands and gardens to roam; there’s a gift shop and a rock shop, as well as two or three establishments selling refreshments.  The Tavern is half way up the hill on the Matlock Bath side and is where climbers in the 19th Century would have stopped for a rest.  Now you can enjoy refreshments and catch some sun here!

The rich and famous of Matlock
Apart from the spa visitors mentioned above, Matlock has connections with a number of famous people.

·         Christopher Green, hailed as ‘an entertainment maverick’ by The Guardian, is known for his performances as female characters Tina C and Ida Barr.  Green was born in Matlock.

·         Comedian and actress Isy Suttie grew up in Matlock.  She is best known for her role as Dobby in Peep Show.

·         Singer-songwriter Ben Ottewell went to school in Matlock.  He is one of three singers with the band Gomez.

·         Matt Chandler (guitar) and Tom Marriott (trombone) play in the funk band Pest.  Both are from Matlock.

·         Simon Groom, former Blue Peter presenter, runs a farm nearby with his wife.

·         DJs Matt Rhythm and Art Plate are known as Rhythm Plate who regularly remix and produce music.  They both hail from Matlock.


Matlock is also popular as a film and TV location.

·         Part of Derbyshire County Council Building, once Smedley’s Hydro, was used in Ken Russell’s film Women in Love which won an Oscar back in 1969.  In the film, sisters Gudrun & Ursula Brangwen’s home was a house in New Street and St Giles’ Church was where Laura Crich got married.

·         Director Shane Meadows used Riber Castle as one of the locations for his 2004 film, Dead Men’s Shoes.

·         Peak Practice has used locations in and around the town, including Highfields School.

·         Coming Down the Mountain, the 2007 BBC film was set in Matlock but not filmed there.

·         Sky 1’s Starlings was set in Matlock.

·         The Matlock Mercury editor Don Hale’s campaign to free Stephen Downing was dramatised as In Denial of Murder.


Local stories
There is so much to see and hear about this relatively small town that it would be a shame to miss any of it.  If you can’t hear as well as you once could, don’t be scared to contact us to see how we can help.  You can telephone us on 01782 698090 or if you are worried you won’t be able to hear us, why not fill in the online form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.