Looking towards High Tor from Dale Road. On the left is the gateway and steps up to the Parochial Hall. To the right is quite a large parking area, or parking ground as it was called at the time, that was owned and managed by Matlock Bath District Council. It was roughly opposite the drive up to the Vicarage, where the Copper Beeches are today.

There are two gateways in the boundary wall (lower centre of the photo) which would have led down to the river. Unfortunately, at least one of them was blocked off with barbed wire.

The large sign board displayed a range of the Council's Parking Charges. To the right of the sign is a charabanc and a group of people were buying tickets, possibly from a man seated beside the vehicle. The stones just in front of this, beside the main road, are where the old water trough was. The trough was filled with water for the horses; there was also a dish underneath for smaller animals, such as sheep, to drink from. It is almost certainly the same horse and cattle trough that was presented to Matlock Local Board by Mrs. Harris of The Rocks in 1894^[1]. When the local Board accepted the gift it was said that it would supply a long felt want within the district.. There had been another trough near The Rutland Arms in the 1890s^[2].

After the road was widened in the 1960s it was taken to Cromford Wharf, where it remained rather forgotten and neglected for some time. Fortunately, it was moved more recently to the part of Derby Road where Dyson & Clough's used to be and is now filled with flowers^[3]. It is not obvious how often it is maintained and there is unfortunately no sign explaining its original use.

There is a warning lamp on the lamp post, but the web mistress is not quite sure why it was there. It may have been to help with parking as it was not esy to park here.

Car enthusiasts might be interested to know that the vehicle's registration number was DX 7381, and this was issued in Ipswich in either 1927 or 1928^[4]. There seems to be a motor bike next to the car, too, mostly hidden by the stone wall.

References:

^[1] "Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", 19 February 1894.

^[2] "Derbyshire Times", 13 November 1897. Matlock Bath Council meeting. The Rutland Arms trough was mentioned as it had to be "overhauled".

^[3] From conversations with Ken Smith.

^[4] Information kindly supplied by The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, who provide a research service for those wishing to identify vehicles (the external link will open in a new window).