Fernie Bank on North Parade is a detached early-Victorian house built, unusually for a property on the Parade, of brick with stone dressings. It stands above road level, with the Fountain Baths hidden behind the trees on the left and one of the houses that form the row of Fountain Villas on the right. Unfortunately, the colouring in the picture is not true to life as it looks as if Fernie Bank was built in grey stone!

Amongst the former residents was John Allen, a well respected local schoolmaster and poet who built the house^[1]. Next were the bookseller and stationer William Elliott Howe and his wife Mary Anne (nee Stone)^[2], although in their day the property was known as Fountain Garden. After Mrs. Howe died her trustee, Mr. D. Sibbald, sold all her household effects, furniture, a large and valuable library, china, rare prints, collections of minerals, curios and birds' eggs, plus shop fittings^[3].

On the hillside above Fernie Bank is part of Waterloo Road, showing the houses close the very sharp bend in the road. Oban, originally just one storey high and with a steeply sloping roof as shown here, is the house on the bend; it was the home of William Lennox for about twenty years^[4]. Behind it is Rose Bank, with its Gothic style windows, and Belgrano which has a large curved bay window on the ground floor. Where the line of washing is blowing in the breeze, originally the garden for Belgrano, has now been built on. A brownish building is behind the houses, a little further up the road from Rose Bank. This was Swiss Cottage and originally had a balcony. Above this, at the top of this picture, is the castellated Lower Towers and to its right is the (octagonal) Round House. The large house to the right and slightly above the washing line is Holme Bank.

The picture dates from between 1901 and 1905.

References (coloured links go to on site transcripts):

^[1] Hall's "Days in Derbyshire", 1863 tells us that John Allen lived in a "neat and modest one [i.e. a house] here, by the Fountain Bath". The same page quotes his poetry. His home was called Fountain Cottage.
There is more about John Allen on The Study, Bonsall. Read another poem on Matlock & Matlock Bath: Inspiration of Poets.
He was buried at Holy Trinity where he was a senior churchwarden - see his MI at Holy Trinity and Post 1858 Wills, Surnames A. His death was registered in early 1868, confirming that his age when he died was 73. This is also born out by Matlock Bath : Holy Trinity Church Burials.

^[2] The Howes were first listed at Fernie Bank in J. G. Harrod and Co.'s Postal and Commercial Directory of 1870 and as a bookseller, stationer, music seller and newsagent on Museum Parade. William Elliott Howe was first shown in Matlock Bath in the 1861 census.He was shown living with his wife and family in Matlock Bath in the 1871 census | the 1881 census. He advertised in Kelly's Directory 1876 | Kelly's Directory 1881 | Kelly's Directory 1887 | Kelly's Directory 1891 (2 adverts) although he had died in 1890. Mrs. Howe remained at Fernie Bank. She is in the 1891 census | the 1901 census | Bulmer's 1895 Directory | Kelly's Directory 1895 | Kelly's Directory 1899. There is also an MI in Holy Trinity Church Yard

^[3] "Derbyshire Time", 20 November 1901. Sale notice. The sale was held on 20 and 21 November.

^[4] There is more about William Lennox on Heights of Abraham, Wooded Slopes. Also read the footnote.