The War Memorial on Matlock Bath promenade was built on a parcel of land that had been known as the Nether Holme on the 1848 Tithe Award for Matlock Bath. The land was developed as a Promenade for the village in the 1870s. The War Memorial is very striking, especially for a small village, and has been the subject of a large number of postcards over the years. Here are four examples.

The life size figures of the soldier and sailor on the top were carved in Italy from white Carrara marble and when the memorial was unveiled in 1921 it was described as being one of the most beautiful in the county^[1]. Many newspapers shared this view. "The position is well chosen on the Promenade near the north entrance, and the monument is exactly suited to its surroundings, gaining in effect by the background of wooded tor which throws the white figures into admirable relief^[2]."

The names of twenty two men who died in the First World War are recorded below the two figures and a further ten names were added to the east side at the end of the Second World War^[3].

The top image was probably photographed in the 1930s whereas the last image below (image 4), from a Ward Lock Guide, was taken about a decade earlier, probably not long after the memorial was unveiled. In the top picture there is a wooden rustic seat around one of the trees. You can also see the footpath on the far side of the river although the band stand or band kiosk is hard to spot. It is there, of course, to the right of the memorial partly hidden by the first tree along. At the foot of all the memorial pictures here is a wreath to commemorate the war dead.

2. The panel below the two soldiers on the memorial that faces the road contains the names
of the 22 men from Matlock Bath who were casualties in WW1.
It includes the name of the paternal grandfather of the webmistress.

In 1932, following a suggestion from Mr. W. Jacques, steps were being taken to clean the memorial^[4]. It is not clear from the newspaper report whether this was the first time the memorial had been cleaned, but it probably explains why it looks so sparklingly white on the image below (image 3)!

4. Ward Lock's photo shows the back of the memorial and the view down the length of the promenade. This picture may be amongst the earliest taken of Matlock Bath's cenotaph.

These days, following the road widening in the late 1960s, the boundary with the A6 is much closer to the Memorial and most of the Promenade has gone. The wider pavements of today, the current low hedging and railings as well as a few mature trees on the riverbank have enhanced the parade and provide good views of the River Derwent - much better than the tall iron railings of yesteryear.

About 1900	Before 1902	About 1904-05	Before 1905	Before 1904
About 1902	About 1905		About 1915		1920s
Tufa fountain	Band stand	Road widening

References:

^[1] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 2 May 1921.

^[2] "Alfreton Journal", 6 May 1921. Matlock Bath Memorial. Unveiling Ceremony.

^[3] See the Names on Matlock Bath's War Memorial and learn a little more about those who died.

^[4] "Derbyshire Times", 19 March, 1932.

There is more information elsewhere on this site about the War Memorial:
About Matlock Bath's Memorial
Unveiling Matlock Bath's War Memorial
Matlock Bath: Remembrance Day, about 1930
North Parade, Matlock Bath, about 1960, which has a more recent coloured picture and is a similar view (see the second image on the page)