Inside the quaint British seaside village that has neither sea nor sand in sight

24 August 2023 , 18:27

765     0

The closest beach to Matlock Bath in 80 miles away (Image: Derby Telegraph)

Holidaymakers wanting a taste of the traditional seaside for their next staycation may be best served by a quaint little village which is 80 miles from the sea.

On the Peak District's southern border, in the Derbyshire Dales, lies a small town called Matlock Bath - which is 80 miles east of Skegness and 70 miles west of the beaches of Wales. The tiny village of just 750 residents earned itself conservation status for its streets lined with old-timey chippies, ice cream parlours, arcades, and boutiques flogging souvenirs you'd usually find by the sea.

While there's no beaches, that doesn't mean Matlock Bath is without water. Back in 1698, warm springs were found at the end of a meandering dirt road. A bathhouse was later built around the site and as thermal waters and fresh air became a cornerstone of our forefather's health regimes, visits to Matlock Bath surged.

The town became popular after hot springs were discovered there at the end of the 17th Century (Derby Telegraph)

Princess Victoria of Kent’s royal dip in 1832, just five years before she became Queen, then cemented its notoriety, reports the Express. Lord Byron found his way there, drawing on the village’s Alpine appearance to give it the nickname of Little Switzerland. Mary Shelley echoed this thought in Frankenstein, writing that it looked like the landlocked country, but “on a lower scale.”

Matlock Bath railway station was built in 1849 on the Midland Railway line between London and Manchester, opening the area up to wider society. The village is anchored on three grand buildings: the New Bath Hotel, Holy Trinity Church, and the Grand Pavilion. As for the famous old spa, it is now an aquarium.

Dessert shop creates Prime sorbet version of sell-out drink and fans go wild

Restaurants on Matlock Bath's North parade (Derby Telegraph)

Townhouses and cottages throughout the town are built from local Derbyshire limestone and Welsh slate in a Gothic style. Matlock Bath is also known for putting on a show. The Matlock Bath Illuminations have been held in the autumn each year since Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897.

These “Venetian Nights” consist of a parade of decorated and brightly lit boats floating along the River Derwent, as well as a fair. The 2023 season is running every Saturday and Sunday night from September 9 to October 29, with fireworks finales every October Saturday and the final night on October 29.

Ashbourne-built boats take to the water at the Matlock Bath Illuminations (Simon Beynon/Derbyshire Dales District Council)

When not hosting this dazzling flotilla, the river is a reputed canoeing spot for recreationists and serious competitors alike. Matlock Canoe Club hosts national-level wild-water racing and slalom events. On the opposite bank from the village towers High Tor, a sheer cliff well-known and respected by walkers who snake their way to the top along Giddy Edge, the narrow path.

For those who don’t fancy the thrill, the Heights of Abraham cable cars also link the base of High Tor rising to the Heights of Abraham above. As if all of this weren’t enough, on Sundays in summer Matlock Bath highstreet is also a congregation spot for bikers on their way to touring the Peak District.

Ollie Corfe