If you like seaside attractions, but not necessarily the sea, then the best thing to do is to head to a town that has seaside attractions, but miles from the sea.
In the UK, being miles from the sea is difficult, but take a look at a map of Britain and point to where you might consider to be the most central area in the UK. If you’re now pointing somewhere between Hull and Liverpool, then you’ll most likely pointing at the Peak District.
Matlock Bath is one of a series of towns and villages that makes up Matlock and District. Matlock Town is at the heart of the District, which is located in the rural county of Derbyshire, which makes up part of the Peak District.
What makes Matlock Bath popular? Well, it’s a quirky small town, which has benefited from having the A6, the old main road from London to Carlisle, running right through the middle of it.
It’s central locations and great connections, makes Matlock Bath a fabulous place for people to meet up, and hence Matlock Bath is very popular for bikers at the weekend. But there’s more to Matlock Bath than having an old main route running through it. There’s a certain feeling of British history as well as plenty of things for visitors to do, especially families.
Heights of Abraham
In the past Matlock Bath was an old mining town. The resource being mined was not coal, but lead, which can still be found inside the caves. The caves are open for visits and can be entered via the Heights of Abraham.
To get to the Heights of Abraham, you can take the cable car or if you’re not great with heights then you can take the footpath leading up the steep hill.
Gullivers Kingdom
Gullivers Kingdom, is part of the Gullivers family of theme parks dotted around the UK. Matlock Bath, was the first to open in the late 70s, and it continues to grow in popularity. There’s a variety of rides, but you will find they are more suited to the younger members of the family. If you’re looking for big rides then Alton Towers might be a better option.
Derwent Riverside
One thing that makes Matlock Bath very pleasant is the River Derwent, which makes a right turn at Matlock Bath and runs through the town next to the A6. The turn in the river, slows the river down, and provides the perfect opportunity for rowing boats to take to the water.
Taking a boat out on the river is one of the more relaxing things you can do in Matlock Bath, but if you want to see something special when it comes to boats on the river, then it’s well worth making a visit to Matlock Bath in the Autumn, when the spectacular Matlock Bath Illuminations take place, with fireworks every weekend.
On the opposite bank to the road, there is a sand play area complete with Pirate Ship. This a very pleasant space and a good place for kids to burn off some energy.
Pubs and Bars
Along “the strip”, Matlock Bath provides plenty of establishments where you can grab a craft beer or wine. The Fishpond is probably the most famous of these establishments, which has recently been renovated and regularly has live music at the weekends.
Restaurants and Eating Out
Being a hugely popular town, Matlock Bath has numerous restaurants, from traditional fish and chips and burgers, but if you are looking for something more up market there are a selection of international restaurants including italian, chinese and indian, and all the pubs and bars offer a menu.
There’s also a number of ice cream emporiums where they also sell souvenirs, sweets and rock. Great if you’re just looking for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Where to Stay
Matlock Bath has several of it’s own B&Bs, but if you’re looking for a luxury holiday cottage in the Peak District then you might want to consider one of our holiday cottages. We have a total of five self catering holiday cottages in Derbyshire.
The Haven, is a one of our luxury holiday cottages in the Peak District with hot tub and sleeps 4, but if you need somewhere larger then you could try the Escape, which is a superb 5 bed holiday cottage in Derbyshire with hot tub.
