Local information about Derwent House

Town and Country

Fine country houses
Chatsworth	Home to the remarkable Duchess Georgiana.
Kedleston Hall	Masterpiece of neo-classical architecture, designed by Robert Adam
Hardwick Hall	Built for 'Bess of Hardwick', Elizabethan England's second most powerful and wealthy woman
Haddon Hall	A fortified medieval manor house dating from the 12th Century
Tissington Hall	The history of Tissington can be traced back as far as 1086, when it is mentioned in the Domesday Book among the possessions of Henry de Ferrers.
Local market towns
They all have a wealth of interesting buildings and churches to explore, and are perfect for shopping for gifts.
Ashbourne Bakewell Castleton Hathersage Eyam	The surrounding villages of limestone cottages, pubs and village greens are charming. Keep a look out for the "well dressings".
Buxton	This Georgian Spa town with its Crescent (rival to Bath), Opera House and Pavilion Gardens is well worth a visit.
Other Activities
Ladybower Fishery	For fishing
Blue John Cavern	At Castleton, the tours are of immense educational interest showing clearly how the caverns are formed in limestone strata.
Carsington Water	For water sports, horse and bike riding.
Attractions
Crich Tramway Museum	For a great day out visit and pay an old penny to ride on the tram.
Alton Towers	Half an hour from the house for the ultimate theme park thrill!
Gulliver’s Kingdom	A more suitable attraction for younger children and those of you that are not as adventurous!
Uttoxeter Race Course	Meetings are held throughout the year, with a number of themed special events.
Heights of Abraham	A cable car ride and show caves, located in Matlock Bath.

Walking
The hills and dales of the Peak District and surrounding area are ideal for walkers.
White Peak	The fields are outlined by dry stone walls and criss-crossed with footpaths.
Dovedale Valley Manifold Valley	Close-by both valleys provide riverside walks at the foot of towering limestone gorges.
Kinder Scout Staffordshire Moorlands	In stark contrast these offer more adventurous walking both within an hour of the house.
The Tissington Trail	An old railway track from Ashbourne to Buxton, makes for easy walking.
High Peak Trail	This also joins the Tissington trail and takes you west towards Wirksworth.
Ladybower and Derwent Howden	If you drive to the north of the Peak District National Park you will enter the Dark Peak, due to the grit stone rock deposits and moor land. Here you will find the 3 dams. Derwent and Howden dams were made famous in 1943 when the RAF 617 Squadron used them to practise their famous Dambuster raid against the Ruhr dams in Germany.

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The History of Matock
A former spa town, Matock is situated on the River Derwent. Before the Victorian era the town was a group of small villages centering on the Parish Church of St Giles, up above the house on a limestone outcrop. The Victorians brought wealth and prosperity to the town and surrounding area. The town owes much of its status to John Smedley. He built the imposing Smedley's Hydro (now County Hall) and Riber Castle, the imposing, mock medieval castle overlooking the town. Matlock has good facilities for shopping, leisure and recreation. Derwent House is adjacent to the recently refurbished Hall Leys Park. The park offers something for all ages. A quiet stroll along the river Derwent, feed the ducks on the boating pond, a children’s play area with paddling pool and fountains and mini golf green. For older children there is a skate boarding park. Matlock provides the perfect gateway to the surrounding countryside and varied rural history. Tourist Information can be found in the town centre, a 5 minutes walk from the house.

Matlock signpost