Lovers' Walks on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Derbyshire Dales District Council. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
About 1785 Birdcage Walk, a stepped path leading up the slope, was created by the landscape gardener "Derwent Gardens, Matlock Bath"
Derbyshire Dales District Council. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
Lovers' Walks is a public park in
.
It is designated a Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England. It lies in the Derbyshire Dales, south of Matlock on the main A6 road, and approximately halfway between Buxton and Derby. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census ...
, in Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
, England. Its history dates from the 18th century, and it is listed Grade II* in Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
{{R from move ...
{{R from move ...Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
."Lovers' Walks, Matlock Bath"Derbyshire Dales District Council. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
History
Lovers' Walks, on the east bank of the River Derwent opposite Matlock Bath, dates back to before 1742; it is said be the oldest surviving example of a public pleasure ground. It featured The Cascades, where athermal spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by cir ...
flowed to the river. The site became in 1782 part of the estate of Richard Arkwright
Sir Richard Arkwright (23 December 1732 – 3 August 1792) was an English inventor and a leading entrepreneur during the early Industrial Revolution. He is credited as the driving force behind the development of the spinning frame, known as ...
, adjacent to the landscaped gardens of his home at Willersley Castle
Willersley Castle is a late 18th-century country mansion above the River Derwent at Cromford, Derbyshire, outside Peak District National Park. The castle has been a Grade II* listed building since April 2000.
Standing in of grounds, the C ...
.
About 1785 Birdcage Walk, a stepped path leading up the slope, was created by the landscape gardener William Emes
William Emes (1729 or 1730–13 March 1803) was an English landscape gardener.
Biography
Details of his early life are not known but in 1756 he was appointed head gardener to Sir Nathaniel Curzon at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire. He left this post ...
. The site was extended northwards at about this time.
In 1887 the Jubilee Grounds were opened in the northern part, accessible from Matlock Bath via Jubilee Bridge. It was a venue for riverside entertainment, with a bandstand built in 1893. Before the bridge was opened, Lovers' Walks was reached only by a ferry, which continued in operation until about 1950. The Ferry Grounds, on the opposite bank of the river, is now the northern part of Derwent Gardens
Derwent Gardens is a public park in Matlock Bath, in Derbyshire, England. Its history dates from the 19th century, and it is listed Grade II in Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens.
History
The southern end of the present Derwent Gard ...
.Derbyshire Dales District Council. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
Description
The area of Lovers' Walks is about . Jubilee Bridge, built in 1887, leads there from North Parade in the village, and New Bridge further south, built in 1969, leads to the site from Derwent Gardens. A path constructed in 1997 leads fromMatlock Bath railway station
Matlock Bath railway station serves the village of Matlock Bath in Derbyshire, England. It is a stop on the Derwent Valley Line, which connects with . The station building is Grade II listed and is located north of Derby; it is owned by Networ ...
to the northern end of the grounds.
About south of Jubilee Bridge there is a children's playground; in the 1920s and 1930s there were animal houses and an aviary nearby. The northern limit of the site was about here before 1785. About south of Jubilee Bridge are two small building, a former shop and a shelter once used by ferry passengers.
There is a riverside path, and a parallel path above a wooded slope, which are linked by winding paths. The upper path runs along the limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
ridge at the edge of the woodland, from which there are views towards Matlock Bath and across the countryside.
References
{{Reflist Parks and open spaces in Derbyshire Tourist attractions in Derbyshire Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Derbyshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Derbyshire