Giddy Edge Matlock Bath
The scariest footpath in England?! Giddy Edge
Have you braved the short, sharp shock of a walk along Giddy Edge, high above Matlock? This narrow stretch of uneven path is 300 feet above the ground … maybe not the greatest if you don’t like heights!
Dare you do Giddy Edge!
The scariest footpath in England?!Have you braved the short, sharp shock of a walk along Giddy Edge, high above Matlock? This narrow stretch of uneven path is 300 feet above the ground … maybe not the greatest if you don’t like heights!
Posted by Let’s Go Peak District on Tuesday, 11 February 2020
Matlock Bath below Giddy Edge
Matlock Bath was developed as one of England’s first true tourist destinations. It occupies a beautiful position in a limestone gorge on the River Derwent, and boasts attractive riverside gardens and steep wooded hillsides.
Matlock Bath has been a popular tourist attraction since the late 17th Century, when the healing properties of its warm spa waters were first discovered. Access to the area was improved in the 18th Century, and by the 19th Century Matlock Bath was a place for society’s finest to visit.
The town is still a wonderful place to visit, with a long street of shops, cafes, amusement arcades and places of interest, including an aquarium and photographic museum. The riverside walks are great for peaceful, shady strolls, and there is a good children’s playground area to keep younger visitors amused… [read more]
Matlock
Although not strictly within the boundary of the Peak District National Park, Matlock and its close neighbour Matlock Bath are both beautiful towns with a wealth of sights and attractions to keep the whole family entertained.
Surrounded by wooded hillsides and set on the River Derwent, Matlock is a lovely town to explore. It has plenty of independent, quirky shops, particularly on Dale Road, as well as a wide choice of cafés, pubs and restaurants.
At its centre is the extensive Hall Leys Park, which has river walks, flower gardens, a small boating lake, tennis courts, and a great children’s play area.
Standing high on a hill overlooking Hall Leys Park and visible from most points in the town, is the Gothic-style Riber Castle (not open to the public). Riber Castle was built in 1862 from local gritstone by the local industrialist John Smedley as his private home.
In the mid-19th Century Matlock was a booming spa town in its own right. John Smedley established hydrotherapy in the town, and for over a hundred years Matlock was one of the country’s most celebrated centres in which people could ‘take the waters’. Matlock’s popularity was helped by the arrival of the railway in 1849, which allowed patients to travel north from London in comfort… [read more]
