Rockside Hydro was built in 1862 by Charles Rowland. Over the years it had been a top rated hotel and later was part of Matlock Teacher Training College. The college was to move to Derby and afterwards Rockside went through a very unhappy period.

In 2001 Paul Kettle was able to take a series of photos of the building in its then current state. His pictures, taken from Cavendish Road, show how badly Rockside had fared since the College had departed. The building suffered from neglect, trespassing, vandalism and arson and part of the internal structure was ruined. Virtually every window was broken. Internal fixtures and fittings, including period bathrooms, were spirited away.

When their services were been needed, which was alarmingly very often, the local fire brigade faced an extremely dangerous situation. Local residents complained when glass fell out of the broken windows onto Rockside Steps, which was obviously very hazardous. The Matlock Mercury, the local paper, covered the story and there were frequent updates on the state of the building, reflecting a range of views, including those of the police and the people who lived nearby. Rockside was decidedly unloved by almost everyone and there were even calls for the building to be demolished despite part of the frontage being Grade Two listed.

The second picture shows the east end of the building. Broken glass in some windows and others which needed to be boarded up are clearly visible.

The third photograph shows the appalling state of affairs at the rear of the building, where the retaining wall collapsed in January 2001. The interior was then exposed to all weather.

After these photographs were taken the situation worsened considerably, as another section of the rear wall fell away. Deterioration continued, though rescue was promised and should have been under way. Permission was supposedly given to developers to begin their renovations and for Rockside's conversion into luxury apartments in 2001, but at the end of that year nothing had happened. In the last week of November 2002 there was finally an announcement by the District Council of plans to turn Rockside itself into flats and developers could then build additional housing within the grounds. But a year later and the building was in a fairly ruinous state. It was not until the first week of December 2003 that news finally came of new, local, owners of the site and plans for redevelopment beginning with Phase I in January 2004. What a time it had taken to reach this stage.

Another photo of the back.