| Matlock Bath : Cat Tor,
1913 |
Matlock Bath, Twentieth Century Images |
|
|
|
|
"Nearly opposite Saxton's hotel, a broken rock, fringed with
light foliage, rises majestically out of a group of trees that adorns
its base : its topmost pinnacle is denominated Wild Cat Tor, and from
its craggy summit a noble landscape is displayed". Ebenezer Rhodes,
writing in "Peak Scenery"1
nearly one hundred years before this photograph was taken, thus describes
the magnificent limestone Tor in the southern part of Matlock Bath.
Wild Cat Tor is now known as Cat Tor and Saxton's Hotel has become
The New Bath.
Bottom left can be seen the Royal Hotel, that was later burned down.
It stood on land where the Old Bath had been in Rhodes time. The Royal
Hotel was destroyed in two parts. Although the front of the hotel
was destroyed by a disastrous fire on 1st April 1929, the section
with the three dormer windows in the roof lasted until the 1950's.
By then it had become very dilapidated.
Behind the Royal Hotel is Holy Trinity Church and tucked up amongst
the trees on the hillside on the right is the Old Pavilion.
Postcard of the
Old Pavilion & Royal Hotel
Portland House and the mews behind are almost mid picture, with what
was Walker's Hotel just behind it. This building is now part of the
New Bath Hotel. The New Bath is the furthest building away from the
photographer, visible just above the Old Pavilion.
There is more on site information about Cat Tor:
Gem
of the Peak, 1840. See The Southern end of the Dale
There are pictures of the Old Bath Hotel,
which preceded the Royal Hotel, in the 19th century section of images
|
The photograph taken by Calitta M. Tinti (née Whittaker) of
Matlock Bath. Posted 11 Jun 1913 in Beeston by Florrie and sent to
a Miss Florrie Saxby who lived at Meadows. Card published by Davidson
Bros, "Real Photographic Series", London and New
York.
Postcard in the collection of, provided by and © Ann
Andrews Intended for personal use only
|
References:
1 Rhodes, Ebenezer (1824) "Peak Scenery"
pub. London, Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, Paternoster
Row, p.250
|
|