| Matlock Bath: The Royal Museum Petrifying Well , 1932 |
| Matlock Bath, Twentieth Century Photographs, Postcards, Engravings & Etchings |
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There was a time when small children and adults alike flocked to see
the wonders created by water dripping onto a variety of objects, changing
them into stone. The card above, dated 1932, shows just some of the
items that were petrified in 'The Royal (or on this card the 'Great')
Petrifying Well' run by the Smith family of Matlock Bath, who had
a Spar and Marble Works. They ran the shop opposite the well, which
sold items made from Blue John and other local stone. The admission
charge to the Petrifying Well was, for quite a while, 'One Penny'.
SMITH WILLIAM,
specialist worker in Blue John & spar ;
sole proprietor of the famous petrifying wells, Royal
Museum, South parade |
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Advert from Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire,
1941 |
The first Trades Directory entry found for a member of the Smith family
advertising as a spar and marble worker is in Kelly's Directory of
1864.
 Earlier onsite
directories give the names of other petrifactioners
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Image kindly donated by Photo-Ark
© 2003
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You may like to view more onsite information
Gem
of the Peak (1840) - read the section on "What to do in 1840"
as there is more information about petrifying wells.
Matlock
Bath's Main Attractions
Royal
Visitors
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