Hydros of Darley Dale and Matlock Bath

Location	Name	Opened/Closed Other Names	Capacity/ Accommdn.	Wartime Function	Other Uses	Current Use (2022)	Significant Dates and Notes

Dale Road (A6), Darley Dale	Darley Dale Hydro	1889-1903	70 guests	_ _ _ _			c1820: Original house built by lead merchant, J. Alsop.
							1863: Sold; redeveloped.
					Pre 1889: The Grove, a complex including a house, farm and kitchen garden
							1889: The Grove farm complex was purchased & remodelled as an impressive Victorian Gothic hydro by William Atkins, manager of Rock Side (& nephew of its owner, Charles Rowland). Darley Dale Hydro was situated on a fine 51-acre site, complete with its own golf course.
							1903: Atkins declared bankrupt.
					c1904-2005: St Elphin’s School		1904: Property acquired by St Elphin’s School, which was looking for larger premises. St Elphin’s, originally established in 1844 for the daughters of the clergy, was closely associated with St Elphin’s Church, Warrington, hence its name.
							1904: New premises opened. 1905: School held 1st Darley Dale prize day.
							2005: School closed; buildings & grounds purchased by the Audley organization which created St Elphin’s Retirement Village, with Atkin’s building at its heart.
						Post-2005: St Elphin’s Park Retirement Village
						2008: Arrival of first residents

Holme Road, Matlock Bath	Clarence House Hydro	1871-c1900* *Not continuous; see notes on right	40 guests	_ _ _ _			1871: Hydro built by Joseph Roberts; then at least two owners
					1870s: Temperance hotel		1870s: New manager (owner?) William Cartledge from Lime Tree Guest House, ran the establishment as a temperance hotel; but Dr Samuel Armstrong later resumed hydropathic treatments.
							1887: Purchased by Rev Richard Nicholson, of Bridge House Hydro.
							1894: Richardson declared bankrupt
							1894-1900s: Various owners. .
					Early 1900s: Boarding house		Early 1900s: Boarding house managed by Eliza & Edward (son) Aspey
						Apartments

North Parade (A6), Matlock Bath	Matlock Bath Hydro	1883-1890s	Not residential	_ _ _ _	c1786-1882: Thermal bath (68^oF, 20^oC)		c1786: Stephen Simpson (creator of Heights of Abraham in 1784) opened Matlock Bath’s third thermal bath, after Old Bath (1696) & New Bath (1745).
							From c1813: Known as Fountain Bath.
							1882: New building; today’s Aquarium.
					1883-at least 1933: Swimming pool (probably in use until 1938, when former Matlock Lido opened).		1883: Thermal swimming pool opened. Hydropathic treatment also offered in private cubicles; complex advertised as ‘Matlock Bath Hydro’. Not clear whether the new facilities were opened by Joseph Dakin (of the Royal Museum) or by the Howe family (publishers of local guides etc).
							From at least 1887-post 1890: Hydro run by Howe family
						Matlock Bath Aquarium

Derby Rd (A6), Matlock Bath	Masson House Hydro	1930s-c1939	Substantial property	_ _ _ _	_ _ _ _		1930s: S.W. Daley-Yates advertised electrical treatments and massages.
							By 1939: Daley-Yates relocated to Smedley Street (Matlock) as an orthopaedist and chiropodist. Note: Masson House is situated opposite Masson Mill.
						Masson House Care Home