| The
Victoria Prospect Tower, Matlock Bath |
| Matlock Bath, Twentieth Century Photographs, Postcards, Engravings & Etchings |
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Named after the Princess (later Queen) Victoria
who visited Matlock Bath in 1832, work on the circular stone
tower was begun in 1844 by Mr. John Pechell, the then owner
of the Heights of Abraham. It is 800 feet above sea level and
was designed to see from and to be seen. The tower is about
50 feet in height and the view from the top affords wonderful
views of Derbyshire. In his book about Matlock, Benjamin Bryan[1]
said he thought the views were better than from the top of Masson,
three hundred feet higher. J.B. Firth[2]
described the tower as 'a conspicuous landmark from the valley'
and it 'offers a delightful view'. Firth, though, thought the
view from the summit was even better and would rank amongst
'the finest prospects for the whole of Derbyshire. If the 'valley
of the Derwent at its foot were better visible it could challenge
comparison with the very best.' Whoever was right about the
best vantage point, all the views are wonderful on a clear day
as you can see for many miles.
The card was posted 24 July 1913.
Image kindly donated by Photo-Ark
© 2003
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Quotations:
[1] Bryan, Benjamin (1903) "History
of Matlock - Matlock, Manor and Parish" London by Bemrose
& Sons, Limited
[2] Firth, J.B. (1908) "Highways and
Byways in Derbyshire" MacMillan & Co., London
You may like to view
 Royal
Visitors
Matlock
Bath's Main Attractions
Inscriptions
See
Chapter 4 of Hall's "Days in Derbyshire" (1863)
Elsewhere on the Internet
Heights
of Abraham
Living
at the Heights, Peter Aspey's Early History
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