Derbyshire Treasures & Tradition - Matlock Bath

Itinerary

Tour Highlights

• Hotel for 4 nights with breakfast & dinner 
• Porterage
• Entrance to National Tramway Museum
• Guided tour of Cromford Mills
• Entrance to Hardwick Hall & Garden
• Time at leisure in Matlock Bath
• Visits to Chesterfield and Bakewell
• En-route stop in Melton Mowbray (time permitting)

Treasures & Traditions

Day 1 - After joining your holiday coach, head off to your first stop, Melton Mowbray, the bustling market town known as the 'Rural Capital of Food' boasting a culinary heritage that few can match. Famous delicacies including Melton Mowbray pork pies and Stilton cheese can only be made in this locality, thanks to protected status. Continue to Matlock Bath to check in to 3* New Bath Hotel for the next 4 nights DBB

Day 2 - 4 At leisure in Derbyshire with three included excursions

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS
National Tramway Museum & Matlock Bath
Head to the National Tramway Museum (formerly Crich Tramway Village), to be transported back in time on a vintage tram through the unique period street and out into the open countryside for spectacular views. Watch as trams are restored from the Workshop Viewing Gallery and soak up the atmosphere in the period shops or the unique Red Lion pub. Admission included. 


Source: British Pathe

Later on, head back to characterful Matlock Bath, in the beautiful gorge of the river Derwent, with its attractive riverside gardens, wooded hillsides and rocky limestone crags. A popular tourist destination since the late 17th century when the spa waters were discovered, its' heyday was in Victorian times when it became known as "Little Switzerland" by the poet, Lord Byron. There is a cable car ride (entrance not included - approx. £31.00 pp in 2026) that takes you up to The Heights of Abraham, where the wooded country park is crowned with the Victoria Prospect Tower

Cromford Mills & Bakewell
Cromford Mills was rescued from dereliction in the 1970s by the newly formed Arkwright Society and has been restored back to how it would have looked in the 1770's when Sir Richard Arkwright changed the world by building the first successful water powered cotton spinning factory and introducing the world to mass production. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the original mill houses a major interactive exhibition immersing the visitor into the average working day in the mill in the 18th century. There are also numerous shops on the Derwent Valley Mill's site, as well as a café and local cheese shop. The village of Cromford is 5 minutes' walk from the mills and was originally built by Sir Richard Arkwright especially for his mill workers and is full of picturesque cottages, shops and an attractive market square

Source: Cromford Mills
Later dip into the Peak District National Park with a stop in the pretty market town of Bakewell, birthplace of the delicious Bakewell pudding, and boasting charming honey-coloured buildings, cosy courtyards, historic alms houses and a quaint five-arched Roman bridge over the River Wye.

Chesterfield & Hardwick Hall
One of Derbyshire's most popular and historic market towns, Chesterfield is perhaps most famous for the distinctive Crooked Spire which dominates the skyline. There are numerous local legends as to why the spire twisted, but its unusual shape is thought to have been triggered by green timber covered with heavy lead tiles. The charming Shambles are a cluster of independent shops and cafés, while you'll find famous High Street names at the Pavements and Vicar Lane Shopping Centres. Monday is market day.  Continue to an ambitious Elizabethan country manor house created by Bess of Hardwick in the 1500s. This impressive masterpiece of Hardwick Hall casts a dramatic silhouette across the Derbyshire skyline, and it is home to a unique collection of the finest 16th and early 17th century needlework, furniture and original portraits. The Gideon Tapestries hang in the Long Gallery and are the largest surviving tapestry set in Britain. The garden is laid out around the hall, offering a peaceful haven, with an herb garden, orchards and mixed borders which provide seasonal colour

Day 5 - Enjoy breakfast, check out and join the coach heading to interchange with a suitable stop on the way. Back to top

Accommodation

New Bath Hotel & Spa, Matlock Bath

Set within landscaped grounds overlooking the Derwent Valley, this charming historic 3* hotel was founded in 1745 around one of these remarkable warm water mineral springs, which established Matlock Bath as one of England's earliest spa destinations.

One of the hotel's most distinctive features is its historic outdoor spring-fed lido dating back to 1934, where naturally warmed mineral water (non-chlorinated / not heated) continues to flow today. More than a swimming pool, it is one of the few remaining examples of England's historic open air bathing tradition. (NB all guests must wear a swimming hat and pool shoes around the poolside).

Spa treatments at additional charge (pre-booking recommended).

Elegant, comfortable guestrooms offer TV, WiFi and tea/coffee making facilities. Daily housekeeping on request. Singles are doubles / twins for sole occupancy.

There is a restaurant and bar. There is no lift but some ground floor rooms Back to top