Country Images Magazine Derby April 2018 | Page 10

During Matlock’s hey-day as a Victorian spa, it became popular for
businessmen to build their homes nearby, handily convenient to the
numerous mini-spas that followed those started by John Smedley. With
the demise of the fashion for immersion in cold water, one of them became
a minor public school for daughters of the clergy. Known as St Elphin’s
it moved to Darley Dale from its original site in Warrington to escape a
cholera epidemic. One of its pupils (although she had left before the school
moved to Matlock) was Richmal Compton, author of the famous Just
William stories. Since the sudden and unexpected closure of the school
in March 2005, the building has been steadily expanded into a high class
retirement home.
One of the businessmen who made Darley Dale his home was Sir Joseph
Whitworth, engineer, inventor and philanthropist. He came to the area in
1854 when he bought Stancliff e Hall. By this time he was well established
as an engineer based on his company in Manchester, specialising in making
machine tools. One of his many inventions and innovations was to
advocate a standard and uniform screw thread – until then every implement
and machine had its own uniquely threaded screws. He also designed a
measuri