Matlock, Derbyshire in the context of "A6 road (England)"

Derbyshire (/ˈdɑːrbiʃɪər, -ʃər/ DAR-bee-sheer, -⁠shər) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south and west, and Cheshire to the west. The city of Derby is the largest settlement.

The county has an area of 2,625 km (1,014 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,096,526 in 2024. The eastern half of the county is the more densely populated and contains its largest settlements: Chesterfield in the north-east, Derby in the south-east, and Swadlincote in the south. The spa town of Buxton and Glossop are located in the north-west, and Matlock near the centre. For local government purposes Derbyshire comprises a non-metropolitan county, with eight districts, and the Derby unitary authority area. The East Midlands Combined County Authority includes Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council.

Derbyshire Dales (/ˈdɑːrbiʃɪər, -ʃər/ DAR-bee-sheer, -⁠shər) is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. The district was created in 1974 as West Derbyshire; the name was changed to Derbyshire Dales in 1987. The council is based in the town of Matlock, and the district also includes the towns of Ashbourne, Bakewell, Darley Dale and Wirksworth, as well as numerous villages and extensive rural areas. Much of the district is within the Peak District National Park.

The neighbouring districts are High Peak, Sheffield, North East Derbyshire, Amber Valley, South Derbyshire, East Staffordshire and Staffordshire Moorlands.

The Derwent is a river in Derbyshire, England. It is 50 miles (80 km) long and is a tributary of the River Trent, which it joins south of Derby. The river's course is largely in the Peak District and its foothills.

Much of the river's route, with the exception of the city of Derby, is rural. However, the river has also seen many human uses, and between Matlock and Derby was one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution. It is the site of the Derwent Valley Mills, the first industrial-scale cotton mills. Today it provides a water supply to several surrounding cities, and its steep-sided valley is an important communications corridor through the uplands of the Peak District.

Cromford (/ˈkrɒmfərd/) is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England, in the valley of the River Derwent between Wirksworth and Matlock. It is 17 miles (27 km) north of Derby, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Matlock and 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Matlock Bath.

Cromford is first mentioned in the 11th-century Domesday Book as Crumforde, a berewick (supporting farm) of Wirksworth, and this remained the case throughout the Middle Ages. The population at the 2011 Census was 1,433. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright and the nearby Cromford Mill, which he built outside the village in 1771. Cromford is in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Derby. The county council is based at County Hall in Matlock. The council has been under Reform UK majority control since the 2025 election. The council is a constituent member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

Glossop is a market town in the borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) east of Manchester, 24 miles (39 km) north-west of Sheffield and 32 miles (51 km) north of Matlock. Near Derbyshire's borders with Cheshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, between 150 and 300 metres (492 and 984 ft) above sea level, it is bounded by the Peak District National Park to the south, east and north. In 2021, it had a population of 17,825.

Historically, the name Glossop refers to the small hamlet that gave its name to an ancient parish recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 and then the manor given by William I of England to William Peverel. A municipal borough was created in 1866, which encompassed less than half of the manor's territory. The area now known as Glossop approximates to the villages that used to be called Glossopdale, on the lands of the Duke of Norfolk. Originally a centre of wool processing, Glossop rapidly expanded in the late 18th century when it specialised in the production and printing of calico, a coarse cotton. It became a mill town with many chapels and churches; its fortunes were tied to the cotton industry.