Smedley's Hydropathic, Matlock, Derbyshire
Smedley's Hydro was established in 1853. It was the first and largest of 25 Hydros in Matlock. It offered a variety of different baths and water treatments. The Hydros changed Matlock from a little known village to a wealthy town. A cable tramway was built to take passengers between the station and the Hydro Spa Hotels. It ran from 28 March 1893 to 30 September 1927. According to the 1908 Kelly's Directory it was the steepest tramway in the world on public roads, featuring a 1 in 5½ grade slope (18%). Smedley's went into decline after the Great War and never recovered. It became Derbyshire County Hall in the 1950s.
