Percy Rowbottom's wonderful photographs have captured some
of the early twentieth century visitors to Matlock Bath who
were enjoying the thrill and delights of the Switchback
Railway in the Derwent Gardens, formerly called Orchard
Holme or Close. The top photograph shows the foot rungs
beside the track which would have helped the staff when
they pushed the cars back up hill to the start of the ride.
The man in the waistcoat and flat cap, with his back to
the camera, is one of the staff and appears to be lowering
the brake to secure the car so that the passengers could
disembark. Visitors
were dressed in their Sunday best for their trips to Matlock
Bath. Many came from the industrial cities for a day out and
dressing up in their finery was often a pleasant change from
their daily work attire.
"Riding on the switchback is best described as like
sailing over large billows at a rapid rate, or like tobogganing
intensified. The journey is made in a car capable of seating
about ten persons, and by means of a couple of tracks, outward
and return trips are made[1]".
Three members of staff are shown, surrounded by visitors,
in this second photograph. One of them is holding onto the
cab, presumably to steady it further as the passengers climbed
out. There is another cab on the track behind the group.
Presumably it is on the outward leg of the trip and just
about to reach the turn round area at the far end.
In 1887 a wag wrote to the Birmingham Daily Post with
the following tongue-in-cheek query:
"Every public resort is now erecting the Switchback,
and switchbackanalians are every day becoming more numerous.
Before I have one in my garden, I should like to have an
authoritative view [i.e. from The Lancet!] of the consequences,
and I should be glad to be informed whether switchbacking
is as good for the liver as horse exercise[2]"
| Dr Cullimore's assertion that a ride was good for the
liver, published in the 1903 advertisement on the right,
is about as realistic as contemporary adverts that radium
was a good ingredient for shampoos! |
|
The perfect tonic |
 |
Above, left, is another photograph of the Switchback's
employees, taken before the First World War. They are
seated in and standing beside one of the Switchback's
three cars. Bill Frost is sitting
at the front and standing on the left is Harold
Bradbury[3].
The name of the third man in the group is unknown. Slightly
apart from them on their right, in a bowler hat, is Edgar
Buxton. The whole enterprise belonged to the Buxton family[4].
It is not the best quality of reproductions, but it is
the best I have at present.
My late father, Frank Clay, described some of the mid-week
visitors who came to Matlock Bath from Sheffield in the 1920s.
"The charas .... on weekdays carried mainly ladies
- mother's meetings and the like. They were sometimes lively
and a touch of the "knees up" attitude crept in
but what grand women they were, friendly, generous and caring.
A nine year old boy had established a position under the
end tree [of Saxton's Green, where the charas were parked]
and sold them Matlock Bath rock. They bought the rock because
of his age; the pay he got was 6d a day even on sales that
were quite impressive, but at that period we hadn't abandoned
the exploitation of children. Some days it wasn't quite so
profitable, and then a walkabout was needed. The same ladies
would be invited down for a ride on the Switchback and after
the initial free trip had got the ladies screaming with
fun, fear and good spirits the day would be on its way[5]".
From the outset, newspaper articles frequently
commented on the delighted squeals from the ladies as they
were enjoying the excitement of the Switchback experience,
though the men were rarely mentioned. Not
everyone appreciated the shrieks, of course, and there was as much criticism
about the Switchback's users as there was approval after the initial wonderment
had worn off.
 |
The wide angled camera lens did not exist when these early
photographs were taken and it was hard to capture the
length of the Switchback from the opposite bank of the
river, so most of the pictures were long distance shots
and taken from the rocks above the Lovers' Walks. Shown
above is a Frith's Series card and below is an enlarged
section of the same view.
Such was the
fascination with the Switchback that a long line of people
can be seen peering over the wall! Amongst them would
have been pupils on their way to Matlock Bath school. |
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 The story of the Switchback's history is
on the previous page
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