HEIGHTS OF ABRAHAM
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO THE HEIGHTS OF ABRAHAM
INFORMATION
Location: By car, on the A6, two miles south of Matlock (Matlock Bath also has a railway connection and is on a bus route). From Matlock Bath, access The Heights of Abraham by cable car. Before the introduction of the cable car, the way to the summit was on foot. The zig-zag paths that cover the hillside are now tarmaced and make enjoyable walks through the mature woodlands.
Visit: Join two guided tours of the Great Masson and Great Rutland Caverns, where you can learn about the area’s rich mining history.
Refreshments: From a sit-down meal with table service, to a light lunch or just a drink of tea or coffee, all are catered for at the visitor centre, from where there are magnificent views. Takeaway snacks are also available with picnic spots scattered across the estate.
Matlock Bath nestles beneath limestone cliffs with the River Derwent flowing below, in a beautiful wooded valley. The town has been a tourist attraction since visitors came to bathe in the thermal waters.
HEIGHTS OF ABRAHAM
Matlock Bath’s beautiful scenery has been compared to that of Switzerland, and together with the thermal qualities of the water, it adds to the attraction of the area. In Victorian days, facilities started to improve, and the visits made by Queen Victoria in 1832 and 1844 improved its reputation further.
Since opening to the public in 1760, people have travelled from all over the world to the Heights of Abraham to explore its underground caverns, wander the woodland paths and enjoy the breathtaking views. When Queen Victoria visited Matlock Bath in 1844, she ascended the Heights of Abraham on a donkey.
Nowadays, visitors usually use the country’s first-ever alpine-style cable car system, installed in 1984. The comfortable and smooth journey – included in your entry ticket to the Heights of Abraham – carries you from the valley floor to the hillside high above and provides some truly stunning views of the surrounding Peak District.
Guided tours of Rutland Cavern and Great Masson Cavern, both part natural and part lead mines, are included in the attraction’s admission price. The Rutland Cavern is probably the oldest in the area and may have been worked by the Romans. It has several large chambers, a clear water spring known as Jacob’s Wishing Well, flourspar and other crystals. Great Masson Cavern, further up the hill, follows the line of the Great Rake – a seam of lead that runs for miles.
