The new village an hour's drive from Manchester where it's claimed people are moving for a 'better quality of life'
22.05.2022 - 09:47
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Just over an hour's drive away from Manchester is a beautiful, newly built village in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales. Built from local stone, Matlock Spa sits in an abandoned quarry next to the Peak District National Park, and developers say it's attracting downsizers, retirees and first-time buyers from the surrounding cities of Sheffield, Manchester and Leeds who are seeking a more peaceful way of life.
Set up on a hill overlooking the historic town of Matlock, framed by the sweeping Derwent Valley, Matlock Spa is taking shape with the first phase of a 500 homes now built. Developers say the village builds on the spa tradition of Matlock and nearby Buxton with a focus on health, wellbeing and being immersed in nature.
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Matlock Spa is the vision of landowner and social entrepreneur Charles Rifkind, who acquired the former quarry and worked with award-winning David Morley Architects to create the new village, which took almost 20 years to complete due to complex planning process involved.
The homes have been designed to blend in with the rugged beauty of the area, with its wild woodland, lakes, ancient gorges and dales.
The first phase of Matlock Spa consists of 58 homes including apartments in spa villas and a mill-style building of loft apartments with private balconies.
There is also a crescent of terraced cottages and a collection of townhouses, each with gardens and covered parking ports, built using local stone and slate.
“We have set out to create a new place of beauty and architectural merit that will stand the test of time, reflecting this extraordinary setting," Charles Rifkind said.
"This will be home