Description: Matlock is one of my favourite places to visit from Nottingham, being a short train ride away . It's a small town in the Peak District, formerly making most of it's income from numerous cotton and paper mills, and enjoying a brief period as a medicinal spa .
The Spa itself is still there - although it is now an aquarium . The large thermal bathing pool, fed by a spring from the hillside gushing 600,000 gallons a day, at a constant temperature of 20C,where invalids would go to take the waters, is now home to many large Koi Carp, and a small vengind machine dispenses fish food at 20p a pop, well worth buying for the fun of seeing the fish coming to the surface to eat .
Inside the aquarium, another fascinating part is the petrified well, where bottles, teddy bears, and all kinds of other items have been calcified by the spa water, and next to this is housed an impressibve collection of minerals, rocks, and geodes . The aquarium itself is rather small and shabby, with only small fish, although there were a couple of turtles that appeared to be mating when we visited .
The hologram gallery, also housed in the aquarium, is a small room containing various hologram pictures, and this is actually well worth a look , with some of the images appearing to jump out at you from their frames . The images are a mixture of nature, still life, and even a couple of stills from movies .
Downstairs is a small amusement arcade,with a number of penny slot machines, and some toy grabbers .
Matlock Bath Aquarium
110 North Parade
Matlock Bath
Derbyshire DE4 3NS
This small aquarium is a nice little place to visit. I can't remember now how much was paid for entry,but I believe it was around a fiver, wit that price covering the aquarium, well, gallery, and amusemen
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