| Riber Castle | |
|---|---|
 Riber Castle in 2003 | |
  Location in Derbyshire | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Town or city | Matlock, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 53°07′40″N 1°32′35″W / 53.1278°N 1.5430°W |
| Completed | 1862 |
| Client | John Smedley |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Riber Castle |
| Designated | 22 June 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1248137 |
Riber Castle is a 19th-century Grade II listed[1] country house in the hamlet of Riber on a hill overlooking Matlock, Derbyshire. It is built of gritstone from a local quarry which was pulled up the 200-metre (660 ft) hill by a series of pulleys.[2]
History[edit]
Known locally as "Smedley's Folly" because of the difficulty of getting water to the hill summit, it was built by the industrialist John Smedley in 1862 as his private home.[2] His wife lived in it until her death in 1892.[3] After the death of Smedley's wife, the castle became a boys' prep school until this became financially unsustainable in the 1930s. The architectural historian John Summerson attended the school in the early 20th century.[4] While he enjoyed his time at the school, the building's architecture had lesser appeal; he described the castle as "an object of indecipherable bastardy – a true monster".[5] With the coming of World War II the Ministry of Defence used the site for food storage.[6] The MoD left following the war and the castle remained unused until the 1960s.[3]
From the 1960s to September 2000 it was home to a wildlife park, containing British and European fauna. The late 20th century saw increasing criticism of the treatment of animals at the zoo and it closed in 2000.[2][3]
Plans to turn the shell of the castle into apartments have repeatedly failed in the 21st century.[2][7][8][6] However, as of 2023, conversion work on the castle is ongoing and plans for enabling development in the grounds have been submitted.[9]
In popular culture[edit]
The castle and the town of Matlock are key locations in the Shane Meadows film Dead Man's Shoes.[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Historic England. "Riber Castle (Grade II) (1248137)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Riber Castle". Derbyshire Guide. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ a b c "Riber Castle – Urban Desertion". Urban Desertion. Archived from the original on 2 May 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
- ^ "John Summerson: Historian – Blue Plaques". English Heritage. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ Hartwell, Pevsner & Williamson 2016, p. 570.
- ^ a b "Riber Castle: Empty Gothic castle turned into flats". BBC News. 12 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ "Riber Castle: Empty Gothic castle turned into flats". BBC News. 12 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Hawley, Z. (2 January 2013). "From brooding landmark to des res with a view, castle is coming to life". Derby Telegraph. Retrieved 25 July 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Bisknell, Eddie (12 October 2023). "Riber Castle: Homes to be built in 'iconic' Matlock castle's grounds and outbuildings". Derby Telegraph. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Dead Man's Shoes (2004): Filming Locations". IMDb. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
Sources[edit]
- Hartwell, Claire; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Williamson, Elizabeth (2016). Derbyshire. The Buildings Of England. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-21559-5. OCLC 995068002.
