Riber

Riber is a hamlet in the Derbyshire Dales, lying within the boundaries of the town of Matlock. It is situated high on a hill overlooking the town and also Matlock Bath, near to the residential Starkholmes area.

Riber

Riber Castle
Riber
Location within Derbyshire
Population56 
OS grid referenceSK312584
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMATLOCK
Postcode districtDE4
Dialling code01629
PoliceDerbyshire
FireDerbyshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands

Riber is famous for its castle, the dilapidated shell of a Victorian folly built in a semi-classic, semi-Gothic style by the wealthy local industrialist John Smedley,[1] which is currently in the process of being converted into flats with 20 new houses to be built in the grounds. The former wildlife park in the grounds closed in the late 1990s due to financial loss and criticisms of the way many of the animals were kept.

Nearby is the old, possibly-Elizabethan Riber Hall and Manor House, a Grade II* listed building and farm with cottages. The hall was previously run as a hotel and restaurant; as of 2014 it is a private residence offering self-catering accommodation in converted outbuildings.[1][2]

Riber can be accessed from the A615 at Tansley, a village just outside Matlock via the gentle slope of Alders Lane and Carr Lane. From the Matlock Green area of Matlock via Starkholmes Road or from Cromford on the A6 road via Willersley Lane then taking White Tor Road and Riber Road – the approaches all involve extremely steep roads and winding lanes.

Riber also gives its name to the Beast of Riber, also reported in local press as "The Beast of Lumsdale" – possibly a phantom cat which has been sighted on occasion.[3][4][5]

References
  1. About Derbyshire – Riber and Starkholmes Retrieved 2014-06-29
  2. British Listed Buildings Retrieved 2014-06-29
  3. Was lamb killed by the Beast of Riber? Matlock Mercury, 19 April 2006. Retrieved 23 December 2019
  4. When animals were king at Riber Castle Matlock Mercury, 6 April 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2019
  5. Riber Castle peakdistrictonline. Retrieved 23 December 2019


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