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Many will know the name Riber, if only for the Castle which crowns this great hill - a landmark some 850 feet above the sea.
But it is worth knowing for itself, for the charm of its old stone houses and its magnificent prospect, from Matlock at its feet to the hills beyond the Derwent. Close at hand the pretentious towers of Riber Castle lose whatever importance they have from afar. It is a great gaunt place, built in 1862 by John Smedley with the fortune he made out of his successful hydro at Matlock. Its ruined walls now enclose a popular fauna reserve, with many species of British animals and birds.
In the hamlet behind are the delightful 17th century Manor House and the gracious Elizabethan Hall, with the charm of gabled roof and mullioned windows, with a stone gateway in a balustraded wall, its round steps jutting on to the wayside. It was long the home of the Woolleys.
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