A 2008 renewal of the High Tor grounds saw a one way system installed (by means of two signs) and otherwise, the path remains open to all. A very narrow path hugs the front of the limestone reef and an iron handrail was fixed as the only means to ensure you don’t fall down the vertical cliff face into the gorge. The Victorian’s seemed to enjoy opening tourist access to previously inaccessible areas and this is a fine example. One of the key attractions was a perilous walk along the front of a spectacular limestone reef. High Tor continued to be a tourist attraction when in 1879 the Matlock and High Tor Recreation Company leased the grounds from the Arkwright family and reopened the grounds in 1880 complete with new entrance from Matlock Bath and a refreshment building on the summit. These have now been closed due to modern health and safety.
Two abandoned lead mines - Fern and Roman 'Caves' - were opened as official visitor attractions. New walks and a carriage ride to the summit were created. This growing visitor pressure prompted the High Tor Grounds to be created and opened to the public by their owner Peter Arkwright (grandson of Sir Richard Arkwright, founder of the mills at nearby Cromford). Then in 1849 the railway arrived, bringing day trippers.
A growing number of visitors came to Matlock Bath during the 18th and early 19th centuries to sample the thermal waters, as first the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Wars raged in Europe.
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