Lea Gardens, on a wooded hillside near Matlock, is at its best in spring and early summer when the rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmias flower — several hundred varieties, gathered from around the world. The core collection was planted by John Marsden-Smedley of the Lea knitwear firm, who died in 1959; the garden sits on the remains of a medieval millstone quarry and runs to about four acres. Cromford station is a couple of kilometres to the east.
© Bill Boaden / Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
