Matlock A6 Works

The project is funded by the government’s Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund to repair sections of the historic retaining walls along a 4-mile stretch of the A6, between Matlock and Whatstandwell.

Initial vegetation removal from the first section of the wall repair at Derwent Gardens, between Lovers Walk and Clifton Road, revealed that the wall had suffered additional damage following severe storms the previous year. This meant the structure was unstable and required urgent attention.

The work programme was revised, and the wall was carefully taken down. Additional traffic management was introduced at the site to maintain traffic flows along this busy and important route, with the town of Matlock Bath and local tourism venues close by.

A full redesign of the scheme was initiated, with the new design incorporating gabion baskets to enhance the stability of the wall.

The team removed the debris and installed the foundations for the gabion baskets.

As this wall forms part of a World Heritage site, the baskets were handmade by the QTS team, utilising stone from a local reclamation yard. This helped to reduce the carbon footprint and supported local businesses, while retaining the original appearance of the structure.

The gabions were filled and installed next to the wall, before the team carried out repointing, using lime mortar to ensure its heritage status was respected.