Why Buxton Should Be Your Next Breakaway
Buxton is England's highest market town
EXPLORE
In the centre of the Peak District, and surrounded on three sides by the UK’s oldest National Park, Buxton has world-famous Georgian and Victorian architecture, the stunning ornamental Pavilion Gardens and is home to a host of cultural events. There is much of historical interest thanks to the healing properties of its famous thermal spa waters which date back to Roman times. Captive Mary Queen of Scots stayed in the Elizabethan Talbot Tower to take the water cure in Buxton and the Natural Mineral Baths evolved over many centuries. The current building was constructed in 1853 and is now home to Esana Wellness spa. But its not just about the spa. In 1636, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes named the ‘Seven Wonders of the Peak’, two of which are found in Buxton (Poole’s Cavern and St Anne’s Well), and Buxton is ideally placed as a base for exploring the National Park.
STAY
The famous, five star Buxton Crescent Hotel is the reincarnation of two, once-upon-a-time grand and gracious hotels, well known throughout Georgian England, where the luxurious spa offers a wide range of treatments. The Old Hall Hotel dates back to 1573, built with the sanction of Queen Elizabeth I to provide accommodation for Mary Queen of Scots who was under house arrest. In the centre of Buxton, the bedrooms are sympathetically furnished in keeping with the age of the building. The Roseleigh is an outstanding B&B just five minute’s walk from the Opera House, and nearby Biggin Hall Hotel is a popular Grade II-listed 17th century hotel with an AA Rosette restaurant sitting in eight acres of beautiful grounds.
DON’T MISS
The amazing architecture. The magnificent Georgian Crescent, recently restored, was built in the 1780s by the 5th Duke of Devonshire. The then-largest unsupported dome in the world, now known as the Devonshire Dome, was added to the Great Stables in 1880 and the stunning Buxton Opera House, designed by Frank Matcham, was opened in 1903. Poole’s Cavern, a two-million-year-old natural limestone cave, contains the largest stalactite in Derbyshire – the ‘Flitch of Bacon’. At more than two metres long and more than 100,000 years old it’s a must-see when you are here.
NEARBY
The magnificent Chatsworth Estate is only half an hour’s drive from Buxton. Home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family, Chatsworth is a spectacular place to visit. Recently renovated, it is renowned for its art, landscape, gardens, farmyard, adventure playground and farm shop. Book a tour to get a better understanding of the grand scale of the house.
