Buxton
The town of Buxton is perhaps best known by most people as being the home of the Buxton spa and the site of Buxton Mineral Water. The town lies in the East Midlands of England in the county of Derbyshire on the River Wye.
It is thought that Buxton was first really used by the Romans who called it Aquae Arnemetiae - the Spa of the Goddess by the Grove. Buxton does have some mentions through the following centuries. It is said, for example, that the wife of the Earl of Shrewsbury, Bess of Hardwick, had sent her husband to Buxton to take advantage of the spa waters in the 1560s. The Earl was at that point responsible for confining Mary Queen of Scots and the couple also took her to the town’s spa a few years later.
It wasn’t really until the 18th century when the town became to grow in prominence. At this time the Duke of Devonshire was responsible for the town and made some major developments in building the town. The ruling Duke at this time invested in the town to turn it into a spa town modelled on the larger town of Bath. It also saw a growth in fame and popularity as a place to visit in the 19th century when the Victorians of the time started visiting Buxton for its spa. Many people here would come to Buxton to ‘take the waters’ for their healing properties.
Buxton is a lovely town to wander around. Visitors should, for example, try to visit The Crescent which is a curved set of buildings based on the design of the Royal Crescent in Bath which was built in the 1780s. The original Pump Room where Victorians went to ‘take the waters’ stands opposite The Crescent. The town’s Natural Baths are sited on the original Roman Baths of the town. Now an arcade, the building is still worth a visit just to see the glass canopy which is reputed to be the biggest stained glass window in the country.
The Old Hall Hotel is also an interesting building. This hotel was originally owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury and Bess of Hardwick and the building that stands here dates back to the 1670s. Visitors to Buxton should also take the time to visit Poole’s Cavern. This is a cavern carved out of the local limestone rock by the River Wye and the site also has hundreds of chambers that can be seen when you visit. In the summer many visitors are also lucky enough to visit at the Well Dressing weekend where locals follow the regional traditions where they decorate the town wells.
Walkers will also like a visit to the folly which stands on Grinlow Hill (Grinlow Tower) and the Corbar Cross which stands on Corbar Hill at the opposite side of the town. The town is also host to the annual Buxton Festival, the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival and the Buxton Festival Fringe.
Links: