Once you have discovered Buxton you will be transported back to a past with the buildings and architecture still standing proud from years before. Affectionately called the Capital of the High Peak, it is also the highest town in the whole of England and the air and water here are most definitely healthy. While you are here, you will uncover a truly beautiful spa town in the very heart of the Peak District, a mix of traditional and contemporary, a rich history, and a wealth of shops, parks and amenities, which any visitor to Derbyshire would dream to discover.
It’s not hard to imagine horse and carriages trotting up Terrace Road long ago and it’s very easy to go back in time as you wander through the nooks and crannies, the alleys and the parks. With caverns and tunnels, gardens and green spaces, Buxton is a major attraction which draws people from all over the UK and the world to its delights.
The Pavilion Gardens should be visited while you are here. It’s a magnificent park with 23 acres of manicured gardens to explore and it has its very own boating lake, paddling pools, a putting greens and the bandstand. The quaint miniature railway is a must for the children. Why not enjoy a shaded walk beneath the old mature trees, enjoying the colourful borders full to bursting with a rainbow coloured carpet of bedding plants throughout all seasons?
Buxton is quite unique looking as far as Peak District villages go and is famous for its baths and water. Visited by royalty over the years, Buxton boasts hotels fit for a king, and is full to bursting with Peak District cottages to rent for a short break, bed and breakfasts to be pampered at the weekends, and campsites nearby, which offer a great base to explore the rest of the glorious Peak District and sample the stunning scenery all around. It’s the town that forms the boundary between the limestone and the grit stone, dividing the White Peak with the Dark Peak. The crystal clear River Wye wanders through a gorge nearby and flows underneath the town, popping up here and there with warm springs, providing a place of pilgrimage in the past.
The centrepiece for the town has to be the very photogenic Crescent, a magnificent sight to behold. The Opera House has been restored to its original Victorian splendour and hosts a very full diary of musical events and operas throughout the year. With a very bustling nightlife, Buxton certainly provides the tourist and the locals with something to do each day, and a spectacular festival, which is the largest ‘fringe’ style festival in England, takes place as an annual event.
Shopping in Buxton around the shopping arcade built over the River and just off Spring Gardens where there are shops galore, bars and cafes which litter the town. The specialist designer boutiques and old favourites such as Marks & Spencer and Waitrose, there is also a vibrant mix of fashion, second-hand bookshops, antiques and craft shops which will provide so many places to buy presents for those special people in your life.
The Museum and Art Gallery highlights the history of the town, and the market place is always busy.