The Crescent Buxton Derbyshire

The Crescent in Buxton, Derbyshire

The restored Crescent in Buxton in August 2022

The Crescent in Buxton does not compare in size or grandeur with its cousin the Royal Crescent in Bath but the buildings are of equal importance to the identity of this northern spa town.

History

The Duke of Devonshire of Chatsworth House fame built The Crescent between 1780 and 1789. The architect was the prolific John Carr (1723–1807), who had prisons, bridges, town halls, and even the Hospital de Santo António in Porto, northern Portugal on his impressive CV.

The building fenced off and awaiting redevelopment

At present, the Grade I-listed buildings are being restored with a grant from English Heritage and the plan is to find new uses for the interior. Interestingly, Carr’s original design included a post office, a hotel, various lodging houses, an Assembly Room, shops, and a public promenade.

The restoration has been subject to long and frequent delays but a Hotel and Spa are finally expected to open in 2020.

Update: Buxton Crescent opened in October 2020. Book the Ensana Buxton Crescent Hotel with Booking.com (Book the Ensana Buxton Crescent Hotel here).

Facilities include a restaurant, private parking, a fitness center, and a bar. Guests can choose from a buffet or à la carte breakfast options. The spa has a hot spring bath and a sauna.

Buxton’s first masked ball for 200 years took place in the Assembly Rooms in September 2022.

Information on the historic building

Nearby

Other attractions in Buxton a short walk from the Crescent include the St Ann’s Well. The Old Hall Hotel where Mary Queen of Scots was a famous guest is also close by.

The Pump Room reopened as Buxton Visitor Centre in 2019. It was here guests could pay a penny to take the waters in a genteel setting. The Pavilion Gardens, also a short walk away, has glass houses, a pleasant cafe, a bandstand, and a miniature train. Buxton Opera House & Pavilion Art Centre offers a year-round programme of entertainment.

A recommended second hand bookshop on the High Street is Scrivener’s Books & Bookbinding – voted in the top 10 second hand bookshops in the country by The Guardian.

The Crescent was built by the Duke of Devonshire of Chatsworth House fame between 1780 and 1789.

The Duke of Devonshire of Chatsworth House fame built The Crescent between 1780 and 1789

Access – Getting There

Buxton can be reached by train from Piccadilly Station and Stockport Station. The 199 bus also runs between Manchester Airport and Buxton via Stockport, Hazel Grove, High Lane, Disley, Furness Vale, Whaley Bridge, and Chapel-en-le-Frith.

By car drive south from Manchester and Stockport on the A6 past Lyme Park in Disley. Additionally, Sheffield is a 50-minute drive northwest on the A57.