Day 115 - April 25th

Christopher invited us to go walking in the Peak District, so this afternoon we drove to Buxton. After settling into our Airbnb, which would be our base for the weekend, we headed into the town for a mooch.

Buxton is a thermal spa town and at 1000 feet above sea level holds the title of England's highest market town. Its location serves as a gateway to the Peak District National Park, although it is technically just outside the park's boundary.

Our first stop was St. Anne's Well, where we sampled the renowned 'Buxton Spring Water' and were quite surprised to find it was warm - 28ºC.

Opposite the well was the Grade 1 listed Georgian Crescent. It was built in the 1780's as a hotel to establish Buxton as a fashionable spa town. Restoration of the building was completed in 2020 and is now an 80-bedroom,5-star hotel incorporating the neighbouring Natural Mineral Baths with a state-of-the-art, thermal, natural mineral water wellness spa, six boutique shops and a restaurant.

Across town, we discovered the Buxton Opera House, a beautiful Edwardian theatre built in 1903. Interestingly, it was designed by the same architect who designed the London Palladium. Restored in 1979 and again more recently, it now hosts over 400 performances annually.

Next door to the Opera House were the Pavilion Gardens which date back to 1871. The impressive Pavilion Gardens Complex, originally the Winter Gardens, now houses a tearoom, ice-cream parlour, conservatory, arcade and bar. The Octagon Hall which was recently restored now houses a variety of fairs, auctions, concerts and events.

We enjoyed a brief wander through the gardens before grabbing something to eat.