Day Out to Buxton

Buxton Shops

We are off to Buxton today, an old Spa town founded by the Romans who called it Aquae Arnemetiae or Spa of the Goddess of the Grove, but it was the fifth Duke of Devonshire who put Buxton on the tourist map with development in the 1780s.

Inside the Dome

We got the train from New Mills station, a short walk from the canal.  Unfortunately the sun was not shining today, it was raining!  The train ride is very nice as you go up into the hills to the top, about 1000ft up and then it drops down to Buxton.  Usually the views are fantastic, but today it was a bit misty what with the rain but it was still a good train journey.

The Dome from the outside

Opera House

We got to Buxton and had a walk around lower Buxton first.  We went to the Devonshire Dome which is in the University of Derby’s Buxton Campus.  The Dome with a diameter of 46 metres, was built by Robert Rippon Duke in 1882 for the Royal Devonshire Hospital and sits on the original building by John Carr which housed the horses and servants of the guests of the Crescent Hotels.  It is really impressive inside and you can sit there while admiring it and have a coffee. 

The indoor Conservatory

We then went to have a look at the Opera House designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1903 and was restored in 1979.  Next to the Opera House is a conservatory with lots of flowers and plants and at the end of it is a shop and café.

St Anne's Church

We then decided to walk up the hill to Upper Buxton.  We had a look around there and then found St. Anne’s Church  which was built in 1625.  We had a look inside, it is a lovely old church.

Buxton Baths

We then walked back down to Lower Buxton and went for lunch in a Thai Restaurant.  It was really good.  When we got outside, it was still raining but not so heavy, so we had another look around the shops. 

Bath Chair

Inside the Old Baths

The old Buxton Baths is now a shopping arcade called Cavendish Arcade so we had a look around there.  There was a lovely chocolate shop called Charlottes so needless to say we had to go in and buy a few!  They still have the old tiles on the walls and in the centre is the old bath chair, but lucky for Kev it was only for show!

Footbridge at Station

We then got the train back to New Mills.  It had brightened up, so the views from the train were lovely.

We got back to the station where the footbridge over the track is a Grade II listed building and is of cast iron, it could do with a bit of a clean up though!  There are similar bridges at Furness Vale and Whaley Bridge stations.  They were built around 1880.

We walked back to the boat in the sunshine which was nice.  We are staying here tonight and also tomorrow as the forecast is not good again, then hopefully it will be dry on Sunday and we can go on a bit further.