Sights in Buxton
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Poole's Cavern
Poole's Cavern is a magnificent natural limestone cavern, about a mile from central Buxton. Guides take you deep underground to see an impressive formation of stalactites (the ones that hang down) - including one of England's longest - and distinctive 'poached egg' formation stalagmites.
From the cave car park, a 20-minute walk leads up through Grin Low Wood to Solomon's Temple, a small tower with fine views over the town and surrounding Peak District.
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Slopes
Opposite the Crescent, a small park called the Slopes rises steeply in a series of grassy terraces. From the top there are views over the centre and across to the grand old Palace Hotel and the former Devonshire Hospital, with its magnificent dome. It is now part of the University of Derby.
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Pavilion Gardens
Next to the Opera House is the Pavilion, an impressive palace of glass and cast iron built in 1871, which overlooks the impeccably manicured Pavilion Gardens. Skirting the gardens, the grand, pedestrian Broad Walk promenade is the perfect place for a gentle evening stroll.
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St Ann's Well
Just outside the Pump Room is St Ann's Well, a fountain from which Buxton's famous thermal waters still flow - and where a regular procession of tourists queue to fill plastic bottles and slake their thirst with the liquid's 'curative' power.
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E
Cavendish Arcade
Just east of the Crescent is Cavendish Arcade, formerly a thermal bathhouse (you can still see the chair used for lowering the infirm into the restorative waters) with several craft and book shops, and a striking coloured-glass ceiling.
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Natural Mineral Baths
On the other side of the Crescent, the tourist office is in the old Natural Mineral Baths, where you can still see the source of the mineral water, now Buxton's most famous export. A small display tells the full story.
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Crescent
Another impressive Buxton construction, the graceful curved terrace of the Crescent - reminiscent of the Royal Crescent in Bath - is waiting its turn for regeneration. A luxury hotel complex is imminent.
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Buxton Spa
In Victorian times, spa activities were centred on the extravagant Buxton Baths complex, built in grand Regency style in 1854. The various bath buildings are fronted by a grand, curving facade, known as the Crescent, inspired by the Royal Crescent in Bath. Today it sits empty, awaiting a developer with enough money to restore the town spa. For a taste of what the baths looked like in their heyday, pop around the corner to Cavendish Arcade, whose walls retain their original eggshell-blue art-deco tiles.
Across from the Crescent at the base of the Slopes is the empty Pump Room, which dispensed Buxton's spring water for nearly a century. Modern day health-tourists queue up to…
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Buxton Museum & Art Gallery
Just downhill from the Town Hall in a handsome Victorian building, the town museum displays local historical bric-a-brac and curiosities from Castleton's Victorian-era 'House of Wonders', including Harry Houdini's handcuffs.
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