Sights in Peak District
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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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Peveril Castle
Topping the ridge to the south of Castleton, this evocative castle has been so ravaged by the centuries that it almost looks like a crag itself. Constructed by William Peveril, son of William the Conqueror, the castle was used as a hunting lodge by Henry II, King John and Henry III, and the crumbling ruins offer swooping views over the Hope Valley.
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Bridges
A stroll from Rutland Sq down Bridge St brings you - not surprisingly - to the pretty medieval bridge over the River Wye, from where riverside walks lead in both directions. Go upstream through the water meadows, and then along Holme Lane to reach Holme Bridge, an ancient stone structure used by Peak District packhorses for centuries.
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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 equally flamboyant Pavilion Gardens, dotted with domed pavilions. The main building contains a tropical greenhouse, a nostalgic cafe and the tourist office. Beware of getting lost in the unlit gardens after dark.
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Speedwell Cavern
Claustrophobics should steer clear of Speedwell Cavern , which includes a unique boat trip through a flooded mineshaft, where visitors glide in eerie silence (save for the garrulous guides) to reach a huge subterranean lake called the Bottomless Pit.
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Peak Cavern
The most convenient, Peak Cavern , is easily reached by a pretty streamside walk from the village centre. It has the largest natural cave entrance in England, known (not so prettily) as the Devil's Arse. Visits are by hourly guided tour only.
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St Ann's Well
Modern day health tourists queue up to fill plastic bottles from a small spout known as St Ann's Well. Climbing the green terraces of the Slopes provides the definitive view over Buxton's grand Victorian rooftops.
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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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All Saints Church
Up on the hill above Rutland Sq, All Saints Church is packed with ancient features, including a 14th-century font, a pair of Norman arches, some fine heraldic tombs and a collection of crude stone gravestones and crosses dating back to the 12th century.
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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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Blue John Cavern
Blue John Cavern is an impressive set of natural caverns, where the rich veins of the Blue John mineral are dazzling. You can get here on foot up the closed section of the Mam Tor road.
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Treak Cliff Cavern
Treak Cliff Cavern is a short walk from Castleton, with colourful exposed seams of Blue John and great limestone stalactites including the much-photographed ‘stork'.
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Old House Museum
Set in a time-worn stone house near All Saints Church, the Old House Museum explores local history. Check out the Tudor loo and the displays on wattle and daub, a traditional technique for building walls using woven twigs and cow dung.
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market
Bakewell's weekly market is on Monday, when the square behind the tourist office is very lively.
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Spirit of the 1940s
Near the Old House Museum, its 2012-opened Spirit of the 1940s museum incorporates an evocative '40s street scene, letters and photographs, and wartime memorabilia.
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Pump Room
At the base of the Slopes is the Pump Room (to be turned into tearooms in 2014), which dispensed Buxton's spring water for nearly a century.
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Opera House
Buxton's flamboyant, turreted Victorian Opera House is the town's most famous building. It hosts an impressive variety of stage shows
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Devonshire Dome
A glorious piece of Victoriana, the Devonshire Dome contains part of the campus of the University of Derby and an opulent spa offering a full range of pampering treatments.
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Buxton Baths
In Victorian times, spa activities 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. It's expected to re-open in 2014 as a five-star hotel and spa.
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Treak Cliff Cavern
A short walk across the fields from Speedwell Cavern, Treak Cliff is notable for its forest of stalactites and exposed seams of colourful Blue John Stone, which is still mined to supply the jewellery trade. Tours focus on the history of mining; kids can polish their own Blue John Stone during school holidays.
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Speedwell Cavern
About half a mile west of Castleton at the mouth of Winnats Pass, this claustrophobe's nightmare is reached via an eerie boat ride through flooded tunnels, emerging by a huge subterranean lake called the BottomÂless Pit. New chambers are discovered here all the time by potholing expeditions.
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Peak Cavern
Castleton's most convenient cave is is easily reached by a pretty stream-side walk from the village centre. It has the largest natural cave entrance in England, known (not so prettily) as the Devil's Arse. Dramatic limestone formations are lit with fibre-optic cables.
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Blue John Cavern
Up the side of Mam Tor, Blue John is a maze of natural caverns with rich seams of Blue John Stone that are still mined every winter. You can get here on foot up the closed section of the Mam Tor road.
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Eyam Parish Church
Many of the plague victims were buried at Eyam's church. You can view stained-glass panels and moving displays telling the story of the outbreak. The churchyard contains a Celtic cross carved in the 8th century.
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