One day Buxton itinerary: a guide to the top things to do and see in this charming spa town
- teamthomastravels
- 19 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Charming Buxton, Derbyshire, is the perfect base for exploring the Peak District. Rich with Georgian and Victorian architecture, adorable tea rooms and one of the finest limestone caves in England, travellers have been coming to Buxton for hundreds of years to enjoy the healing properties of its thermal waters, including Mary, Queen of Scots. The Romans called it Aquae Arnemetiae! Rebuilt as a fashionable Georgian spa town to rival Bath in the 18th century, the arrival of the railway in 1863 really put Buxton on the tourist trail. Today, it’s a wonderful place to spend a romantic outdoors-y weekend and a delightful day trip by train from Manchester.
A day in Buxton offers a lovely mix of natural beauty, historical charm, and cultural experiences, so whatever style of traveller you are, you’ll find so much to enjoy here. We’ve put together a suggested itinerary to make the most of your visit:
Morning:
Head to Buxton and Poole’s Cavern Country Park (about 25 minutes walk or a 5 minute drive out of town) where you can take a walk up through woodland to Solomon’s Temple, a stone tower located on Grin Low Hill. This Grade II listed Victorian folly was built in 1896 and sits atop a Bronze Age burial mound. You can climb an internal staircase to enjoy panoramic views back down into Buxton and the surrounding Peak District countryside.
If you’ve got your walking shoes on and time permitting, you can extend this walk into a gorgeous 7.2km circular route through hills and farmland. It’ll take around 2 hour 15 minutes and brings you back to the Poole’s Cavern car park – for full directions, search for Solomon’s Temple and Poole’s Cavern Circular on AllTrails. Otherwise, leave Solomon’s Temple and head back down the way you came.
Lunch:
The Poole’s Cavern cafe serves homemade soup, toasties and sandwiches, jacket potatoes, plus hot and cold drinks and an extensive vegan and gluten free menu. They also serve homemade cakes, but save your sweet tooth for later this afternoon...
Afternoon:
Discover fascinating Poole’s Cavern on the 1pm guided tour of this incredible limestone cave, full of impressive stalactites and stalagmites. If you’re not doing the longer circular walk, you could also do the 11am tour and visit the cave before lunch instead. Book your tickets online to guarantee a spot!
Head back into historic Buxton to explore its world famous Georgian and Victorian architecture. If you think the Crescent looks familiar, it’s supposed to! The Grade I listed building was the centrepiece of the fifth Duke of Devonshire’s transformation of Buxton into an elegant spa town to compete with Bath. It’s now a 5 star hotel, complete with thermal wellness spa! If you climb up the park opposite to the war memorial you’ll get a great view of the whole building.
Opposite the Crescent is the Grade II listed Pump Room, home to the Buxton Visitor Centre and gift shop, where you can read an interesting display about the town’s history of hydrotherapy, and you can even sample the water yourself - just outside the Pump Room is St Ann’s Well, a public water fountain renowned for its alleged healing qualities where you can fill your water bottle for free. It’s exactly the same mineral water bottled and sold by Nestle and comes out at a tepid 27 degrees.
Before moving on, don’t miss the Cavendish Arcade next to the Crescent– this former Victorian thermal baths is now a boutique shopping centre, full of independent shops. It still has its beautiful turquoise, white and pink tiles, an old thermal plunge pool and some information boards about the baths.
Tea and Cake:
Now walk round the corner to a handsome row of golden stone Georgian Houses opposite the Pavilion Gardens. You’ll pass the 16th century Old Hall Hotel where Mary Queen of Scots stayed under house arrest when she came to “take the waters” for her rheumatism.
Stop at No.6 The Square for a pot of tea and choose a big slice of their mouthwatering cakes. We tried a pistachio blondie and the raspberry and coconut cake. Both delicious and huge! If it’s sunny, try to get one of the tables outside for views of the Gardens and another of Buxton’s architectural gems, the lovely Edwardian Opera House.
Finish the afternoon with a leisurely stroll (or “constitutional” as the Victorians called it) through the beautiful Pavilion Gardens. These extensive Victorian-era landscaped gardens offer 23 acres of green space, with a conservatory of tropical plants, picnic areas, a tea room, miniature railway, boating lake and children’s play areas.
Dinner and drinks
Try a few half pints of something local at the Buxton Brewery and Taproom – not only is the range of drinks delicious, but the artwork on the cans is also gorgeous. We tried the Hatchet IPA, the Right to Roam best bitter (our favourite) and Gatekeeper, their porter. Food wise, the menu is full of naughty comfort food, from burgers to tacos, loaded mac n cheese and frickles – a side of crispy battered fried pickles with sweet chilli mayo!
NB the kitchen closes at 4:30 on Sundays
Alternatively, for more traditional English food, the Old Hall Hotel has a delicious a la carte menu, plus Fish Fridays and a roast dinner on Sundays, or for a real treat, book a table at the exquisite 1789 restaurant at the Buxton Crescent Hotel.
Evening:
Time permitting, check the programme at the Buxton Opera House and consider attending a performance. This historic theatre hosts a variety of shows throughout the year, including plays, musicals, and concerts. The 1789 restaurant offers a pre-theatre dinner service and the Buxton Brewery Tap House will give you 10% off your bill if you show tickets for that evening’s performance.
How to get to Buxton:
By car: Buxton is in Derbyshire, in the north west of England. You'll most likely be approaching on the M1 or M6 before cutting across on the smaller A roads.
Driving distances:
Manchester: 28 miles / 55 mins - 1 hour 20 mins
Sheffield: 27 miles / 50 mins - 1 hour 5 mins
Liverpool: 56 miles / 1 hour 20 - 2 hours
By train: Buxton is on the Buxton line, which connects with Manchester (1 hour) and Stockport (50 minutes). Peak time day returns cost between £10 and £13, which makes Buxton a very affordable day trip from Manchester if you're spending some time there!
From London it's about 3 hours from Euston Station, changing at Stockport.
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