Tucked away in the heart of the Peak District, Buxton is a spa town that combines grand architecture with natural beauty, underground wonders, and windswept hills. Despite the fact that we used to live only half an hour’s drive from here, we had never visited the town so decided to make the most of a recent weekend there meeting up with some friends. We stayed at the historic Palace Hotel and packed a lot in, returning home utterly exhausted – always a good sign of a great weekend away. 

Aside from being a central location that was easy to get to (which was ideal considering we were a group coming from all corners of the UK and overseas), Buxton offers everything from peaceful garden walks to a trek up the iconic Mam Tor. If you’re thinking about a Peak District getaway, Buxton is a gem – here’s how our visit panned out.

Staying at The Palace Hotel

Our base for the weekend was The Palace Hotel, a Victorian landmark perched at the top end of the town. Close to the railway station and a very short walk from the shops and cafes, it is an ideal base for the weekend. The one thing that strikes you as you walk up is the grandeur, clearly a remnant from a bygone age: high ceilings, old-world charm, and a sense of faded elegance that adds to the atmosphere rather than detracts from it. The views from the upper floors look out across the hills, and it’s just a short stroll down into the centre of Buxton.

The hotel is part of the Britannia group. We stayed in their sister hotel, The Grand, in Scarborough last year, and it had a very similar feel. The group seem to pitch at the budget end of the market with mass appeal through relatively cheap prices, and the place was pretty packed! This property probably wouldn’t still be operating if it wasn’t for a chain like this though, it’s large, it’s old, and you can imagine the problems that brings in terms of maintenance and just keeping the place running. The rooms are spacious and airy with high ceilings but the windows are old, cracked in some instances, and everything has that feel of harking back to a more gentile age. That said, the bedroom was very comfortable, with plenty of space, a small fridge, coffee machine, a sofa and even a small dining table. The main staircase is a work of art, with an enormous chandelier dangling over the cavernous space created by the well of the steps.

The hotel is large but despite its size, had a cosy feel, with comfortable sofas in the lobby and bar area. There’s a small spa (with an additional charge of £6 and an extra charge of £1 for a towel – it might be better if the towel was included). Suzanne tried out the spa and it wasn’t too busy to start with but soon filled up with families. There is only room for about six people in the steam room, and the sauna was even smaller, so it does get quite crowded. Disappointingly there wasn’t a hot tub, just a small swimming pool but that was big enough for a gentle swim and really refreshing after the sauna and steam. The building is obviously very old and as a result the changing rooms are a little quirky, especially for the Ladies where the entrance is up a small, narrow staircase and then down again into the changing rooms. 

The check-in staff were friendly and polite, but we found the staff in the breakfast restaurant rather brusque and not so helpful. Mind you, it was incredibly busy, and they were doing their best to process the crowd of people all trying to get seated at the same time. The coffee tasted like instant rather than ground, despite coming out of a fancy machine. On the plus side, there was a good choice of breakfast items with cooked (fried eggs, sausage, bacon, black pudding, hash browns, tomatoes, beans and mushrooms), fruit and yoghurts, breads and pastries, and plenty of it to set us up for a good walk. 

A Stroll Around the Crescent

Just down the hill from the hotel lies The Crescent, Buxton’s architectural jewel. This graceful Georgian building, once a luxurious spa retreat, has been beautifully restored and now houses the Buxton Crescent Hotel (rather more expensive than the Palace Hotel I’m afraid) and a visitor experience that tells the story of Buxton’s spa heritage. 

Even if you’re not staying in the hotel, it’s worth a leisurely walk around the area. The natural spring that feeds St. Ann’s Well flows here – don’t forget to bring a bottle to fill up with the famously pure water. The Crescent, with its arc of sand-coloured stone, is one of those places that makes you stop and take a breath – timeless and elegant. It is very similar to other spa towns such as Bath with that same graceful feel. It seems soothing just walking through the colonnade. 

All that exploring worked up a thirst, so we headed to the Buxton Brewery Tap House for a refreshing pint (or two) before looking for somewhere to eat. There is plenty of choice for restaurants in Buxton, it was one of the things that really impressed us. We ended up going for Greek on the Friday night at Ithaca just a few minutes walk from the Tap House and our hotel. The food was good, Nick had garlic prawns to start with followed by lamb shank; Suzanne had hummus and pitta bread to start with followed by sardines. Delicious!

Hiking Mam Tor and Descending the Broken Road

On the Saturday morning, we ventured out of Buxton proper and into the nearby hills to tackle Mam Tor, one of the Peak District’s most famous hikes. It’s about a 20-minute drive to the base near Castleton. There is a national trust car park at Mam Nick but there is also plenty of parking on the roadside if you take the minor road towards Blue John Cavern from Winnats Pass. The way up is obvious with a scar of well-trodden footpath leading from the parking areas.

The route we chose started with a fairly steep climb, the eroded footpath soon giving way to a staircase of limestone steps.  Suzanne had recollections of climbing this hill many years ago, at night, after a few drinks in the pub in Castleton, but this time we did it in the daylight and what a spectacular day it was. We were blessed with a crisp autumnal morning that quickly warmed and left us stripping down to our T-shirts in the sunshine as we steadily climbed upwards. It wasn’t long before we were on the top of Mam Tor with great views all around. 

Mam Tor is also known as the “Shivering Mountain” because of its unstable lower shale slopes which cause frequent landslides and which end up as small mounds leading to the name Mam Tor meaning ‘mother.’ At 517 metres above sea level, the summit offers panoramic views over Edale, the Hope Valley, and beyond. 

From the summit of Mam Tor we decided to continue along the ridge, towards Lose Hill. With an eye on the time and the need to get back to Buxton by early afternoon, we decided to turn around at the crags of Back Tor rather than go all the way to Lose Hill. We didn’t retrace our steps as we decided to descend via a smaller track, contouring around the mountain. Towards the bottom of this we realised that we had joined the Broken Road , an abandoned stretch of the old A625 that was destroyed by continual landslides in the 1970s. The tarmac is cracked, buckled, and split open, a surreal reminder of how Mother nature reclaims what she wants. It’s a short detour but incredibly atmospheric with the mass of Mam Tor looming overhead to the right.  

Buxton Pavilion Gardens & Botanical Beauty

After the hike, we headed back to Buxton for an afternoon of exploring the town. As we ambled away from the hotel we found ourselves at The Slopes, where there is a war memorial and a climatological weather station.  

From there we turned into the Pavilion Gardens. These Victorian gardens cover 23 acres and are incredibly well-kept, with winding paths, little bridges, and manicured lawns – delightful on a sunny afternoon. Inside the pavilion building there are craft stalls, shops and displays from its time as a spa. By this time we’d already had a bowl of soup for lunch so weren’t tempted by any of the delicious-looking cake shops, but we did think we’d better see if the ale being sold at The Buxton Brewery stand was as good as the Tap House the night before…. Yep, still as good.  

The Botanical Gardens section was a highlight, especially the glasshouses with exotic plants, and the serene atmosphere. Surprisingly it was not crowded even on a weekend, and it made a very pleasant walk back to the Palace Hotel for a bit of spa time before dinner at the tapas restaurant Santiago. 

Underground Adventures at Poole’s Cavern

We had a bit of a late start the next morning after the festivities of the night before, but once we had bade farewell to our friends, we descended underground. A short walk from the town centre (or a quick drive), Poole’s Cavern is a vast limestone cave system that has been attracting visitors since the 1600s. There were no guided tours on while we were there but the self-guided option is informative and easy to follow with a QR code to download the guide onto your phone. As you enter there’s a short film all about the cave and the intrepid cavers that explored and named the various areas. Then as you walk through you get that sense of awe as you pass through the eerie rock formations with names like the “Poached Egg Cavern” and the “Mary Queen of Scots’ Pillar.”

The temperature inside stays cool all year, so bring a jumper even if it’s warm outside. It’s also worth remembering that this cave was formed by water running through the rock, so don’t be surprised if you get a drip or two landing on your head! It’s an easy and accessible cave to explore — no squeezing through tight gaps or crawling on hands and knees — just big, echoing chambers and dramatic formations. It’s just one of many cave systems in this area including the more famous Blue John Cavern and Speedwell Cavern. 

On the way out we stopped to chat with Dr James Dilley, an experimental archaeologist and flintknapper who was giving a display about bronze age and stone age crafts. His knowledge was encyclopaedic about the tools and techniques that were used 5,000 years ago. 

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Final Thoughts:

Buxton is more than just a pretty spa town – it’s a gateway to adventure, history, and natural wonder. Whether you’re soaking up the Georgian elegance of The Crescent, exploring ancient caves, or standing on the windblown edge of Mam Tor, it has something for every kind of traveller. It’s also got a mind-blowing variety of restaurants with tastes from across the globe: Thai, Greek, Italian, Spanish….there seemed to be an endless choice of places to eat. There’s also an opera house offering theatre, music, comedy, and film shows and plenty of places to go for drinks and live music (hmmm, yes, we were dancing our socks off in the Queen’s Head until 1am).  

If you’re looking for a weekend that balances relaxation and exploration, I can’t recommend Buxton enough. Now we’ve discovered this Peak District gem, we’ll definitely be back. 

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