The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
In this constantly switched-on world, time to ourselves is a precious but essential part of well-being. But it is hard to truly unplug unless we are lucky enough to escape to the country on a luxurious spa break. Buxton in Derbyshire is one such place where you can do exactly that. Perched on the edge of the wild and rugged Peak District, is a pretty town with stone walls where you’ll find the lavish Buxton Crescent Hotel.
A thousand feet above sea level, Buxton is the highest town in England, well-known for its mineral-infused Buxton Water. Accessible from Macclesfield via the A537 road through the heart of the breathtaking peak, this is a well-known motorbiking route. You’ll not see a building in sight, save the Cat and Fiddle, the second-highest public house in Britain and the highest whisky distillery in the nation, until you reach Buxton, a town awash with Victorian and Georgian structures that look like they stepped off the pages of a Jane Austen novel.
Buxton Crescent is a wonderful Grade I-listed Georgian building, commissioned in 1779 by William Cavendish, the Fifth Duke of Devonshire. The building was designed by John Carr of York, and became one of England’s first purpose-made hotels a decade later. It was the home of the Duke and other aristocrats who lived in the adjoining fine lodgings and they met in the grand ballroom for entertainment. All the great and the good came from miles around to establish Buxton as a fashionable Georgian spa town to rival Bath.
Beneath the building are natural thermal springs and an underground reservoir that was first discovered by the Romans. They benefitted from the healing waters as early as AD 80. Since then, the baths were visited by the great and the good including Mary Queen of Scots, who suffered from severe rheumatism. Just across the street is the 16th Century St Ann’s Well which provides potable hot spring water. Visitors can fill up their bottles with Buxton Water and the wall itself was called a “wonder” by famous philosopher Thomas Hobbes, and by poet, Charles Cotton. It has been a pagan shrine surrounding the cult of St. Anne and then came to belong to a chapel which was closed by Thomas Cromwell during Henry VIIIth’s reign. Rising behind the well are The Slopes pleasure gardens, where the Victorian gentry once walked.
The hotel reopened in late 2020 after a £80 million refurbishment. Seventeen years in the making, the result was a state-of-the-art hotel and modern health spa, now one of the most sought-after in the country. As guests walk into the lobby, they may notice nods to the area’s history, from the original 18th-century wooden spa bath in the lobby to a display of blue and white porcelain plates by local craftsman Josiah Wedgwood. Opulence abounds. Guests are in for a very luxurious stay. It is one of the first UK hotels from the Ensana Group and features 81 bedrooms and suites, a modern British restaurant and a spa with eight treatment rooms and three pools.
For guests staying in the 11 luxurious suites, no luxury is spared. With a spacious grand living area featuring high ceilings with a grand chandelier, one can sit down on the sofa and kick their boots off. On the huge TV screen is a personal welcome message and on the table is a plate of chocolate treats. In the hallway is a gorgeous freestanding roll-top tub bath in the hallway, perfect for a long and luxurious soak. There’s also a private ensuite bathroom with a walk-in rainfall shower and lavish Penhaligon toiletries. The bedroom features a four-poster bed piled high with pillows and there’s a huge wardrobe to hang your clothes.
There’s also a kettle and tea and coffee along with snacks and a mini fridge to chill your champagne. The TV in the bedroom is set to a motion picture of a flickering flame, but when guests switch on the remote they can find music to help them get ready. Worker bees can hook up their phones and laptops for free Wi-Fi, however, this is a place where you come to unplug from technology and time is much better spent gazing out of the window for incredible views of the pleasure gardens. Despite being an old residence it is extremely warm and cosy and the beds guarantee a good night’s sleep.
For guests arriving at lunchtime, there’s a bar where guests can enjoy a la carte food served in elegant surroundings. As guests sit down and wait to order they’ll notice the quirky wallpaper by avant-garde designer Moooi, which strikes a nice contrast against the forest green and cream backdrop. Guests sit on a red Chesterfield sofa or a tall wingback chair as the waiter hands them the wine list.
For something different try the white Rioja. There’s plenty of choice on the menu from salads to delicious smoked salmon. These are wonderful light bites before the spa treatment. In the evening, the main restaurant is a great place to enjoy a three-course al a carte meal. The market menu features a great selection. The mushroom and truffle velouté, was creamy and comforting and was followed by a stone bass on a filling cauliflower risotto accompanied by crab and lemon butter and bread. For dessert, it was hard to choose between the Cluizel Chocolate Cremaux with a passion fruit sorbet and honeycomb and the salted caramel cheesecake with dulce de leche and banana ice cream. Overall the food was exquisitely presented and delicious and we also enjoyed a bottle of wine.
The ambience was very welcoming and the surroundings were elegant, and we retired to the bar to finish off our bottle of wine and have a peppermint tea to help with digestion. The waiters were attentive and knowledgeable about the food and it was a wonderful dining experience. For breakfast the next morning there is a wonderful buffet with a cooked breakfast stand as well as delicious tempting pastries and cold-pressed juices, cereals and yoghurts.
From the moment visitors walk into the spa waiting area, they’ll feel instantly relaxed. As they sink into the loungers, they’ll be lulled into a blissful trance by a combination of whale music and the bewitching flames, ready for their treatments. There’s so much choice and the spa has exclusive treatments, including a therapeutic Thermal Mud Pack, sourced from Lake Heviz in Hungary. It contains concentrated levels of minerals, heated to 40 degrees to aid aching joints.
There’s also a signature Wave Balance on the water couch which is a cocooning massage performed on a warm waterbed. This treatment uses therapeutic rhythms to increase flexibility in muscles and joints. Meanwhile, the CO2 Buxton Mineral Bath is filled with Buxton thermal mineral water and CO2 gas for healing benefits and there’s also an underwater jet massage, a great alternative to a deep muscle massage, with the added benefit of water to help reduce tension in the muscles. While traditional massages also seek to iron out any niggling aches and pains and leave guests feeling refreshed and revitalised.
The spa area spans three floors and offers a wide range of treatments, plus relaxing spaces including a bio-thermal sauna combining steam and traditional sauna, Co2 Mineral Baths filled with Buxton mineral water, an Aroma Steam Room and a Salt Cave. On the rooftop, there is an LED-lit relaxation pool where one can swim out onto the rooftop to a thermal bath. Choose from three saunas an infrared, biothermal and Finnish one and there’s also a steam room and aromatherapy chamber. For those wanting to drift off for a while. The salt cave is an excellent spot where one can enjoy the healing powers of Himalayan salt as they lie on a heated bed, and then cool off at the ice tower. However, the main draw is the refurbished Victorian thermal pool filled with heated Buxton mineral water which is said to have healing powers, just thirty minutes of immersion will soothe aches and pains and one can drift off into blissful relaxation as they gaze up at the stained glass ceiling like many visitors over the years, marvelling at the rich heritage of this incredible building.
When it comes to entertainment, this stunning arc-shaped hotel is right at the heart of the action, yet retains the air of a countryside retreat. It is next door to the Buxton Opera House – one of the finest examples of Frank Matcham theatre design, offering a year-round programme of entertainment. There’s also the Pavilion Gardens, a beautiful historic venue dating back to 1871 which superbly shows off the Victorian splendour of Buxton. While in town you have to also pay a visit to the Forest Distillery, an award-winning forest gin distillery and bar and Poole’s Cavern – where you can explore the vast limestone caverns and see how crystal stalactites have lined the chambers over millions of years.
Other nearby attractions include: Chatsworth House, a stately home to the Devonshire family, passed down through 16 generations, with over 25 rooms including the Painted Hall, State Rooms, Sculpture Gallery. Alternatively, there’s Bakewell town (famous as the home of Bakewell Pudding) or the pretty village of Ashford-in-the-Water.
One thing is for sure every aspect of your stay is designed to help you unwind. With a lot of hype around its grand opening, Buxton Crescent is one of the finest hotels in the country and it certainly delivered an exceptional experience when it came to staying here. The opulence of the hotel and its interior makes guests feel as though they are on the set of Bridgerton, surrounded by wonderful scenery. Buxton Crescent has all the key ingredients for a perfect girlie spa break or a Mother’s Day escape. There’s an endless array of spa treatments and healing waters designed to make tired mums feel brand new. With, bubbles and afternoon tea to allow for precious ‘me time’. The hotel also has large spaces to unwind in so caters for families with dog-friendly rooms, so it can be the ideal base for some epic adventures in the surrounding Peak District.
