Women of Note

Exploring the correspondence of women who visited to take the waters, this tour contemplates the reasons why the women came here and how the changing social landscape of spas shaped their expectations of being cured. Mary Queen of Scots, Anna Seward, Ottoline Morrell and Anne Lister gave fascinating insights into the development of Buxton as a place of healing. The tour takes you around the historic centre of the lower town and inside the Old hall Hotel.

A History of Theatre

A tour through Lower Buxton telling the story of theatre in the town and the life of the actors and comedians who have graced its various stages from the 18th Century to the modern day. Leaving from the Opera House, we head along St John’s Road and Cavendish Circus to the Georgian back alleys along Spring Gardens. We return to the Opera House via the Crescent and Pavilion Gardens.

On the Medicinal Use of Buxton Waters

An indepth look at the properties of Buxton Water, instructions for its proper use and a history of bathing in the town. Once known as a cure for anything which may ail you, the waters were used for millenia to cure the sick. Are you a believer or a sceptic? This tour takes a short amble around the historic centre of the lower town. The route features steep inclines and steps, 1.75 to 2 hours.

Buxton: A Safe Haven in the Hills

Discover the stories of Buxton during wartime; a place of prison camps and medical care during WWI and bomb storage and evacuation during WWII. Visit the Devonshire Dome to hear the story of Vera Brittain who nursed there during the first world war and discover why Buxton was chosen as one of only 80 places in the UK to be honoured by the Association of Jewish Refugees.

The Three Dukes

The story of how the Cavendish family and Dukes of Devonshire shaped the town, particularly the different characters of the 5th, 6th and 7th Dukes, the arisocrat, collector and academic. This is a minimum 2-hour tour which features numerous steep inclines and steps and, as such, is not wheelchair accessible.

Common People

We often hear the stories of the wealthy that came to Buxton over the years but what of the people that served them? Join this tour which explores the social history of the people who built and served the town and whose homes and lives were hidden away behind the grand façade of Buxton’s architecture.

Spa & Empire

Take a stroll through the vastness of the British Empire recorded on the headstones of those who came to seek health in a small provincial spa town high in the Derbyshire hills. This walk will take you back to the 19th century when visitors flocked to take the waters. You will hear some of their family stories and the intimate lives of the citizens of Buxton often at a vulnerable time in their lives. A walk around St John’s and Manchester Road area, starting and ending at the Buxton Opera House. Route not wheelchair accessible: features uneven pavements, graveyard and a hill.

Church Matters

A history of spirituality and faith in Buxton and the stories of some of its churches and notable characters. This tour takes you to the impressive St John’s Church, through the centre of the lower town, up The Slopes and across the Market Place ending in the peaceful tranquility of St Anne’s Church.