Caretakers of the Past
In the 16th century, Buxton played host to many important members of the Elizabethan court and the reason was far more complex than simply coming to take the waters. For it was here, in what is now the Old Hall Hotel, where Mary Queen of Scots was kept under house arrest. A far more salubrious lodgings than many of the places she was kept for the 19 years of her captivity.
Mary was kept in what was then the New Hall, which was built for visitors and, as such, far better than the dreadful conditions of places like Tutbury or indeed Bolton Castle, where one of our tour guides once again inhabited the character of Mary and brought her to life just recently.
Here you can see Jane Collier as Mary in the atmospheric surroundings of Bolton Castle (photographs by Rachel Collier). A performance which one visitor described as “The acting, atmosphere and setting were perfect. The knowledge and passion of the actor playing Mary was exceptional.”
Mary was held at Bolton castle in 1569 for 6 months after being moved from Carlisle. She was then moved to Chatsworth where she stayed on and off until 1584 and it was from there that she petitioned Elizabeth I to allow her to come to Buxton to take the waters. Eventually Elizabeth relented and she first arrived here in 1573, just 31 years old but already with severe arthritic pains. Though, perhaps if it had not been for the pain, Mary might never have read Dr Jones’s book “The Benefit of the Ancient Bathes of Buckstones” and never have known the power of the Buxton waters.
The New Hall was a goodly one, four storey high, a beauty to behold, with a great chamber and lodgings to the number of 30. It was, she felt, austere and square but it was warm and she did not suffer the pains that so often cursed her body. There were six fireplaces, plentiful food, and the water, of course, pure. It was nevertheless her prison.
Jane Collier offers tours of the Old Hall as Mary Queen of Scots; however, she also brings extensive knowledge of her subject as the English branch Chair of the Marie Stuart Society. Formed in 1992 to mark the 450th anniversary of the birth of Mary, Queen of Scots at Linlithgow, the Marie Stuart Society promotes further study of her life and times through research, lectures, activities and publications. Places of particular importance in the story of the Queen of Scots are presented with small statues of Mary and the Old Hall was singled out as one of these places of significance.
The legacy then of the current owners of the Old Hall is indeed an important one. It has a special place in the history of our country and, as such as the caretakers of our past, we hope that they continue to keep Mary’s legacy alive for further generations to realise and recognise the importance of Buxton in her story.
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