Buxton has long been a place of hospitality providing comfortable hotels and lodging houses for the many visitors who flocked to the town, often to seek a cure for their ailments afforded by the thermal spa waters. The added bonus of the geographical position of the town and the beautiful landscape in which the town nestles all add to the attraction of the place. It is this seeking of health which draws people to the town and one of these was Barry Parker, a famed architect, who came here to look after his ailing father. Parker set up a practice and was soon joined by his second cousin Raymond Unwin ,together they were responsible for many fine examples of arts and crafts houses in the town.
The Alison Park is a pastiche of this style of house and was the very height of fashion when it was built as a gentleman’s residence in 1904.Soon it was taking in visitors ,many of them long term,often staying for months to take the Buxton cure. By 1937 it contained 2 service flats ,as well as hotel bedrooms and boasted perpetual hot water !!
During the Second World War Buxton was known as a safe area and the town received many evacuees. Many of the smaller hotels were taken over and it is likely that the Alison was used as such for some of the war years.
When the Noon family took over in 1957 Buxton was building up a reputation as a conference centre and the hotel offered comfortable accommodation to conference guests.Over the years the hotel built up an enviable reputation and when the two younger members of the Noon family, firstly David and his wife and then daughter Sara and her husband and family joined the business the future looked very promising. Times though change and none more so than in the challenging world of hospitality and eventually the hotel decided to call it a day. Unfortunately the current pandemic is particularly challenging with many accommodation providers in the town struggling with the economic impact of fewer visitors. As one hotel though closes its doors hopefully the long awaited Crescent Hotel will open its doors..