It doesn’t seem long since we put the tram to bed for the winter and now we are almost ready to begin our second season.
The tram has been made ready by the indefatigable Keith and looks if possible even better. We are welcoming four new advertisers this year and we are thrilled that they have all been happy to abide by the Victorian feel not too difficult as most of them have been around since that time anyway!
When we travel very slowly up to Higher Buxton we pass close by the marvellous Scriveners whose advert we will be proudly displaying. It is perhaps the largest second-hand bookshop in Derbyshire and certainly one of the Guardian’s “10 best” in the country. They have over forty-thousand volumes spread across five floors, from pulp to antiquarian, with hundreds of children’s books and collectables. The building dates from 1890, the building was originally a shop with living accommodation. The cellar still houses the old kitchen range and stone sink. Here they have created a small Victorian museum, adding to the atmosphere of this five-storey building and preserving an important part of its history.
What I love to do is to pop in to browse their local history section particularly as they have a wonderful rocking chair just by there in which I can sit and dream new tours and discover new information to pass on to you, our passengers. They also offer bookbinding and old books, in whatever state, can be restored to their former glory by re-using as much of the original binding as possible. Alternatively they can make new covers to suit the style and age of the book.
Another important addition is the Buxton Civic Association. This is a registered charity established in 1967 to preserve the fine architecture of Buxton and its natural and formal landscapes, for the local community and all our visitors. Over time BCA have acquired the fine woodlands surrounding the town from Chatsworth Estates. Buxton was in fact an estate town for many centuries and the influence of the Dukes of Devonshire is something we love to show our passengers.
The upkeep of the two hundred acres of mature woodland remains one of the main tasks of the charity these days. The map you can see below shows the fantastic ring of trees walk a 10 mile/16km walk round Buxton passing through many of the woodlands which surround the town. You can join the walk at Pooles Cavern Visitor Centre and if you prefer the route can be completed as three shorter circular walks, each of about 3-4 miles/5-6km.
They also own Poole’s Cavern which we visit on the tour and where you can receive a 25% discount to the caves if you show your tram ticket. You can take a virtual cavern and visitor centre tour on Google Streetview however nothing compares to the real thing and you will be thrilled with a visitor show caves which have attracted people for many centuries. You will I assume be pleased to know that the tours are no longer carried out by candlelight as they were in Victorian times.
Our third new advertiser is The Charles Cotton Hotel in Hartington. When we launched Discover Buxton last year we called the tram The Wonder of the Peak in recognition of the famous book by Charles Cotton. In 1681 Charles Cotton of Beresford Hall and friend of the famous angler Izaac Walton, published his ‘Wonders of the Peak’, describing the same seven features admired by Hobbes earlier in the century. You will see two of the wonders on your trip with us and three if you count the tram!
For 400 years the hotel has been welcoming customers through its doors. There are very strong links with fishing, in particular, given that the hotel is named after one of the authors of The Compleat Angler, Charles Cotton, which he co-wrote with his very good friend Sir Izaak Walton. Cotton’s later years were unfortunately marred by financial difficulties, his income from his estates and writings being insufficient to support his life style and he had to sell Beresford Hall in 1681.He died in 1687 and is buried in St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London. There is a family pew in the small church at Alstonefield, Derbyshire and obviously this hotel proudly carries his name. As we proudly carry the advert for a thriving local business.
Our last, but by no means least, advertiser is the Duke in Burbage, Buxton. We are particularly pleased because it is our local hostelry and is no shirker in terms of a rich history itself. In the years around 1861 the people of Burbage were primarily employed in the local industries of limestone quarrying and coal excavation. There was much poor health and impoverishment in the area and the formation of the world famous Burbage band was one of a number of moves by more enlightened people to improve life for the people of the village.
The band has an unbroken history since 1861 and was formed as a village band, with the patronage of the Church and Duke of Devonshire, to teach music without charge, provide a healthy and constructive pastime, develop community spirit and entertain. The team and community spirit engendered among band members actually became so strong that during World War One, rather than disband as individuals were conscripted, all the members signed up and marched together to the Somme as a band. It is believed that the band members left from the Duke in Burbage and we hope later this year to honour that by offering some specially researched tours highlighting the role of Buxton in the First World War.
Looking forward to welcoming you all on board this new season starting daily from April 1 and the last two weekends in March
Netta and The Wonder of the Peak crew.