This post features: Buxton, Chesterfield, Derby, Bakewell and Matlock
Buxton
Georgian and Victorian Splendour:
The Crescent was built by the fifth Duke of Devonshire in the 1780s as a centrepiece to establish Buxton as a fashionable Georgian spa townThe Crescent is now a hotel…The Devonshire Dome was originally built as ‘The Great Stables’ in 1779 by John Carr of York for the 5th Duke of Devonshire. It provided facilities for up to 120 horses and accommodation for the servants and ostlers of those staying in the The Crescent. In the 1850s, the Duke was persuaded by the Buxton Bath Charity to give over part of the building for a charity hospital for the ‘sick poor’ coming to Buxton for its water cure. In the late 1870s, the whole building was given for the hospital and the stables were located elsewhere. Architect Robert Rippon Duke, who was tasked with the conversion, added the dome in 1880. Measuring over 150 feet in diameter, it was then the largest unsupported dome of its type in the world: it still is the largest in Europe… Buxton Opera House opened in June 1903 and restored to its former glory in 2001…The Parish Church of St John the Baptist was built by the 5th Duke of Devonshire who, in 1811, petitioned the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield for powers to build a new church; these were granted and it became the Duke’s final benefaction to the town… The church was closed at the time of my visit, which was unhelpful – so, I’ve taken this poor photo from the Internet…Opened in 1867 as the Buxton Hotel it soon went into administration and reopened in May 1868 as the Palace Hotel
The Town:
Buxton’s grade II listed Town Hall was built in 1889 as a replacement for the former market hall on the same site, which burnt down in 1885 less than 30 years after completion. Designed by William Pollard of Manchester, the Town Hall originally housed a grand ballroom, an arcade of shops, and a public library.The Market SquareThe museum closed in June 2023 after assessments revealed structural issues caused by dry rot, making parts of the historic building potentially unsafe. The Museum & Galley has a temporary home in the library, apparently…
Pubs:
Hyde’s Anvil Ales in the Market SquareThe Cheshire Cheese is a Titanic Brewery pubRed Willow Brewery has a pub in the town centre
Chesterfield
St Mary and All Saints:
A picture of the crooked spire of St Mary and All Saints Church, Chesterfield taken from a train…St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield is the largest church in Derbyshire. Completed in 1360, the church is famous for its spire, which is 228 feet high (69.5m) and leans 9’5” (2.9m) from its centre…It is thought that the spire twisted as unseasoned wood was used in the construction and as the wood dried out the 32 tons of lead covering caused it to twist. See: https://derbyshireheritage.co.uk/…/chesterfield…/The tower is sometimes open for guided tours – but not on the day of my visit…
The Town Centre:
This is the Victoria Centre in the intriguingly named Knifesmithgate – this block was built in the 1920’s on the site of the old Victoria Foundry that was built in 1860…The Victoria Centre – see: http://www.chesterfieldcivicsociety.org.uk/…/a-short…/The Portland Hotel was built in 1899 to serve the market place railway station – the railway ran through Lord Portland’s land – the station finally closed in 1957This building dates from around 1500This sweet little building is attached to The Royal Oak – which dates from the 12th century and was associated with the Knights Templar…The Royal Oak is Chesterfield’s oldest pubThe market hall opened in 1857Chesterfield’s modest town hall was completed in 1938…This colourful pub was built in 1912 and replaced an 18th century pub…The Stephenson Memorial Hall dates from 1879 and houses a theatre as well as the museum – which is closed on Wednesday
Derby
Photos from my visits in September 2014 and September 2023…
Churches:
The Cathedral:
Derby Cathedral of All Saints in the foreground – St Michael’s in the middle and St Mary’s in the background – St Peter’s behind us
The Silk Mill, founded in 1721, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it is regarded as the world’s first modern factory RB211 engine on display at the Silk Mill Museum. The fantastic model railwayIntriguing collections and displays
City Streets:
Derby would have been a very grand town in its day but how long ago was that…
Buildings of Interest:
The Grade II listed Guildhall was built in 1828 and served as Derby’s Town Hall until 1949. The Council converted the building into a theatre, opening in 1975.The indoor market is very good…The former Derby and Derbyshire Bank in the CornmarketThis opened as a Boots the Chemist in 1912 and designed in the Arts and Crafts style. It is Grade II listed and was refurbished in 2019. The statues are by Morley Horder and represent people with strong Derby connections: John Lombe co-founder of the Derby Silk Mill; cotton mill owner Jedidiah Strutt; poet and historian William Hutton and Florence Nightingale. Derby is a curious place A former Co Op department store that opened in 1938 and closed in 2013This Art Deco building opened in 1934 as the Gaumont Cinema
Derby In Decay:
Parts of the city centre are quite tatty John Flamsteed FRS inherited this house in 1688 – he was the first Astronomer Royal and ran the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. He catalogued the stars in 1725 with unprecedented accuracy and in 1729 created celestial charts, which were published after his death. From 1793-97 the Enlightenment Artist, Joseph Wright, lived here… A passer by stopped to talk to me as I was photographing this building. He told me that it was recently being used as a squat and that the squatters looked after the building. They were evicted and the building left to decay…
Pubs:
The Dolphin Inn is Derby’s oldest pub, dating back to 1530. The pub has remained remarkably unspoilt, with 16th century beams, heavy stone flooring, wood panelling and etched leaded windows.The Dolphin Inn dates from 1530 Colourful mural on the wall of the Silk Mill Ale & Cider House Lunch at the Ale & Cider House then… Somewhat improbably The Standing Order and the Thomas Leaper are both Wetherspoon pubs – the Thomas Leaper had closed on my visit in September 2023
Bakewell
All Saints Church:
Although parts of the church date from 1110, the church was largely rebuilt in the 1840sIn the chapel, known as the Newark, there are alabaster tombs dating from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, monuments to members of the local Vernon and Manners families.A view over the town
The Town:
The Old House Museum was built during the reign of Henry VIII and was originally a tax collector’s cottage. In 1777 Richard Arkwright – founder of the modern factory system – divided the Old House into five cottages for workers at the mill. By the 1950s the cottages were condemned as unfit for human habitation. Scheduled for demolition, the house was saved by the Bakewell & District Historical Society who converted the house to its current use.
The River Wye:
Matlock
The station is shared by the Peak Rail heritage line and National RailHall Leys ParkThe River Derwent
