‘A high-class hotel with heritage’: The Buxton Crescent Spa

Surrounded by rolling hills and the luscious green landscape of the Peak District sits the town of Buxton. 

Right on the cusp of the National Park, this sleepy spa town is famous for its natural, mineral-rich thermal springs - in fact, the Romans loved them so much that they gave Buxton its own special title when they settled here in 75AD; ‘Aquae Arnemetiae’, named after the goddess Arnemetia.

Fast forward nearly 2,000 years to today and you’ll notice that the town has moved with the times whilst still retaining its historic charm. 

Plenty of businesses in the town centre choose to keep their signage and hoardings in keeping with that of the grand Georgian and Victorian architecture that scatters Buxton; none grander or more imposing than The Crescent - a curved giant of a building that takes up an entire square’s-worth of land. 

Originally built for William Cavendish, the Fifth Duke of Devonshire, The Crescent faces St Ann’s Well, where warm spring water has flowed for thousands of years.

The Crescent came as part of Cavendish’s campaign to establish Buxton as a fashionable Georgian spa town, which it has continued to do successfully since 1789. 

A number of decades and an £80m restoration later, today, The Crescent has been reincarnated as Buxton Crescent Spa Hotel; a luxury five-star destination 17 years in the making. Boasting 81 bedrooms and suites alongside a modern British restaurant and the all-important spa with eight treatment rooms and three pools - including an indoor-to-outdoor rooftop pool and a refurbished Victorian thermal pool filled with heated Buxton mineral water. 

The hotel entrance sits slightly to the left of the arch-shaped building as you look at it from the aptly-named park and war memorial garden ‘The Slopes’. Follow the arch round from the crossing and you’ll probably be greeted by a row of flashy cars parked in front of the fountains. 

Unfortunately, my salary as a Journalist doesn’t quite cover the cost of a baby blue Lamborghini, so I opted for Northern Rail instead; hop on the train at Manchester Piccadilly, sit back and watch as urban skylines turn to rugged, rural scenery - it’ll take you just over an hour to reach. 

Walking into the hotel, my partner and I were met by a grandiose entrance hall with chandeliers, high back armchairs, tiled floors and doorways veering off in all directions leading to equally impressive-looking rooms. In the middle sat two reception desks, complete with two beaming members of the reception team ready to greet us and check us in. 

We followed one of the long corridors down to a golden lift and made our way to Room 216; a generously-sized suite, complete with its own sitting room and work area, bathroom with rainfall shower and separate freestanding bath, and bedroom with a large four poster bed - so large that it needed three plump pillows across to fill it. 

Known as the ‘Crescent Suite’, this room comes with original features like the fireplaces in both the bedroom and living space as well as stunning views of The Slopes, making for a great place to look out as you enjoy a brew in the morning. 

Speaking of brews, the refreshments station is well-stocked also, with top quality teas and Meredith & Drew biscuits and flapjacks for dunking. 

Penhaligon’s toiletries are available throughout the suite (and the hotel as a whole I came to find), offering an extra touch of elegance alongside all the other mod-cons you’d expect from a five star abode; flatscreen TVs, USB sockets, minibar, blackout curtains, robe and slippers, and so on. 

After taking a moment to settle in, we donned our swimwear, robes and slippers before heading down to the spa to check out the facilities. 

Those looking to indulge in the ultimate weekend of relaxation will be able to do just that here as there's more than enough spaces to unwind in, from the rooftop pool to a range of saunas, steam rooms and a thermal pool filled with Buxton mineral water, complete with a beautiful original Victorian stained glass ceiling to gaze at as you bathe. 

After taking turns soaking in each of the pools (including the relaxation pool which features a starry midnight display), we decided to shake off that city air and clear our lungs in the Aroma Steam Room and Salt Cave until it was time for our pre-booked treatment. 

We both opted for the 50-minute Himalayan salt massage; a soothing and exfoliating treatment that uses heated stones of Himalayan salt designed to alleviate muscle tension as well as reduce stress and anxiety. 

After targeting the muscles, the therapist applied a body scrub made of Himalayan salt crystals combined with aromatic oils and gently buffed away, helping to stimulate the metabolism and remove toxins from the skin. Finally, once the salt had all been washed off, Ensana's D-Age Cream was applied leaving our skin feeling soft and supple. 

Feeling light, fresh and rejuvenated, we headed back up to the Crescent suite to relax and get ready for our dinner reservation. 

Located on the ground floor of the hotel is on-site restaurant, 1789, a tastefully decorated restaurant serving 'classic British cuisine with an international flair'. Named after the building's completion date, 1789 is helmed by Executive Chef James Redmond who focuses on showcasing the finest local ingredients in his cooking. 

The restaurant serves a seasonal a la carte menu from 6pm each evening and fills steadily, becoming a popular spot amongst hotel guests and visitors from around 7pm onwards. 

My partner Dave was lured in by a bottle of the house red before ordering the roasted red pepper and tomato soup with onion loaf to start - a beautifully presented homemade dish with a vibrant, zesty flavour and roughly cut chunks of juicy pepper throughout. 

For main course he ordered the daube of beef served with pomme puree and baby vegetables in a red wine jus, which he described as excellent and proceeded to polish off in its entirety. 

I opted for the equally delightful chicken breast with wild mushroom and black truffle gnocchi served in a chicken sauce - a punchy palate of flavours that were cut through with the creaminess of the dressing and buttery soft chicken breast that tore apart with ease. 

Not a mouthful was left on either of our plates. 

Never one to leave a restaurant without dessert, I concluded my meal with the indulgently rich sticky figgy pudding which had been generously heaped with hazelnut caramel and vanilla ice cream (heavenly) while Dave enjoyed a cheeseboard with chutney, pear jelly, baby apples, whipped butter, celery, honey bread and oat biscuits. 

Stuffed beyond belief, we made our way over to Darwin's Bar & Lounge for a digestif before retiring for the evening. 

After a restful night's sleep in the Crescent Suite, we awoke bright and early ready for another day of exploring the town, heading back down to the 1789 Restaurant where breakfast would be served. 

By 8am the room was already alive with couples and families eager to make the most of a Monday off in Buxton. Continental breakfast options, smoothies and juices were served buffet style while hot food and drinks could be ordered at the table. 

I ordered Eggs Benedict to go with my smoothie and pastry while Dave went down the traditional route of a full cooked breakfast. All of which set us up for a busy afternoon of walking. 

We set off down the high street and quickly realised that Buxton is a haven for antiques and secondhand finds, exploring every nook and cranny of Maggie Mays before stumbling into Lighthouse Charity Shop and falling head over heels for a 1918 Singer sewing machine with Egyptian detailing, complete with wooden cover. 

Without even mulling over how on earth we'd lug this hefty piece of antique wood and metal back on the train with us, we shook hands with the shopkeeper and agreed to come back for it later. 

Sheltering away from the wind for a few moments, we found ourselves inside the Pavilion Gardens' botanical room, surrounded by ginormous tropical plants from around the globe. Humid, cosy and peaceful, a visit to this free-to-enter space is a must-do for any budding botanists out there. 

Suitably warmed up, we continued through the stunning garden grounds and up the hill on to Poole's Cavern; a natural limestone cave that formed over two million years ago. 

Open daily with guided and self-guided tour slots running throughout the day, visitors can marvel at the breathtaking rock formations and crystal stalactites as they journey 300ft into the cave. 

The 45-minute tours, suitable for all ages, are very educational and make for incredible photos (like the one Dave took below). 

Full of newfound knowledge, we made our way back down the hill to town centre to collect our Singer, huff and puff our way to the station and bid Buxton adieu until next time.

Follow Harley Young on X @Harley__Young

Horror novels, seaspray and cobbled streets: A winter weekend in Whitby

‘Races, relics and relaxation’: Antalya, Turkey

Get the latest news to your inbox

Get the latest food & drink news and exclusive offers by email by signing up to our mailing list. This is one of the ways that Confidentials remains free to our readers and by signing up you help support our high quality, impartial and knowledgable writers. Thank you!

Join our WhatsApp group

You can also get regular updates on news, exclusives and offers by joining the Manchester Confidential WhatsApp group.