Buxton is the highest market town in England at 300 metres - a Georgian spa town in a limestone bowl, with a crescent of spa architecture, thermal baths, and the Peak District plateau rising above it on three sides. The Monsal Trail runs north from Buxton through five converted railway tunnels and five limestone gorges to Bakewell: 13 miles of flat, traffic-free path on a converted Victorian railway line.
Getting There
Northern Rail from Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton: approximately 60 minutes. The line climbs from Manchester through the Goyt Valley and up over the limestone plateau before descending into the Buxton bowl. Services run roughly hourly. Buxton station is at the western end of the town; the thermal baths and Pavilion Gardens are a 10-minute walk.
The Thermal Baths
Buxton's thermal waters emerge from the ground at a constant 27.5°C - geothermally heated Roman water that last saw the surface 5,000 years ago. The Romans were here (Aquae Arnemetiae); the Georgians were here (the 5th Duke of Devonshire financed the Crescent and the first bath house); and the Victorians expanded the operation to its current scale.
Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa: The Crescent (1789, John Carr of York) has been restored and reopened as a hotel and spa. The natural thermal pool and treatments are available to non-residents. Book in advance (buxtoncrescent.co.uk). For post-marathon recovery, the thermal water immersion is specifically useful: 27.5°C at altitude in a Georgian building.
St Ann's Well on the Crescent: the public thermal spring, free, continuously flowing since Roman times. The water is bottled as Buxton Mineral Water. Drinking straight from the source at the Victorian fountain is free.
The Pavilion Gardens
The Pavilion Gardens (free entry) are the Victorian park attached to the Opera House - 23 acres of river garden, boating lake, conservatory, and the Octagon Hall. In late April and early May, the gardens are at their spring best. The café in the Pavilion is the correct recovery stop after the baths.
Buxton Opera House (designed by Frank Matcham, 1903): one of the finest provincial opera houses in England. The Buxton Festival (opera, music, literature) runs in July; the Opera House runs other programming year-round. Worth a look even if nothing is scheduled.
The Monsal Trail
The Monsal Trail is the definitive Buxton excursion: a 13-mile converted Victorian railway line running northeast from Buxton through the limestone gorges and dales of the White Peak. The trail passes through five tunnels (lit throughout) and crosses the Monsal Head viaduct - the railway bridge photographed from the hillside above that Ruskin famously called a desecration of the Wye valley and that posterity has decided is beautiful.
The trail is flat throughout - a converted railway line has no gradients above 1:50. The surface is compacted gravel throughout. The full trail from Buxton to Bakewell and back is 26 miles; the section to Monsal Head and back is approximately 16 miles. For post-marathon Day Two, 6-8 miles into the first tunnel and back is the appropriate distance.
Bike hire at Hassop Station (midway on the trail, reached by the trail itself or the B6001): The Old Station Cafe has a bike hire operation. Cycling the Monsal Trail in both directions from Hassop is manageable the day after a marathon.
Miller's Dale (approximately 5 miles from Buxton on the trail): the first significant gorge, where the River Wye runs 30 metres below the viaduct. Peacock's at Miller's Dale serves lunches in a converted station building.
Where to Stay in Buxton
The Old Hall Hotel on The Square: the oldest hotel in England (parts dating from 1573, where Mary Queen of Scots stayed during her captivity). The central location and the atmospheric rooms make this the correct choice. Buxton's Victorian Guest House on Broad Walk: Victorian B&B overlooking the Pavilion Gardens. The Palace Hotel on Palace Road: large Victorian railway hotel above the town, slightly dated but with extensive facilities.
Where to Eat
The Old Sun Inn on High Street: the gastropub standard, good local ales and reliable food. Columbine on Hall Bank: the best independent restaurant in Buxton for dinner. The Pavilion cafe in the gardens for lunch on Day Two before the trail.
Practical Notes
- Buxton is 25 miles southeast of Manchester.
- April/May in Buxton: 8-14°C - cooler than Manchester at altitude. A layer is needed for the Monsal Trail even in late April.
- Return trains to Manchester run throughout the afternoon and evening.
- Extend northward: Chatsworth House (15 miles by bus or taxi) is one of the great English country houses; the grounds are free. For Day Three if extending.