A spring in your step...
SIMON CUTLER enjoys downtime in Derbyshire’s beautiful Buxton and the historic Crescent Hotel
AS a knot of tension melted from my shoulders, I started to wonder why I didn’t have regular spa treatments.
The therapist who worked her magic on my wife and I was certainly an expert in ironing out coiled muscles and thawing frozen limbs.
We had booked a Wave Balance session, a brand-new spa therapy offered at the five-star Buxton Crescent Hotel, on the doorstep of the Peak District, one of England’s most beautiful and unspoilt regions.
Wave Balance consists of lying on a waterbed for 40 minutes while the aches and pains of everyday life are soothed away using therapeutic rhythms.
The Derbyshire hotel and spa, which has just benefited from a £70million refurb, is the only abode in the country to offer this new treatment.
After our physio kneaded, smoothed and tuned into our problem areas, we were left feeling rejuvenated for the rest of the day.
But why stop at one treatment when the Buxton Crescent spa offers a full range of therapies to really get you in the mood for a fullon chill-out? These include an underwater jet massage using water pressure to reduce tension in the joints, plus bio balance treatments that aid posture, and another Wave Balance in a thermal bath.
If you simply want to float around and soak up the surroundings, there’s a showstopping rooftop pool, with an indoor and heated outdoor area, and two integrated Jacuzzi zones, so you can swim whatever the weather. There’s also an indoor relaxation pool illuminated in soft, changing colours, a thermal pool where heated and untreated Buxton spring water flows beneath a new stained glass canopy, along with saunas, steam rooms, a salt cave and an ice fountain.
The hotel strikes the right balance in lots of other areas too as old meets new in this historic Grade I-listed building.
The fifth Duke of
Devonshire, landlord of nearby Chatsworth House, developed the town in the 18th century and turned Buxton into the leading spa destination of the era, rivalling Bath, another famous thermal hotspot.
Now the Georgian building’s superb architectural heritage has been restored to its former glory, with 81 beautifully appointed rooms and luxury facilities, including the superb Blue room with chandelier centrepiece, and the vast Assembly Rooms, both perfect for hosting a family celebration to remember.
Our Crescent Suite was gorgeous, capturing the grandeur of the past, but with all the mod-cons you would expect to see too.
As well as a luxury shower room, there was a free-standing roll-top bath, feature fireplace, comfortable lounge area with leather seating, TVs, mini fridge and superb views over this historic town.
Attention to detail doesn’t just stop in the rooms. The communal areas of the hotel are also breathtaking with striking murals, stained-glass windows and fluted columns. Outside fountains sparkle with Buxton’s famous waters – in fact the entire hotel is a photographer’s delight and a real talking point as passers-by stop outside to take shots of its grandeur.
Along with the spa treatments and sumptuous surroundings, dining here is all part of the opulent experience.
Full English and vegetarian breakfast options in the grand dining room are just the tonic before enjoying the rest of your day, then you can finish off your night in style, choosing from the exciting evening menu. There’s a full seafood selection with rock oysters, king scallops, crab and langoustines for starters, along with classic mains such as steak tartare, loin of venison and short rib of beef.
Famed for its mineral-rich waters, Buxton became a spa destination in Roman times. A settlement was built around the warm spring that still sends up a million litres a day from its original source beneath the hotel.
And when you step outside, the old pumphouse-turned-tourist information centre is right there in front of you.
Towering over it is The Slopes, a Grade II-listed public park once used as pleasure grounds for the guests of The Crescent hotel to promenade.
Elsewhere, Buxton’s Grade IIlisted Pavilion Gardens have been around for more than 150 years and provide a charming open space to enjoy, with the Pavilion Arts Centre, indoor market, the Buxton Cinema and an indoor public swimming pool and fitness centre close at hand.
In recent times, it has benefited from a £3.3million Lottery funding project, with new facilities including a Victorian-style bandstand used for summer concerts and weddings, play areas and a children’s miniature railway. My wife and I enjoyed the simple pleasure of the train that gives a snapshot of the Pavil
ion Gardens grounds. There’s also a small tourist tram that visits the interesting features around the town.
Close to the gardens lies the famous Buxton Opera House, which dates back to 1903 and hosts events for the Buxton International Festival – a summer celebration featuring music and literature.
Alongside the BIF, there’s the town’s Fringe festival, with an exciting mix of live events and online entertainment, which ended on July 25 but is still online.
And let’s not forget the eclectic mix of shops, bars and restaurants.
The Cavendish Arcade is a boutique shopping area set within the historic hot baths, with the present buildings opened in the 1850s. It was converted into a shopping centre in the 1980s, and boasts jewellers, a chocolatier, fashion boutiques and furnishing outlets.
Elsewhere, there’s The Springs Shopping Centre, with all the usual high-street favourites.
We also tried a superb restaurant called Simply Thai, which served up delicious and freshly cooked, Thai-inspired cuisine for a great price in relaxed surroundings.
With its grand architecture, ornamental gardens and rich variety of festivals, shops and restaurants, Buxton is a beauty of a town.
Staying at its masterpiece spa hotel will certainly leave you relaxed, refreshed and raring to go again.