A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 8  

BRETBY (to the east of A511 Burton to Swadlincote road – SK294232)

Tucked away in the southwest corner of Derbyshire is the small, attractive village of Bretby. The castle at Bretby became the ancestral home of the Earls of Chesterfield after the honour was bestowed on the Stanhope family by King Charles I. The fifth Earl demolished the castle and built the present hall, which stands in parkland about one mile from the village. It served as an orthopaedic hospital before being converted into luxury accommodation.

BROUGH (on the B6049 Bradwell to A6187 Hope Valley Road – SK183827)

In the Hope Valley, to the west of Bradwell, is the small village of Brough. The River Noe, a tributary of the River Derwent, flows through the village. In the 19th Century, there were three cotton mills at Brough, as well as a corn mill. Long before then, there was a Roman fort in a field to the east of Brough, where a few traces of Roman occupation remain. The fort’s name, now shortened to Navio, is thought to have been built to protect Roman lead mining interests in the Peak District.

BUTTERTON (off the B5053, Bottom House {A523 Leek – Ashbourne} to Warslow road – SK076568)

Situated on the edge of the Staffordshire Moorlands, Butterton commands an elevated location overlooking the beautifully wooded Manifold Valley. Like Grindon, a near neighbour, it is a relatively isolated and picturesque village. For visitors entering Butterton by car for the first time from Grindon, a shock awaits after passing a sign for a ‘Ford.’ You have to drive along the bed of a stream to reach the village centre.

There are some beautiful stone houses built from local sandstone, accompanied by lovely gardens, in the village. However, it is St. Bartholomew’s Church, with its lofty spire, that dominates the landscape. The spire is one of the newest in the Peak, having been built only in the late 19th Century.

Following the suggestions of Butterton residents, a War Memorial was designed on 26 October 2006, announced at the time as ‘North Staffordshire’s newest War Memorial’. The Memorial is set in the church wall and takes the form of a single poppy with the word ‘Remembrance’ underneath. Although the village does not have any recorded casualties, the Memorial serves as a reminder of the men and women from Butterton who served their country during wartime.

BUXTON (A6 Matlock to Chapel-en-le-Frith road passes through Buxton – SK060735)

Visitors arriving in Buxton for the first time from the bleak moorlands cannot be blamed for pinching themselves in some disbelief as they emerge into a town with fine parks and grand old buildings. At well over 1,000 feet above sea level, Buxton is the highest town in England for its size. The main reason Buxton has grown to its present size is due to the thermal springs on which it stands, from which the water rises at a constant temperature of 82°F (28°C). According to the British Geological Survey’s findings, the water that emerged fell as rain approximately 5,000 years ago. On its way to the surface, the water filters through a bed of ancient limestone, finally reaching the light of day pure and crystal clear.

Given a more equable climate, Buxton might well have rivalled Bath as the most prominent spa town in England. Even in these days when snow clearance is so much more sophisticated, we often hear that major roads leading to Buxton are blocked. It is not just during winter that the town has been in the news for snowfall. On 2 June 1975, snow prevented play in the county cricket match between Derbyshire and Lancashire at Buxton. Despite the problems created by the climate, Buxton has become one of the leading inland resorts in England, making it well worth a visit at any time of the year.

The Great Stables, which housed the Devonshire Royal Hospital until recently, are remarkable. Erected on slightly higher ground to the rear of the Crescent, they were home to horses and their grooms. The two-storey octagonal building was arranged around a circular exercise yard with the perimeter collonaded to give a covered ride in bad weather. The central exercise yard was covered by what, at the time, was the largest unsupported dome in the world. The University of Derby now occupies it. Opposite the Opera House is a hexagonal Victorian letterbox. It was erected in 1867 and bears the cypher of Queen Victoria.

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

Frank Matcham designed the Opera House in grand Edwardian style. Completed in 1905 and converted into a cinema just over twenty years later. It was lovingly restored in 1979 after falling into disuse and reopened as an opera house. In the same year, the Buxton International Festival of Music and Arts was born. It has evolved into one of the country’s largest opera-based festivals. The Conservatory, housing native and tropical plants, leads the way from the Pavilion Gardens to the Opera House.

BUXTON PAVILION GARDENS

Buxton Pavilion Gardens is a superb Grade II-listed park covering 23 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens in the centre of the town. Edward Milner, a pupil of Joseph Paxton, designed and laid out the park on land given to the town in the 1870s. A few years later, the grounds were extended to include a boating lake, a skating rink and tennis courts. Suitable for all ages, whether you’re looking for a gentle, relaxing stroll or family entertainment. During the summer months and school holidays, the ever-popular miniature train operates in the park, a great favourite with children and the not-so-young. An extensive renovation project has been undertaken in recent years to restore the parklands to their Victorian splendour.