Beautiful Buxton weekend

SUMMARY

Date:  Friday April 12th to Monday April 15th 2024

Please arrive by Friday lunchtime for a Friday afternoon walk.

We will have longer walks on Saturday and Sunday and departure on Monday after breakfast.

Guide: Alison Carr our local guide

Walking Grade: 2 Goat as we expect to do some longer Spring walks – long but with little ascent and descent. This could vary depending on the weather. Walks can be done from the door of the hotel.

Base: The Lee Wood Hotel a 4 star in Buxton with its own fitness suite. You can even book a massage to help those tired legs at the end of a day!

The hotel was originally built in 1830 by the then Duke of Devonshire and transformed into a hotel in 1860 when the railways arrived in Buxton and the town was beginning to prosper as a Victorian spa town where people would come to enjoy the therapeutic properties of its thermal spring waters. The hotel has been family run since its beginning and is now managed by Nicola and Owen Longden.

 There is a train station in Buxton with many connecting services making it an accessible destination.

Price: £750 per person for this all inclusive weekend:

• All Evening Meals, bed and breakfast
• Packed Lunches on Saturday and Sunday
• 3 guided walks to discover the area
• Local transport – if required for walks

Not included:

• Travel to Buxton
• Drinks from the bar

If you bring a friend/partner and share a room the price is £650 per person

 
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DETAILS

This area known as the Staffordshire Moorlands is an area often bypassed as people walk in the more well known parts of the Peak District National Park.These moorlands offer so much, from lush river valleys along the Dane and the Goyt, to the evocative moorland plateaus and views across the three counties of Cheshire,  Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

At the centre of our weekend is the spa town of Buxton, established by the Romans and developed ever since. Mary, Queen of Scots, visited frequently and indeed stayed each time at the hotel where we will be. You can drink the wonderful Buxton Water meant to rejuvenate!

We felt that this would be a great location for a short break – perhaps a warm up for summer. It is a chance to get outside with the days being longer and we hope to see some beautiful spring flowers.  The hotel is cosy and this holiday has all meals included so there is no need to venture out in the evenings. Our guide has planned walks to help you discover this area often overlooked in favour of the Peak District. We like to walk in more hidden places and learn about new areas.

There are also many places to visit nearby such as Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, Hardwick Hall as well as the market town of Bakewell home to the famous pudding. If you have a few more days to spare you could stay on to explore further.

ITINERARY

Itinerary subject to change depending on the weather. Our guide will brief you before each walk.

Day 1 Friday afternoon – a warm up walk. 8.2 km with 271m ascent
A short walk from our hotel to Solomon’s Temple for views across the town and beyond, returning via Buxton Country Park and Poole’s Cavern.

Day 2 – Saturday 12.24 km with 470m ascent
A longer walk to Three Shires Head where the counties meet at an intersection of streams, returning via the village of Flash, which claims to have the highest pub in England. We will get local transport back from Flash Village.

Day 3 – Sunday approx 14km 736m ascent
Striking out in a different direction from Buxton, towards the Goyt Valley, we will ascend the gentle slopes of Cats Tor and Shining Tor to enjoy far-reaching views before returning via Errwood reservoir. Local transport will be used.

Day 4 – Monday Departure with perhaps time for a short morning walk