Set within the limestone landscapes of Derbyshire, Buxton has long been a place of healing and retreat. Its naturally warm mineral waters, emerging from deep beneath the earth at a constant temperature of around 27.5°C, have attracted visitors since Roman times. Known to the Romans as Aquae Arnemetiae, the settlement developed around springs associated with ancient beliefs and the restorative powers of nature.

In the eighteenth century, the Dukes of Devonshire set about transforming Buxton into one of Britain's great spa resorts. The magnificent Crescent, designed by John Carr of York, brought Georgian grandeur to this upland setting. Baths, pump rooms, hotels and assembly rooms followed, while the extraordinary Devonshire Dome and landscaped Pavilion Gardens expressed the ambition of a town devoted to health, culture and pleasure. Buxton became a distinctive meeting place of architecture, medicine, music and mountain air.

Today, Buxton is experiencing a new chapter in its spa story. The restoration of the Crescent and reopening of its thermal baths have brought the historic waters back into contemporary use, while the town's cultural life, historic buildings and surrounding natural landscapes continue to draw visitors. Here, the enduring appeal of the spa lies in the relationship between the warmth of the springs, the grandeur of the town and the wild beauty of the Peaks.