Archive: the Carnival of Cats was advertised as a Buxton community parade for April 2023.

In 2023, the Lost Cats of Buxton project celebrated prehistoric cats associated with the area. It was part of the Buxton Our Street programme for the Heritage Action Zone, with Buxton Museum and Creeping Toad among its partners.

A person draws an animal at a workshop

Tied to the national Wild Escape initiative, the project encouraged people to connect museum collections with the surrounding landscape and consider how Buxton and its climate have changed.

A colourful illustration of a cat

The project explored animals including scimitar-toothed cats, cave lions and lynx, and how local landscapes and climates have changed over time.

Cave lion hind-leg bones
Cave lion hind-leg bones from Hindlow Quarry, in Buxton Museum’s collection

In the run-up to the advertised parade, families joined artists from the Babbling Vagabonds at Buxton Museum to make a life-size cave lion puppet and other creations.

A handmade cat puppet on the floorA colourful drawing of a cat’s eye

A Carnival of Cats parade was advertised for Sunday 23 April 2023, along Spring Gardens and into Pavilion Gardens. A later account of the project says participants took puppets and masks along the town’s main shopping street in 2023.

For current museum visitor information, see Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.