If you’ve been to Buxton, you’ve probably marvelled at its spectacular skyline; those majestic buildings nestled amongst the wooded hills. Now The Crescent has reopened, you could even admire the unique view from a hotel window. But did you know about the jigsaw puzzle?
Top Peak District photographer Phil Sproson has captured the town’s trademark panorama and turned it into the ultimate souvenir. The Buxton Crescent makes for a challenging jigsaw because of the symmetry yet there are subtle differences and it allows for a slow appreciation of every feature. The wider scene takes in Corbar Woods with its hilltop cross and the Devonshire Dome with its clock tower.
Order by 12th November for Christmas – BUY NOW!
However, if you think this would be the ideal Christmas present for someone you know, don’t delay. The order deadline is midnight on Thursday 12th November and jigsaws can be ordered online here. Local collection is available from Everything’s Rosy on Hardwick Street in Buxton or orders can be delivered via 1st Class Royal Mail.
You might not know about Phil but chances are you will have seen some of his work. A resident for many years, Phil has taken countless shots of his beloved Peak District, featuring on websites and in magazines such as Countryfile and Peak District National Park. He has his own online shop selling prints, cards and calendars. It has become the go-to website for Derbyshire landscapes.
What inspired Phil to do a Crescent jigsaw? We asked him: “The Crescent is the jewel in Buxton’s crown, I love the symmetry and I have photographed the Crescent with that in mind on numerous occasions, on both the calendar cover (which is available from Buxton Visitor Centre), and the jigsaw. Both show this wonderful building framed by trees to each side. Another thing about Buxton is the bowl in which it sits, notice when you’re wandering around the town that there are woodlands all around, which form an amazing backdrop to the town and its buildings”.
Buxton is one of Phil’s favourite places to shoot: “It is always an interesting place to photograph. It is a busy, bustling town, there is always lots going on, the history and architecture is both fascinating and amazing to photograph and being amongst it all picking out little scenes is what I like. Over the last few years I have photographed most Buxton locations, from the viaduct over Dukes Drive, to the depths of Poole’s Cavern, to the heights of Solomon’s Temple, to the historic windows of the Pump Room, and the open spaces of the Pavilion Gardens. Buxton is simply a hugely interesting place to photograph, and I have had the opportunity to photograph most of it in every season and weather.”
Of course, many of us have tried to photograph Buxton and the Peak District ourselves, albeit with less success than Phil. So what is the secret of his success? He lets us in to a little secret: “I shoot anywhere and everywhere. I use the outdoor world as my studio. This gives me many, many backdrops at my disposal, from wonderful green hills with natural tones of outcrops of rocks, to the light and shade of the ancient woodlands that the Peak District has in abundance. It is beautiful at any time of the year, and I feel very lucky to live and photograph here”.
Phil Sproson Photography, Fern Royd, S32 1AU
T: 07966 509726
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