Archive, November 2018: The restored Crescent reopened in 2020; the article below records an earlier stage of the project.
Another major milestone in the redevelopment of Buxton’s iconic Georgian Crescent has been marked with a topping out ceremony to lay the final roof slates.
At the 2018 topping-out ceremony, the Grade I listed building was expected to reopen as a thermal spa hotel in 2019. It reopened in 2020.
Development and funding partners involved in the restoration project – including the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Derbyshire County Council, High Peak Borough Council, CP Holdings Ltd, the Trevor Osborne Property Group Ltd and the contractor Vinci Construction – celebrated the latest big step with a ceremony on the roof of the building.
The photographs show the site and people during the project; they are not necessarily from the roof ceremony.
Councillor George Wharmby, Chairman of Derbyshire County Council, led the ceremony which is common practice in the construction industry to mark the nearing of completion of major developments.
Leader of Derbyshire County Council and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, Councillor Barry Lewis, said: “This is a fantastic development in the restoration of the magnificent Buxton Crescent.
“Driving economic growth, boosting tourism and creating more jobs are all key priorities of ours and the Crescent plays an important role in this and it will be a real boost for the local area.
“It has been a pleasure to work with our partners proving by working together we can achieve so much and bring this fabulous Georgian gem back to life after years of being derelict.”
In 2018, the project team projected 140 direct jobs, 300 indirect jobs and 350 construction jobs from the redevelopment.
Councillor Tony Kemp, Executive Councillor for Tourism and Regeneration at the Borough Council, said: “The redevelopment of the Crescent is the culmination of our regeneration programme which, over the last 30 years, has generated a gross value of £116 million in Buxton.
“This project is a truly great example of what we can achieve when we work in partnership. The two Councils have established a track record of successfully working together on this project over the best part of three decades, even through changes of political control. I want to say a big thank you to the HLF for the fantastic support we have had from them and Historic England through this and several other major schemes. Also, I must thank our private sector partners who have stayed with this most challenging project through many difficulties – Danubius Hotels (CP Holdings Group) and the Trevor Osborne Property Group.
“As we near the end of the construction work at this unique nationally significant hotel and spa, and again with help from the HLF, we have commissioned work to ensure the town is ready to welcome the new visitor markets that will be attracted to Buxton through development of a Visitor Economy Strategy. We need to be certain that maximum benefit is gained for residents and businesses alike throughout the High Peak and the wider Derbyshire community.”
In its account of the ceremony, High Peak Borough Council listed project funding as: the developers £27m; the Heritage Lottery Fund £24m; Historic England £0.6m; D2N2 £2m; Derbyshire County Council £13.584m and a loan of £11.39m to the developer; and High Peak Borough Council £1.18m.
The council said the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England and council contributions were invested in conservation of the building. In December 2025, Derbyshire County Council said its original loan had been fully repaid.
The council reported that total Heritage Lottery investment in Buxton capital projects, including the Crescent, Opera House, university and Pavilion Gardens, was £34m at the time.
Jonathan Platt, Head of HLF East Midlands, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players the restoration of this much loved building has taken another significant step forward thanks to over £23m investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
“This ambitious project is an amazing example of what partnership working can achieve to secure additional prosperity and investment into Buxton and the wider area to the benefit of everyone by restoring and repairing the whole Crescent.”
The Crescent reopened in 2020. For its history and current heritage visits, see Buxton Crescent Experience.
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