Winter Walks in Buxton
If you’re looking for a January walk in Buxton that doesn’t involve going too far, Buxton Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) has some suggestions. The museum can also supplement your stroll with some objects that were discovered along the way. Countless astonishing artefacts have been found by members of the public so keep your eyes peeled, you never know!
It being Winter, it is also recommended that you dress sensibly for your walk, and please tell someone where you’re going.
1. Grinlow Woods
Arguably Buxton’s most popular destination for a walk are the leafy trails of Grinlow Woods, or Buxton Country Park as it officially called. The Duke of Devonshire ordered the woods to be planted in the early 1800s to cover the scars of limestone quarrying, which has resulted in a rich habitat for a variety of trees, plants and animals. The same Duke also decided to turn nearby Poole’s Cavern into a proper show cave.
Given its industrial heritage, it comes of no surprise that a few trinkets have been found in the woods. This farthing token (above) was on loan to BMAG by the British Museum for its recent Wonders of the Peak display. In the 1600s, businesses could issue their own currency such as halfpennies and farthings, which could be used locally. One side is inscribed “Francis Bennit in Grinlo” and the other side bears a miner’s pickaxe head, giving us a clue as to the nature of Francis Bennit’s business.
If you want to know more about museum objects found in Grinlow and Poole’s Cavern, the museum made a film about it in the Summer, presented by the ghost of Mary Queen of Scots!
2. Burbage
The suburban district of Burbage is sandwiched between the woods of Grinlow and Buxton’s famous Pavilion Gardens but makes for a pleasant stroll by itself, especially if you include the handsome stretch of Bishops Lane, running parallel to Cavendish Golf Club and leading to the rugged hills of Axe Edge and Burbage Edge. If you’re feeling really energetic, you could hike across the moors all the way to the Goyt Valley (see below), although this isn’t recommended this time of year.
There are traces of Buxton’s coal mining industry on the Edges but the landscape has revealed signs of far more ancient and mysterious civilisations. This rather splendid stone axehead (above) was found in Burbage and is around 4,000 to 6,000 years old. It is made from granodorite from North Wales which provokes questions like: Who did it belong to? How did it find its way here? And why did they leave such a well-crafted tool behind? We can only speculate.
3. Goyt Valley
A few miles outside of Buxton, the valley is an unusual example of a place that has been returned to nature. Once home to several farms, a gunpowder factory, a paint mill and the estate of Errwood Hall, most of the settlement vanished forever beneath two reservoirs. Fernilee Reservoir was completed in the 1930s and Errwood Reservoir in the 1960s. The landscape surrounding the water is spectacular and a favourite Peak District walk but you might need something more substantial than shanks’ pony to see it.
19th century fossil collector Elizabeth Dale discovered this Lepidodenron fossil (above) in the coal measures of Goyt Valley. Often called Scale Trees, Lepidodendrons were enormous and grew in swamps around 300 million years ago. They are now extinct.
4. Corbar Woods
Less trod than Grinlow Woods but equally as picturesque are the undulating, shadowy paths of Corbar, close to Lightwood Reservoir. If you can manage it, the woods ascend to the summit of Corbar Cross. Erected by the Catholic Church in the 1950s, the cross seems a fitting destination for the time of year.
This ring (above) was found in Corbar Woods around ten years ago (2015) and at first glance, could be Roman. According to the museum’s records, its precise location is from “mixed spoil from rabbit warrens”. Further examination suggests the piece is from the Georgian period, likely crafted and worn during the 1800s, where it was the fashion to wear jewellery of a classic design. Intriguing, nonetheless.
5. Green Fairfield
Perhaps another less obvious destination for a walk in Buxton are the hills and dales of Fairfield. Once a separate village, Fairfield was named for its natural beauty and you can still find the connection if you know where to wander. Crowned by the Bronze Age burial mound of Fairfield Low (or Skellybob Wood as it is more commonly known), there are indications of an ancient place that had some significance.
This magnificent Amethyst sample (above) was found in Waterswallows Quarry in Fairfield. There is no public right of way either to the disused quarry, nor to Skellybob Wood, but there are pleasant paths that orbit these locations, and you can contemplate what lies beneath your feet.
If you want to learn more about Fairfield’s fabulous heritage, the museum made a film about it in the Summer.
BMAG has loads more local history on their website here.
Buxton Museum & Art Gallery – temporary location at Buxton Library
The museum previously located in Peak Buildings in Buxton closed to the public in June 2023 as a precautionary measure as parts of the building were potentially identified as being unsafe. Although initially it was a temporary closure, a decision to permanently relocate the museum from Peak Buildings was announced in May 2024.
Derbyshire County Council has previously confirmed its determination to re-open Buxton Museum & Art Gallery in a new, central location as a cornerstone of the town’s regeneration – and is also committed to relocating Buxton Library into the town centre as part of a bold vision to support a vibrant, culture-led future for Buxton.
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Buxton Library, Kents Bank Road, Buxton, SK17 9HW
T: 01629 533540
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