Solomon’s Temple, Grin Low & Buxton Country Park, Green Lane, Buxton, SK17 9DH
T: 01298 26978
About
Entry / Cost: Free
Located at the the summit of Grin Hill, accessed via Grin Low Woods and Buxton Country Park, the climb is just a 20 minute brisk walk from Poole’s Cavern and Buxton’s very own folly, Solomon’s Temple.
On a clear day, you can see 15 miles and some of Buxton’s iconic landmarks can be easily picked out in the distance, such as the Devonshire Dome, The Octagon at the Pavilion Gardens, the Town Hall and Corbar Cross. The 360° views are superb and even better if you climb the few steps to the top of the folley; the steps can be slippy if its rained or it’s icy.
At an elevation of 439m (1,440ft) on a clear day it’s possible to see Mam Tor and Kinder Scout.
Where did Solomon’s Temple get its name from?
The tower itself was built in 1896 to replace an earlier structure constructed by Solomon Mycock a local farmer and landowner.
On 23 February 1894, at a meeting at Buxton Town Hall, it was decided the tower would be rebuilt. The Local Board vice-chairman had talked with the seventh Duke of Devonshire’s agent and decided that the reconstruction was feasible if the townspeople would donate sufficient money. Sketches were submitted by architects W. R. Bryden and G. E. Garlick. By that May, the plans were confirmed by the Duke of Devonshire, and it was well known that the site was of prehistoric importance.
In June 1894, the seventh Duke of Devonshire subscribed £25 towards building the folly. Buxton had already subscribed £50. The foundation stone was laid by Colonel Sidebottom, M.P., on 31 May 1896, witnessed by a large crowd, and the tower was opened by Victor Cavendish in September 1896.
Although not in the true spirit of a folly, that is having no practical purpose whatsoever, Solomon’s Temple actually occupies a site of ancient significance. It rises from the centre of an ancient burial mound, and during the tower’s construction an archaeological dig here revealed several Bronze Age skeletons from the ‘Beaker’ period, along with later Roman items.
Solomon’s Temple was restored in 1988. True to the spirit of the original erection, this was done by public subscription and the folly remains one of Buxton’s most distinctive landmarks.
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