Anyone who has walked up Grin Low to Solomon’s Temple (Grin Low Tower) on a wintery day (or any day, come to that!), will know that the wind over the brow of the hill can be strong enough to hold you upright when falling into it. Research into the windiest spots around the town have highlighted Grin Low as a stand-out with the exposed summit the most consistently windy place to the south of the town.
The local authority is under pressure to designate seven locations around the High Peak for wind turbines, as part of a new renewable energy policy, and Grin Low is one of them. With much of the High Peak located within the Peak District National Park, it falls to its larger towns like Buxton, officially outside the national park boundary, to host the new wind turbines.
Due to the slopes of Grin Low, the reasonably flat summit has been chosen for the turbine location meaning the beloved folly must be demolished to make space.
However, the council is proposing to rebuild the Temple in an as-yet undetermined location. We believe a number are being looked into and the final location will go to a public vote.
“We thought it best to move it to a new location, rather than build a wind turbine over the top of it,” says a spokesperson for the scheme.
Solomon’s Temple (Grin Low Tower) was first built on Grin Low in 1896 through the patronage of the 7th Duke of Devonshire and public donations. It replaced an earlier structure built by the workforce of pub landlord, Solomon Mycock, supposedly with stone from the Old Sun Inn on the High Street, when digging out the cellar. The tower again fell into disrepair but was restored in 1988 through public subscription following a fundraising campaign led by Buxton Civic Association (BCA), who now own and maintain Grin Low Woods on the slopes below the Temple.
A spokesperson for BCA commented on the plans for Grin Low, “This is obviously going to be a huge loss to Buxton. Solomon’s Temple is an icon of the town and held in great affection by local residents and visitors alike. It is a place of peace and beauty for many. But we need to support the transition to renewable energy generation so BCA will be supporting the development however it can.”
The other six wind turbine locations have yet to be announced. The council has pledged to keep the public posted with developments, including the potential alternative locations for Solomon’s Temple.
If you haven’t worked it out by now, this is an April Fools and is completely fabricated. Please do not write any letters or emails lol! You can visit Solomon’s Temple and enjoy it for yourself, it’s easily accessed via Grin Low Woods from Poole’s Cavern car park.
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