Wonders of the Peak

Buxton Museum & Art Gallery

Local History

Potter’s

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Potter’s Draper and Hosier

8 Terrace Road, Buxton

(still there)

Potter’s Department Store was established in 1860 by John William Potter at Burlington House on Hardwick Street, selling clothing and home textiles. At that time it was just round the corner from its present location of London House, shown here on Terrace Road, where it moved 10 years later.

Mr Potter was continuing in his father’s footsteps, manufacturing hand-wrought hosiery in their Matlock factory and selling these and other clothing in the Buxton store.

The covered colonnade continued a feature of shops on Spring Gardens designed to protect shoppers from the Buxton weather.

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The Peak Hydropathic

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Terrace Road, Buxton

Early 20th century

(now Buxton Museum and Art Gallery)

The Peak Hydropathic and Thermal Establishment was created in 1880. In its heyday, in the early 1900s, visitors could conveniently enjoy fine hotel accommodation and water treatments in the same building, as it had its own source of cold spring water.

This image shows its commanding position at the brow of Terrace Road. At that time, you can see the pavement was at the height of the entrance.

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Timothy White’s

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Former grocery stores, 57 Spring Gardens, Buxton
11 November 1939

(Currently Hawkshead Outdoors)

Listen to local residents share their memories of Timothy White’s. Press ‘more’ to read a transcript.

The gabled arches of this unique building are a characteristic of its origins as Timothy White’s Chemist. Once a rival for Boots, the name disappeared in the 1980s. In this image, the building is at the end of its tenure as a grocery shop. Whether or not this is connected to the outbreak of the Second World War is unknown.

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Maypole Dairy

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Maypole Dairy, 58 Spring Gardens, Buxton
28 August 1928

Hear local resident’s memories of the Maypole Dairy below, or press ‘more’ to read a transcript.

An earlier photograph suggests that the Maypole opened in 1900. There are also later photographs from the 1960s so we can deduce that the shop was a stalwart of Spring Gardens for at least six decades. This image shows Maypole Dairy at its most conspicuous and stylish. It promotes itself as a dairy whereas in later times it seems more occupied with selling “coffee, teas, fish and steaks”. It is interesting to see how a business changes its produce with the times.

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The Origins of Fairfield Brass Band

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You are standing outside Fairfield Church Hall, practice room of the Fairfield Brass Band.

Fairfield Brass Band was one of four brass bands around Buxton. During and after World War 2, all four bands were struggling for members, despite many remaining behind to undertake the grueling task of quarrying massive quantities of lime for steel production in the war effort and the consequent rebuilding of Britain.  Two of the bands were disbanded and their members went to strengthen Burbage and Fairfield brass bands.

Please click Play Button below to hear cornet player Charles Kitchen’s memories of a Christmas afternoon.

 

WW1 Fallen Fairfield Brass Band
Fairfield Brass Band before the 1st World War

 

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The Crescent Hotel

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Crescent in 1868
The Crescent in 1868

The Crescent was built by the 5th Duke of Devonshire between 1779 and 1789. It was designed by architect John Carr. The hotel is one of the two hotels that occupied the complex, the other being St Ann’s Hotel. Originally six lodging houses separated them but these were eventually taken over by the hotels.

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