There are many impressive buildings in Buxton, however the most awe-inspiring of all is the Cresent designed by John Carr of York and built between 1780 - 1784 for the fifth Duke of Devonshire, originally built as three Hotels, The Great Hotel, The Centre Hotel and The Crescent Hotel it has over the years had various uses including Shops on the ground floor and town houses, at one point housing the towns library. The Crescent is soon scheduled to start a major refurbishment, which should see it returned to it's former glory.

The Dukes Band played most days outside in the Crescent between 11.00 and 12.00 o clock and the wooden bandstand shown here was erected around 1858, you can also see in the background the St Ann's Well public pump 1852 - 94 and part of the Terrace Walks designed by Sir Jeffery Wyattville, later re - named the Slopes after the alterations in 1840 by Sir Joseph Paxton and the Georgian buildings on Hall Bank, also thought to have been designed by John Carr of York, the bottom house was demolished and rebuilt in 1874 as The Burlington Hotel, later to become The Savoy Hotel and now private lodgings.

Plans were made to build The Crescent on the other side of the river Wye in Fairfield on a raised piece of ground with the grove of trees in front, but as the Duke did not own the ground he settled on the less suitable position which is where we see the Crescent today. The view of The Crescent to the right here is an early photographic image, showing the Crescent sometime after 1880 but before the Pump Room (St Ann's Well ) was built in 1894.