Old Hall Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Old Hall Hotel is a hotel in Buxton
, Derbyshire
, England, and is one of the oldest buildings in the town.
The current building dates from the Restoration period, built around and incorporating an earlier fortified tower.
According to the Derbyshire Archeological Journal (1994): "In the national context, the survival of a building which accommodated both Mary Queen of Scots and much of the Elizabethan nobility is of considerable note. Its importance in architectural terms is further enhanced as it is believed to be the earliest known British building of cross-axial form."
, a hall has stood on this site by the warm spring for which Buxton water is known. The oldest part of the current building was once part of a four-storey fortified tower, built in 1573 by Bess of Hardwick
and her third husband, George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
.
The tower was used at times between 1576 and 1578 to house Mary Queen of Scots, whilst she was in the custody of the Earl on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I. Her last visit to Buxton was in the summer of 1584. It is claimed that it was Mary who inscribed the following couplet to Buxton on a window pane:
The inscription can still be seen in the window of room 26.
The Hall was rebuilt by one of Bess of Hardwick's descendants, the first Duke of Devonshire in 1670.
stayed on his tour of Great Britain. Of the Hall he wrote: "The Duke of Devonshire ... has built a large handsome house at the bath, where there is convenient lodging, and very good provisions, and an ordinary well served for one shilling per head; but it is but one."
By the time that the nearby Georgian
Crescent
was built (1780–86), Buxton had become an established spa town; and the Old Hall had become a fashionable hotel for the Georgian aristocracy taking the waters. In 1791 one James Cumming (father of the noted chemist James Cumming
) leased what was then called Buxton Hall Hotel from the fifth Duke
in 1791. He was considered socially more than a mere hotelier, and the hotel's clientele included bishops and visiting aristocracy. The Old Hall has served as a hotel ever since.
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England, and is one of the oldest buildings in the town.
The current building dates from the Restoration period, built around and incorporating an earlier fortified tower.
According to the Derbyshire Archeological Journal (1994): "In the national context, the survival of a building which accommodated both Mary Queen of Scots and much of the Elizabethan nobility is of considerable note. Its importance in architectural terms is further enhanced as it is believed to be the earliest known British building of cross-axial form."
History of the building
Since at least the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, a hall has stood on this site by the warm spring for which Buxton water is known. The oldest part of the current building was once part of a four-storey fortified tower, built in 1573 by Bess of Hardwick
Bess of Hardwick
Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (c. 1521 – 13 February 1608, known as Bess of Hardwick, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox...
and her third husband, George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal was a 16th century English statesman.-Life:...
.
The tower was used at times between 1576 and 1578 to house Mary Queen of Scots, whilst she was in the custody of the Earl on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I. Her last visit to Buxton was in the summer of 1584. It is claimed that it was Mary who inscribed the following couplet to Buxton on a window pane:
Buxton, whose warm waters have made thy name famous, perchance I shall visit thee no more – Farewell.
The inscription can still be seen in the window of room 26.
The Hall was rebuilt by one of Bess of Hardwick's descendants, the first Duke of Devonshire in 1670.
Use as an hotel
By 1727, the Old Hall had become a hotel, the only one in Buxton, where the writer Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
stayed on his tour of Great Britain. Of the Hall he wrote: "The Duke of Devonshire ... has built a large handsome house at the bath, where there is convenient lodging, and very good provisions, and an ordinary well served for one shilling per head; but it is but one."
By the time that the nearby Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
Crescent
Buxton Crescent
Buxton Crescent is a Grade-1 listed building in the town of Buxton, Derbyshire, England.Owing much to the Royal Crescent in Bath, but described by the Royal Institution of British Architects as "more richly decorated and altogether more complex",...
was built (1780–86), Buxton had become an established spa town; and the Old Hall had become a fashionable hotel for the Georgian aristocracy taking the waters. In 1791 one James Cumming (father of the noted chemist James Cumming
James Cumming
Rev. Prof. James Cumming was the ninth Professor of Chemistry in Cambridge from 1815 to 1860. Cumming is remembered for his research-led teaching and his lectures during which he would literally shock the audience with a galvanic apparatus...
) leased what was then called Buxton Hall Hotel from the fifth Duke
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, KG was a British aristocrat and politician. He was the eldest son of the William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire by his wife the heiress Lady Charlotte Boyle, suo jure Baroness Clifford of Lanesborough, who brought in considerable money and estates to...
in 1791. He was considered socially more than a mere hotelier, and the hotel's clientele included bishops and visiting aristocracy. The Old Hall has served as a hotel ever since.