5100 x 3393 px | 43,2 x 28,7 cm | 17 x 11,3 inches | 300dpi
Date de la prise de vue:
juin 2009
Lieu:
Buxton Derbyshire, Northern England, UK
Informations supplémentaires:
Built on the River Wye, and overlooked by Axe Edge Moor, Buxton has a long history as a spa town due to its geothermal spring which rises at a constant temperature of 28 °C. The source of the spring is behind Eagle Parade and piped to St Ann's Well (often mistaken for the source) opposite The Crescent near the town centre. Each summer the wells are decorated according to the local tradition of well dressing. The Well Dressing weekend has developed to become something of a town carnival, including live music and funfair.The Romans developed the settlement when it was known as Aquae Arnemetiae (or the spa of the goddess of the grove). Findings of coins indicate that the Romans were in Buxton throughout their occupation.The town largely grew in importance in the late 18th century when it was developed by the Dukes of Devonshire, with a second resurgence a century later as the Victorians were drawn to the reputed healing properties of the waters.The Dukes of Devonshire have been closely involved with Buxton since 1780, when the 5th Duke used the profits from his copper mines to develop the town as a spa in the style of Bath. Their ancestor Bess of Hardwick had taken one of her four husbands, the Earl of Shrewsbury, to "take the waters" at Buxton shortly after he became the jailer of Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1569, and they took Mary there in 1573. she called Buxton "La Fontagne de Bogsby", but stayed at the site of the Old Hall Hotel.Instrumental in the popularity of Buxton was the recommendation by Dr. Erasmus Darwin of the waters at Buxton and Matlock to Josiah Wedgwood I. The Wedgwood family subsequently often journeyed to Buxton on holiday and recommended the area to their friends.
