18th May 2013
This is the Old Hall in Buxton. The oldest part of the building dates from 1572. It has been altered several times since then. The new additions and alterations have been built around some of the oldest parts of the building, which include a fortified tower.
The fortified tower was built by The Sixth Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick. It was used to accommodate Mary Queen of Scots over a two-year period between 1576-8. Mary Queen of Scots was kept as a prisoner on the orders of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
In the eighteenth century, as Buxton grew in popularity as a Spa, the Hall became a hotel. Daniel Defoe (author of Robinson Crusoe) stayed in the hotel in 1727.
“The Duke of Devonshire … has built a large handsome house at the bath, where there is convenient lodging, and very good provisions ….”
Posted in News by Laura