Buxton Pavilion Gardens is a Victorian landscaped public park, designed by Edward Milner and completed in 1871. The River Wye flows through the gardens, which are a Grade II listed public park of Special Historic Interest.
There are landscaped walkways, children’s playgrounds, a miniature railway, a bandstand, various shops and cafés, and a busy schedule of events taking place throughout the year.
The river, lakes, trees and plants are a haven for birds including native ducks, Muscovy ducks, mandarin ducks, tufted ducks, the occasional kingfisher and cormorant, Canada geese, moorhens, coots, goosanders, wrens, nuthatches, finches, tits and herons. The river provides habitat for brown trout, water voles and crayfish.
Outside the Apartments on the south east boundary of the Pavilion Gardens is the Broad walk promenade which was constructed as Cavendish Terrace in 1857.
History
The park was designed by Edward Milner for the Buxton Improvements Company, following the arrival of the railway to Buxton in 1863. It was opened in August 1871 on a 12-acre site (on the land of the Hall Gardens, given by the 7th Duke of Devonshire) and in 1876 was extended to its present 23 acres of gardens and lakes. There was originally an admission charge to enter the gardens via a ticket office with turnstiles. Milner’s design was a development of the 1830s landscape design of the Serpentine Walks (along the River Wye) by Joseph Paxton for the 6th Duke of Devonshire, on what was previously the private gardens of Buxton Old Hall. The three original rustic bridges were removed in Milner’s design, with the introduction of ornate iron footbridges, the main one known as the Milner Bridge.
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra took a tour of the Pavilion Gardens when they visited Buxton in January 1905. During World War I Royal Engineers soldiers based in Buxton used the Pavilion Garden lakes for training exercises to build pontoon bridges. In 1927 responsibility for the Pavilion Gardens was transferred from the Buxton Gardens Company to the Buxton Borough Council.
The old bandstand platform is all that is left of an ancient Celtic temple. It was described in 1755 as having an octagonal base and a faint inscription appearing as ‘Aeona’. It was concluded that the temple was dedicated to either Epona (goddess of horses) or more appropriately Apona (goddess of healing waters). When Edward Milner remodelled the Pavilion Gardens in 1871 the 2,000-year-old temple was demolished and only the base now remains.
Buildings
Conservatory and Opera House
A series of Grade II listed Victorian buildings overlook the Gardens from its northern boundary with a wide promenade in front. The main Pavilion and Conservatory are cast-iron and glass structures from 1870, designed by Milner in the style of London’s Crystal Palace. The two-storey central hall of the Pavilion (which now houses the café) was rebuilt in 1983 after a fire. The Conservatory was originally used as a small concert hall with a stage and organ. In 1982 it was remodelled as a greenhouse conservatory with tropical plants and a fish pond.
Octagon Concert Hall
The Pavilion was extended with the construction in 1875 of the Octagon Concert Hall (by Robert Rippon Duke). With capacity for 800 people, the hall has been used over the years for musical concerts, tea dances, conferences, trade shows, antique fairs and farmers’ markets. The Beatles played in the Octagon Concert Hall on two occasions in 1963. The Octagon reopened in 2018 after a three-year £3m refurbishment.
Buxton Opera House
At the north east corner of the Pavilion Gardens is the Buxton Opera House (designed by Frank Matcham). Built in 1903, it is the town’s principal theatrical venue with 900 seats. The Opera House was primarily used as a cinema from 1932 until its closure in 1976. The Edwardian theatre reopened for stage productions following its restoration in 1979. Since its full renovation in 2001, the theatre has developed a busy programme of events covering drama, musical concerts, comedy, dance, opera and pantomime. It is also hosts the annual Buxton Festival.
Pavilion Arts Centre
Within the main pavilion complex, the Pavilion Arts Centre on St John’s Road has a theatre with 360 seats and it has been the home of the Buxton Cinema since 2017. The building was designed by William Bryden and was built as the Entertainment Stage theatre in 1889. It replaced an earlier theatre in the old hall stables, facing the Old Hall Hotel at the foot of Hall Bank. In 1833 the world-famous violinist Niccolo Paganini performed there but the theatre was demolished in 1854. After the opening of the Buxton Opera House, the Entertainment Stage was converted to show silent movies and was renamed as the Hippodrome. In 1932 it reverted to being used as a performance theatre called The Playhouse. It was subsequently known as the Paxton Suite from 1979 to 2010.
