that affords convenience during» rainy 
_ Weather or intense heat, the invalids 
\ 
being able to walk there, secure from wet 
or heat; while they reap, the additional 
benefit of the well and baths, which,are 
both adjoining to. the Crescent, and the 
Old-hali, a large hoarding-house, formerly 
the oniy one of repute at Buxton, but 
now not more frequented than many 
others in the Crescent, and its vicinity. 
The Royal Hotel forms one corner of the 
building, and contains, besides a number 
of good apartments, a spacious ball-room, 
fitted up and finished in a style of pecu- 
liar taste, neatness, and,elegance, and 
" universally admired by all who enter it, 
either for dancing, orduring the per- 
formance of divine service, on Sunday 
mornings; the parish-church being small, 
and at too great a distance to be con- 
veniently attended by the greatest num- 
ber of the invalids. ‘ The other corner 
house is called the St. Ann’s Hotel, from 
}tS proximity to the well, thus named in 
honour of its patron saint. 
commodious and spacious building, and 
usually resorted to by. strangers of re- 
spectability and distinction. ‘The inter- 
mediate houses are for lodgings and 
shops; a library, and news-room, to 
which both ladies and. gentlemen sub. 
scribe, and where there is a plentiful 
supply of diurnal and provincial prints, 
The well, covered over by a neat stone 
edifice, is in front of the Crescent, and 
the water is served by several women 
appointed for that. purpose, who are paid 
a trifle by those who drink at the foun- 
tain, previous to quitting Buxton. 
‘Lhe stables are built in the form of a 
circus, and are at a little distance from 
the Crescent, on the opposite bank of a 
small rivulet. They, are likewise com- 
modious aud extensive; collonaded round 
the inside, for the convenience of the- 
grooms in wet weather, and in the centre 
there i8 a spacious ride. The pillars 
which support these arches, are about 
ten feetin height, and formed each of 
one solid stone. ‘The coach-houses are 
on an extensive scale, a little detached 
from the stables, and are said to contain 
about three-score. carriages. The whole 
building indeed is admirably planued 
and executed, and the public are greatly 
indebted to the taste of the architect, as 
to the munificence of the nob!e propri- 
etor, There are several good inns and 
ledging-houses in the upper part of the 
town, with a number of inferjor board. 
ing-houses, generally crouded with per- 
sons 1n the less elegant walks of life, who 
yesort thither for amusement and health, 
{rom the different populous manufactures 
U5 
~ 
It is also a 
| t1¢ Letters of a Wanderer through England and Wales. [Sept. 1, ~ 
ing towns in Lancashire,.and the west 
riding of the county of York. Thereare 
several shops in the place stocked with 
articles of dress of all.descriptions. A 
small commodious theatre is usually well 
filled by a genteel audience, three eyen- 
ings in every week during the season, 
and the performances are oftentimes by 
no means indifferently presented. Three 
evenings in the week there are also balls 
at the rooms, and in the mornings and 
afternoons the public walks and rides 
are thronged with carriages, persons on 
horse-back, and parties of gay pedestri 
aus, whose appearance altogether must 
produce a striking effect upon a stranger, 
who, after travelling several hours, (as he 
must necessarily do, come which way he 
will) over moors and sterile heights, sud« 
denly advances within view of this’ se- 
questered spot, rendered gay and lively 
In .1ts appearance by its stately build- 
ings, and its showy, dashing, temporary, 
inhabitants. : 
Buxton was famous for its baths, even 
in the time of the Romans; and it con- 
tinues to be much. frequented, on the 
score of both health and amusement, 
The water is sulphureous and saline, but 
extremely palatable; and if drank in mo- 
deration, is efficacious in bilious, gravels 
ish, and gouty complaints; as the baths 
are likewise in cases of rheumatic, and 
paralytic affections. Of the Derbyshire 
wonders, as they are usually termed, you 
tell me in your last letter you have heard 
so much, that your curiosity is quite 
afloat to have my description of thems 
I fear, however, you will meet only dise 
appointment, if you have raised your ex- 
pectations of these wonders so very high, 
or have clierished the idea, that from me 
you will receive romantic flowery de~ 
scriptions of places, such as were you 
afterwards to visit, you would find fall 
far short of what you had been led to 
imagine. The talent of embellishing 
does not fall to my share; nor should [ 
conceive myself justified in sending you 
accounts of scenes and objects widely 
differing from the reality, in order to 
‘adorn my narrative by high-sounding 
expressions, or romantic images.’ A 
plain unvarnished detail of occurrences. ‘ 
and of scenes, is all you must expect 
from me; and as I cannot give a surer 
proof of my intentions, than by sending’ 
you a short account of my visit to Poole’s: 
Hole, a celebrated cavern in the vicinity 
of Buxton, I will-conclude my letter by’ 
the few words I have to say on that subs) ~ 
ject, and reserve for a future epistle my 
excursion to the Peak and other places 
in the neighbourhood. Mit 
PY Poole’s 
yo 
