The Pavilion Gardens is a beautiful, historic garden dating back to 1871. Situated just 40 minutes from Stockport, Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District and has been welcoming visitors for many years.
The Pavilion Gardens
The gardens are set within 23 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, with a selection of beautiful flowers and wildlife. There are plenty of grassy areas for picnics or ball games, we saw a few families playing cricket! The paths throughout the gardens go in all directions, even taking you over bridges, ponds, and small waterfalls. All the paths are flat and suitable for pushchairs and dog walkers, which makes it a perfect walk for all ages. There are also plenty of benches to sit down to rest your weary legs!
The bandstand at the heart of the Pavilion Gardens
There is a beautiful bandstand that sits at the heart of the gardens and has a lovely view over the entire garden. Local brass bands do play here on Sunday afternoons, and bank holiday Mondays throughout the summer season between March and September. Please see the website for the 2021 programme.
The miniature railway at Pavilion Gardens
There is a small miniature railway situated in the centre of the gardens, which costs £2.50 per person. It’s a small train ride more suitable for children aged 10 and under and it takes you a couple of times around the duck pond and through a tunnel…which our children enjoyed! It’s certainly another great way to take in the view.
The playground at Pavilion Gardens
The children’s playground is divided into two main areas, an area for toddlers and younger children aged 5 years and under, then an older playground suitable for aged 12 and under. There is a good variety of swings, slides, a zip wire, and climbing frames. There is even exercise equipment should you chose to do a workout! The big highlight was the inflatable slide that was at the top end of the playground, this was £2.50 per person for 10 minutes. Our children loved this even our 5-year old seemed fearless throwing herself down and having lots of fun!
The Boating Lake at Pavilion Gardens
There is a small boating lake situated next to the playground. This was closed during our visit, but tickets to hire rowing boats or pedalos can be purchased from the Lakeside Kiosk. Available on weekends and during school holidays from 10.30 am (12.30 on Sundays).
The Building Complex and Promenade at Pavilion Gardens
The promenade walk is a beautiful walk along the perimeter of the garden area. Along the walk, there’s a selection of cafes and a beautiful grade II-listed building. There are also a few fairground rides! It’s perfect for taking a leisurely stroll or you could easily ride small bike or scooters down here.
The building complex incorporates the Pavilion retail arcade which has a selection of local shops selling a range of products from gin, jewelry, books, and lots more. There is also a gallery that showcases the largest selection of locally made, high-quality art and craft in the area.
Food and Drink at Pavilion Gardens
There’s plenty of food and drink options at Pavilion Gardens. On our visit, we ate at the pavilion cafe which was only serving take-away food and drink. They offer a large selection of hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and do the most amazing stone-baked pizzas and cakes…we can highly recommend them! There is also the Pavilion Tea Room, offering afternoon tea and an ice cream parlour which seemed to have a great selection of ice cream flavours! Along the promenade, there’s plenty of seating areas and picnic benches, but if you’d prefer to bring your own picnic there are also lots of grassy areas to set up a picnic blanket.
Parking and toilet facilities at Buxton Pavilion Gardens
There is a car park located at the Pavilion Gardens which is £3.20 for 4 hours. You can also park on local streets with a parking meter which is slightly cheaper at £2.50 for 4 hours but get there early to secure these spaces! Toilet facilities are located near the children’s playground and in the building complex along the promenade.
Buxton Town Centre
Buxton town centre is only about a 5-minute walk from the Pavilion Garden area and it’s well worth a walk around. Renowned for its Georgian and Victorian architecture – much of it linked with the 5th Duke of Devonshire’s ambitions to create a spa town rival to Bath back in the 18th century. Buxton is also famous for its natural thermal springs and superb setting 300m metres above sea level since Roman times. A new spa hotel The Buxton Crescent Hotel opened its doors early this year offering a selection of spa and beauty treatments, the hotel is set to use the thermal spring water from the market down.
This market town is bustling with lots of local shops, pubs, and cafes and it’s well worth a visit to another masterpiece which is the Edwardian Buxton Opera House, home to the internationally renowned Buxton festival and host to many other shows, music, and comedy events throughout the year. Please see the website for further details.
We had a lovely afternoon at Buxton as there was so much to see and do and fun for all the family. We will definitely be returning throughout the year!
