The gorgeous UK market town that's the highest in England and 'better than Bath'

If you love markets, elegant architecture, opera, the Romans, and Jane Austen, this town is for you. Perhaps you might also be tired of visiting famous UK towns that are overcrowded and have somehow lost their charm as a result. This autumn, you might want to visit a place that, for many, doesn't ring a bell immediately - but is definitely worth the trip. Buxton in Derbyshire is a town of 20,048 residents and is famously reminiscent of Bath. But while the region surrounding Bath is home to 193,400 people with a staggering 5.4 million visitors in 2023, while still a tourist destination, just 1.5 million people visited Buxton last year. This makes it an excellent alternative for a weekend getaway for those who want to avoid the crowds.

Matthew Howarth, a programme manager at the Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust, told the Independent: "Both Bath and Buxton have origins as Roman spa towns built around natural thermal springs. Each featured baths and temples associated with water deities. These towns were seen as destinations for wellness and recovery, and Roman remains in both confirm the importance of the curative properties of the waters."

The Romans founded Buxton around 50BC, after discovering a hot spring in St Ann's Well. They named it Aquae Arnemetiae after the goddess Arnemetia. She was a local Romano-British goddess, likely associated with springs or sacred groves. The Romans left their mark on Buxton, leaving behind roads, bathhouses, a shrine to the goddess Arnemetia, or coins and pottery, much of it still unearthed beneath the modern town.

Inspired by Bath's famous crescent, Buxton Crescent was built over the Roman remains in the late 18th century. Builders of the following century added natural mineral baths and a pump room, which is now a visitor centre. Today, St Ann's Well feeds the Buxton Crescent spa hotel, and the Buxton Crescent Experience tells the story of the site's history.

Similarities with Bath do not end here. Jane Austen, who had a notoriously complicated relationship with Bath, loved the Peak District. She never mentioned Buxton by name in her novels, but the spa town is widely believed to have inspired her writing. During the Regency era, Buxton was a fashionable resort for the wealthy, much like Bath, which features prominently in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. This September, the town celebrated 250 years of Jane Austen at the Buxton International Festival. 

Buxton is also home to England's highest market - 1032ft above sea level. The special markets focus on Derbyshire products and are held regularly in the town centre and around the market hall. They attract both locals and visitors, creating a lively atmosphere where community and commerce meet. Seasonal markets and special events, such as Christmas fairs, add extra colour and charm to the historic streets of Buxton. 

Culture lovers will not be bored. The world-renowned opera house is at the heart of the town's thriving arts scene, which flourishes throughout the year. The small town also boasts the Pavilion Arts Centre with a 360-seat cinema, the Octagon Hall which hosts tea dances, exhibitions and fairs, and The Gallery in the Gardens, where there's always something happening.

One visitor wrote on TripAdvisor: "Have visited Buxton many times in the past few years and I've fallen in love with it. I can't explain why really. I think it's how isolated it is as a small town or how contrasting the scenery is from the town to the gardens. Or maybe the Victorian or Georgian architecture? The place fascinated from the first time I went. Even just walking around the town. Would like to even move there one day. I really can't explain it."