The Crescent, BUXTON

Client : The Trevor Osbourne Property Group | Location : Buxton, Derbyshire

The Grade I Listed Buxton Crescent was built between 1779 and 1789, designed for the 5th Duke of Devonshire by prolific Georgian architect John Carr.  The 3-storey gritstone ashlar building is an impressive 29-bay semicircle with a covered colonnade at ground floor level.  It was originally but as a series of separate ‘lodging houses’ with a hotel at each ‘book-end’, as part of the Duke’s vision to transform Buxton into a fashionable Georgian spa town to rival the city of Bath. The Crescent is arguably the most impressive building in Buxton.

Our involvement in the extensive conservation, refurbishment and conversion work necessary to create a unique luxury 5-star hotel of world class standard within the historic fabric of the Crescent stemmed over 4 years and focussed on the practical building conservation aspects of the project once work started on site.  We were involved as consultant advisors working closely with specialist crafts people on the repair and conservation of the slate and lead roofs, the external masonry elevations, internal joinery and elaborate decorative plaster ceilings in the principal public rooms; as well as contributing to decision-making on the decorative colour schemes and the conservation repair works to original decorative cornices and ceiling roses, and the repair of original Mahogany-veneered doors and ironmongery.   Although the works were completed and the hotel initially opened to the public in October 2020, Covid restrictions delayed its full opening until May 2021.