The town is divided into two portions, the higher and lower, or old and
new, the latter 80 feet lower than the former, being the fashionable
modern resort. Here are the celebrated baths, reputed to be a sovereign
cure for all rheumatic complaints, and celebrated since the time of the
Roman occupation of Britain. The spring which supplies the baths may be
considered one of the wonders of the Peak district, for, by means of a
cleverly-arranged pump, hot and cold water are obtained within a few
inches of each other.
The neighbourhood of Buxton abounds in the most wild and romantic
scenery--steep rocks, dark chasms, and wooded hills, mixed in delightful
confusion. Among the favourite places of resort are Ashwood Dale, with
its famous Lover's Leap rock; Shirbrook Dale, with its fissure and
cascade; Diamond Hill, so called from the quartz crystals or "Buxton
diamonds" found there; Chee Tor, a huge limestone rock 350 feet high,
which rises sheer from the bed of the Wye, washing its base; and Axe
Edge, 2-1/2 miles from Buxton, rising to a height of 1800 feet above the
level of the sea. From this point, in clear weather, a marvellous view
is obtained, embracing the mountains of North Wales to the westward and
Lincoln Cathedral to the eastward. From the sides of this rock issue
four rivers in opposite directions--the Dove and the Wye, ultimately
falling into the Humber, and the Dane and the Goyle, tributaries of the
Mersey. The view north from Axe Edge extends over countless heights and
ridges to The Peak itself, the highest point of all.
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