| Description | [Diary Transcription]
4
1816
August
part of the mine into the abyss, at the rate of 20 tons a day for 5 years, it made
no apparent difference but it remains unfathomed and unfathomable – the guide told
us he had been let down with ropes 100 yards to the level of the water – but still he could not get line
enough to find anything like a bottom – the declivity is not steep – he walked down very
securely with the help of the roper – The mine cost £14000 and took 15 men, working day
and night, 5 at a time and 5 hours together, 11 years – the road from Buxton to Castleton is
in many places tremendously steep, bounded on all sides by high naked lime-stone
mountains here and there scattered with sheep – Mam Tor or the shivering mountain rises into view 4 or 5 miles
from Castleton, and becomes gradually more and more striking – This mountain is at least
13000 feet above the level of the plain, and is, I believe, the only one in the country where
the elastic pitch is found – About 5 miles from Castleton on the right as you go, is the ebbing
and flowing well, at the foot of a lime-stone hill – It is several yards in circumference and looks
exactly like one of the Yorkshire Wold horse-ponds - Je Coup d’oeil of the valley or
basin, in which Castelton is situated, when you first catch it from the new road
just cut at the foot of the Tor, is very striking and beautiful – It is formed by a circular
range of Lime-stone mountains, in many parts not apparently of much less
elevation than the Tor – may possibly be 5 or 6 miles in circumference looks fertile and
well cultivated and is agreeably diversified by the 2 villages of Hope and
Brough by a few small farm-houses and trees in the hedgerows – Sheep graze
along the heights; for there is no plants, nor indeed a tree to be seen on them - the
town with its neat looking church, is quite at the extremity of one side on their right –
Almost at the Summit of the mountain that overhangs it/ more than 250 feet above the plain/
is a fine ruin of the Castle, called by the Romans Arx Diaboli, in the possession of one
Peveral,at the time of the Doomsday Survey and then called The Castle of the Peake-
A deep fissure separates this part of the mountain from that in which is the entrance to
the Cave or Peak’s hole, which can hardly be more than a couple of hundred yards from the Inn-
we got back about 7 – all delighted with our day’s excursion – C – [Charles] hardly spoke as we
returned and would have been very much hors de queue if we had not coaxed him out
of it – He told us how faint and sick and quere he had felt in Speedwell mine – he thought he should
have died while he was in the boat – It certainly was very vaultish, and the atmosphere not
agreeable – Anne sat by my bedside till 2 I talked about the feeling to which she gave rise
lamented my fate said I should never marry could not like men ought not to like women at the
same time apologizing for my inclination that way by divers arguments arguments made out a pitiful
story altogether and roused poor Annes sympathy to tears
5
1816
August Friday 16
L had a kiss A very rainy day and Buxton looked very dull – Took a few turns
every now and then under the Piazzas – Tasted the well-water – it is warm and has nothing at all
unpleasant to the taste, but the mouthful I took made me rather sick – went to Moore’s circulating
library/ in the Crescent / found nothing but novels, and some of them none of the best nor least
exceptionable – Saw the ball and card rooms which are in the house and are both very handsome and well
adapted to their respective purposes - There was a ball in the evening but we did not think it
worth the trouble of going – the fuss of dressing at 9, to break up, according to rule, precisely as the
clock strikes 11 – what I am going to say of the place is almost entirely taken from the few observantions
I could make yesterday morning while we were sauntering about before going to Castleton – The Crescent is
a handsome stone building very neatly finished, 3 stories high, a piazza under the 2nd story
in which 4 people can walk abreast, and the top of the building surmounted in the centre by the
Devonshire arms in handsome relievo – The Crescent communicates immediately with several
other handsome modern erections belonging to the Duke, all piazzaed in the same way for the
convenience of visitants / they say it always rains at Buxton/ and let as lodgings – the
crescent besides a few shops, consists of the Great Hotel, the Centre, and St. Anne’s in front of
which is the well, called St. Anne’s, whence the house has its name – this is the place for
invalids / notwithstanding it is sometimes skittishly called the Manchester warehouse / Step
out of the door, turn to the right, and you are in a covered paysage within 20 yards of the baths –
These rather disappointed me both in style, and number – They are dark low places, the
dressing-rooms do, and very small, and seemingly uncomfortable – There is only one public
bath for the ladies and one for the gents – one private bath for the ladies, and one for the gents
There is no prospect from the Crescent, a hill rising directly in front of it – the stables
are excellent and at a little distance to the right – They are quadrangular on the outside
with 4 great interior gates – the inside, enclosing a large circular area, is circular and
piazzaed round for the purpose of a menage, or riding school - The carriage stand,
which in a good season is quite a show-thing, is close at hand, forming 2 long lines
of shed in the shape of a gnomon at the back of the stables – At a little distance is
the church one of the neatest and most beautiful little buildings of the kind I ever saw. It
has not been finished long, and is of fine free stone like the Crescent, the walls the same
within as without, the plain stone looking infinitely better than any plaster, paint,
or whitewash, tho’ some think the appearance cold – the 2 interior doors are thro’
a sort of porch, supported by 4 handsome Ionic columns, each of one block. Perhaps
it is the only church of the kind in England and is universally admired – The pleasure grounds
and walks, belonging as it were to the Crescent, have lately been much enlarged and now extend
some miles – no expense has been spared to make Buxton as alluring as possible - |