Overnight in Buxton with Kids

Best place to stop overnight when travelling North from Sussex. We had our Summer holiday in Scotland this year. Travelling up from Sussex to Ayr and then onto Skye meant a lot of driving. The boys cope well with long journeys having done them since they were little. However, it is nice for all of us to break the journey up. So while planning our road trip I built in an overnight stay on the way up and settled on the Peak District which is about a four-hour drive for us. 

Overnight in Buxton with Kids

One of the initial attractions of Buxton was that they had a Premier Inn within walking distance of the centre. They have long been our go-to for overnight stays when breaking journeys up. You just know what you are going to get with a Premier Inn and they tend to be well priced with a good breakfast. Our initial plan was to eat on-site in the evening when we arrived. In which case I would not be sharing this post with you now. Unfortunately, the restaurant was not open as they were suffering from a lack of staff due to the pandemic. Initially annoying it turned out to be a good thing as it allowed us to explore Buxton. We were are a little disappointed that we could not stay longer. 

The walk from the Premier Inn into Buxton itself takes around fifteen minutes. It is along a busy road which does get a lot of traffic. There is a footpath all the way along but it was busier than we were expecting. Definitely, a kiddie holding hand sort of road. 

Best place to stop overnight when travelling North from Sussex

There are many reasons why Buxton makes a good stopping place. Especially for children, there is so much to do and the ability to spend half a day if not a full day exploring the town and area further. We did not have this option as I had already booked us tickets to visit the English Heritage site, Carlise Castle. But even in our brief visit we totally fell in love with it.

Things to do in Buxton with Kids

• Food! There are lots of options for places to eat and drink. With many pubs and restaurants that cover a wide range of cuisines including Chinese, Italian and Greek. We chose to eat in the Tap House Brewery. Which also offers a tasting flight of beer. 
• Opera House & Pavilion Gardens. Buxton is full of Georgian and Victorian architecture. The Opera House with its beautiful stained glass veranda, domes and gilded details can’t help by catching your eye. It is next to the Pavilion Gardens. The Pavilion itself is open 10 am – 4 pm most days. The gardens are landscaped and free to explore into the evening. When we visited there were little stalls selling food and drink, candy floss and a small fairground ride directly in front of the Pavilion.
• Playground & Paddling. With wrought iron bridges and bandstands, the park is nice to just wander around. In areas, the stream is so clear and shallow that I am sure it attracts many a child in the heat of the day. There are also two play areas, one for younger children and then another for slaughter older with a zip line. Plus a basketball court and outside trim trail. The boys loved trying out the machines.
• Boating Lake. Also in the park, you can hire a pedalo or small rowing boat. There are lots of ducks and geese to feed.

Places to stop to break up the South-North journey

• If you stopover on a Saturday then there is a market in the morning in the main square.
• Other aspects of the town are worth a wander with independent shops to nose in. Plus the Buxton Crescent with its yellow stone in my opinion is on par with Bath. 
• Looking further afield Solomans Tower is a forty-minute walk from the Premier Inn or you can drive and park nearby. The walk is apparently quite steep from the carpark and takes around fifteen minutes.
• There is also Poole’s Caverns which operates tours every half an hour from 9.30 in the morning. The tour takes around 45 minutes and is definitely on our list should we return to the area. Find out more on Pooles Cavern website.
• If you want to understand more about historical Buxton then it is possible to take a Tram Tour that lasts approximately 55 minutes.  Find out more on the Visit Buxton website.

Best place to stop overnight when travelling North from Sussex

We had a great overnight stop in Buxton with kids and hope to return to explore the area further in the future. I am always on the lookout for places to stop on our travels. Please let me know about the best places you have used to break up a UK journey in the comments below. 

If you’ve liked this post please follow me on my social media channels:

Mudpie Fridays: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | LinkedIn