Tuesday, December 01, 2009

At Solomon's Temple, Buxton

On Saturday we walked in the Grin Low Country Park near the Spa town of Buxton. Our goal was to reach Solomon's Temple, sometimes called Grin Low Tower.


There had been a light covering of snow and the air was very misty and cold.
As we walked the air began to clear and there were glimmerings of light from behind the heavy clouds.

We reached the temple and went up to the top; the stairs were very damp and slippy.

The views were stunning both through the windows and from the top of the tower.

The tower stands on top of an ancient Bronze Age barrow known as Grin Hill, is about 20 feet high and is 1,440ft above sea level.

It is a Victorian folly built in 1896 by Solomon Mycock, a local farmer and landowner, who wanted to help provide work for some of the locals who were unemployed; this was done by public subscription and with the help of the Duke of Devonshire. When the tower was built an archaeological dig revealed skeletons of ancient 'Beaker' people.

The walk from the car park and back was very invigorating but we were so cold when we got back to the car - it was time to find some warm soup for lunch so we drove back towards the Longnor Craft Centre, where we ate our late lunch surrounded by some beautiful local arts and crafts - unfortunately the photos I took inside didn't turn out very well because of the light levels, so here is a - link - to their website so you can see for yourselves what they have to offer.

14 comments:

  1. I think the pictures you took are stunning(like the view)...very December..and there was SNOW..hope we will get some too..Its also snowing on your blog..that works very well together with you new beautiful header..
    And then the name of that Hill...Grin..:)(was there a cheshire cat)..
    Thank you for taking me on this wonderful walk..!

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  2. I feel all wintery looking at your photos and of the falling snow! I popped over to the shop and really fancy a piece of Abbie's famous ginger cake!!!

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  3. Oooh - snow. My Sister in Law lives up your way - I'll have to ring her later to see if she has any of the white stuff. Just cold and muddy here after torrential rain and strong winds yesteray.

    Rosie x

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  4. I heard that there was snow mid pennines - glad you managed to capture it for us. Ive got "In the Bleak mid Winter" playing in my head now. xxxx

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  5. Oh, how I loved reading this and looking at the photographs you took. This is just the kind of walk I love. Thank you so much!!!

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  6. What a stunning view, and the snow makes it more charming!

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  7. For some reason, your post made me feel very cold. I showed my hubby and he is desperate to go so that he can take pics.
    Lovely post though even if it did make me freeze!x

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  8. I love the new look of your blog, Rosie. Its perfect for winter and now I can enjoy the snow, which we never get here.
    Your photos are gorgeous.
    Thanks for stopping by and leaving nice comments, Rosie

    Be Well, be Happy :)

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  9. Lovely pictures and I really enjoyed seeing your walk. I felt cold after reading it. It's been very mild with us so far. x

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  10. What a cold day you chose for your walk, invigorating indeed!

    I love Buxton though, whatever the weather.

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  11. Snow, your photos make me feel very chilly! A fine walk, with lots of history. I'd like to go in search of a Victorian folly, or two.

    Thank you so much for your kind words on my recent Mum post. Funnily enough, part of her family name was Buxton! x

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  12. These are some of the most enchanting pictures! It's almost as if you unwittingly slipped into a fairyland. :-)

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  13. Followed your link.... those cakes and scones look delicious!

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