Listed Building: THE CRESCENT (1257876)

Hotel, assembly room and 5 lodging houses, later council premises, now vacant. 1780-88, addition c1803 with C19 and C20 alterations. By John Carr of York for the 5th Duke of Devonshire, additions possibly by J White. Ashlar, brick and dressed stone with ashlar dressings and Westmorland slate roofs. Cruciform stone stacks. STYLE: Neo-Classical. PLAN: crescent. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys to front, 4 storeys to rear, and basements. Front has symmetrical 29 window semi-circular range culminating in 5 window facades at each end. Rusticated, round arched arcade to ground floor has set back 27 round headed openings, with sets of steps in front of arches 2, 8, 11, 14, 16, 22 and 23 (from right to left). Central altered doorway and to left a 3-light opening, a window, a door, 2 windows, a doorway altered to a window, 2 windows, 2 blocked doors and 3 windows. To the right 2 windows, a door, 2 windows, a door, 5 windows, a door and a window. All the windows are glazing bar sashes and doorways have mostly 6 panel doors and fanlights. Above giant fluted Roman Doric pilasters with blind balustrade and full entablature, topped by balustrade with plain panels interspersed with shaped balusters, the central panel is carved with the Cavendish arms. First floor has 23 plain sashes and to the right 6 glazing bar sashes, with guilloche pattern plat band between floors, and second floor has 29 glazing bar sashes. 5 window facades at either end have similar articulation, set back ground floor facades have 4 round headed sashes each. Left return has similar articulation, 5-window range with blocked entrance at bay 1, first-floor windows blind and second-floor windows with glazing bar sashes. Right return has similar articulation, 7-window range, with 7 round headed sashes on the first floor and 7 blank panels above. Rear facade of dressed stone, 4 storeys. Ground floor has tall round headed windows mostly blocked, and small square projections with stairs. First and second floors have boarded glazing bar sashes and third floor has smaller glazing bar sashes. INTERIOR: of former St Ann's Hotel altered but some original features survive. The vaulted cellars serviced by central passageway are divided into secure rooms providing wine cellars and stores. These retain many original features, such as 4 planked doors with strapped hinges within pegged architraves, that have been refronted with panelled doors. There are 6-panel doors with low lock rails. Stone flag floors and a stone table survive. Window openings include 2 internal lunettes and an exterior window with chamfered mullion. To the right-hand, east, section many wooden doors retain top panels with bars for ventilation or vent holes. 2 fireplaces with stone jambs and lintels, 1 with narrow grate, the other larger. Ground floor has later ornate dining room addition to rear, with massive moulded beams upon double modillions in 5 rectangular panels. Folding shutters to windows. Later furnishings include Chinese style woven wallhangings. First floor has cast-iron balusters to stairs, with wreathed wooden handrail and columns to landing. Door glazed and engraved to upper panels, with fanlight and raised panels to spandrels, in ornate doorcase with ovolo moulding, leads into Smoking Room. Drawing room also has entrance door with engraved glass to upper panels and overlight, in moulded surround with entablature. The ceiling has shallow relief plasterwork of interlocking scrolls with central roundel. The frieze is similar in style to the cyclamen or "whiplash" pattern. Ornate fireplace with overmantel. One fireplace removed at time of survey, elaborate over mantel mirror remaining. Former Great Hotel, later Crescent Hotel, has semi-circular staircase rising from right-hand entrance to first floor Assembly Room with canted corners. Coved ceiling with ornate Adam style plasterwork, also plaques to wall. Marble fireplaces with overmantels, coved decorated alcoves, and ornate door cases, all with pediments either scrolled or triangular. The double panelled doors are round headed. Order of Corinthian columns and engaged pilasters. Adjoining the Assembly Room is the former card room (2x2) with panelled doors. The remaining houses and the hotel were designed as individual units, those to the hotel have linking curved central corridors on each floor. Each unit has 3 windows to the front and 5 windows to the rear with splayed internal walls following the curve of the Crescent. The units also have single flight return, cantilevered stone staircase with iron balustrade and wooden handrail. Most units contain some original decoration such as doors, doorcases and plasterwork, though many were modernized in the C19 and they retain interesting C19 fireplaces, plasterwork and panelling. Brick and stone vaulted cellars retain at least one later cooking range and slop stone sink. Balustrade to Great Stair by Thomas Smith of Chesterfield, and plasterwork to Assembly Room by James Henderson of York and carving by Thomas Waterworth of Doncaster. The Crescent cost »38,601.18s.4d. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Derbyshire: Harmondsworth: 1953-1986: 113; Hall I: Georgian Buxton: Chapel-en-le-Frith: 1984-: 40; Leach John: The Book Of Buxton: Leicester: 1987-: 124; Georgian Group Journal: Hall I: The Cresent, Buxton: 1992-: 40-55). Listing NGR: SK0580673572