'Old Hall Hotel', Buxton

Old Hall Hotel dates back to 1573 and archivists and historians recently concluded that it could possibly be the oldest hotel in England. It was built by the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury (Bess of Harwick) who also built Harwick Hall and Chatsworth and was originally known as ‘The New Hall’.

It was built with the sanction of Queen Elizabeth I to provide accommodation for Mary Queen of Scots who was under house arrest in the custody of the Shrewsburys - 1576/1578.

Whilst she was in ‘residence’, Mary carved some ‘graffiti’ on one of the windows using her diamond ring to etch the glass, leaving a semi-permanent record of her imprisonment.

The building sits over a natural spring and is also famous for its spa waters.

(Commentary provided by Alf Beard)