Buxton residents ponder possible new town centre homes for museum and library as part of Derbyshire County Council's ongoing plans

The county council has recently confirmed its ‘determination’ to re-open the museum and art gallery, which was formerly based at The Peak Buildings, on Terrace Road, in a ‘new, central location’ as a cornerstone of the town’s regeneration and it has stated that is also committed to relocating Buxton Library into the town centre but it has not yet identified any locations.

County Council Leader, Cllr Barry Lewis, said: “We are absolutely committed to ensuring that both the Museum & Art Gallery and the library return to the centre of Buxton. This isn’t just a proposal – it’s a priority. Our investment in these cherished institutions will not only secure their future but provide a strong foundation for the town’s wider regeneration.

“By placing the county council’s weight behind this project, we aim to give certainty and confidence to the overall vision. A new museum and library will help anchor a vibrant town centre, support the Buxton Crescent Hotel, town centre revitalisation and the wider visitor economy, and deliver long-term cultural and economic value for the town and county alike.”

But some residents including several on the Explore Buxton Facebook page have questioned where the museum and gallery and the library may eventually be situated despite welcoming plans to keep them both in the town centre.

Glenda Gilman posted: “Excellent news of the council’s aims and determination which show real vision for residents and visitors. It will be interesting to observe these plans develop.”

But Jessica O’Dwyer questioned the lack of detail in the current plans posting ‘there’s no actual plans here’ and Keith Vize also questioned where the museum and library will actually be going.

Nina Gilman-Hawkes has been disappointed to learn the former museum building will no longer be available for the public to visit but she was pleased to learn the library is to be relocated in the town centre.

She posted: “I’m disappointed that residents and visitors will no longer be able to see and enjoy the inside of this beautiful building.

“Very happy that the library is going to be moving back to somewhere more central and therefore accessible.”

Following the museum’s closure in 2023 due to structural concerns at the Peak Buildings, the county council says it has been working with partners to secure a new permanent home in the heart of the town.

The council added that this long-term investment will bring ‘certainty and momentum’ to High Peak Borough Council’s wider Revitalising Buxton initiative which recently appointed Capital & Centric as its development partner.

Buxton Library is currently based on Kents Bank Road from where museum staff have been continuing to work with outreach and temporary exhibitions while the museum’s collections have been moved into secure storage following the sale of The Peak Buildings in January, 2025.

A council spokesperson said: “Buxton Library will continue to operate from the current location until a new site is ready, but we are exploring options for it to be brought into the town centre as part of a thriving cultural and civic heart of Buxton, alongside the Museum.

“We are not able to give any further details at present, but we will keep the public updated as plans develop.”

The council announced in May, last year, that it was no longer viable for The Peak Buildings in the heart of Buxton to house the museum due to estimated costs amounting to many millions of pounds to repair the building which had suffered with dry rot but the council has always stressed it intended to relocate the public service to a new venue in the town.

Buxton Museum & Art Gallery reportedly first opened in 1928 in the beautiful Victorian building which is said to date back to 1880 and the council-run museum’s famous 40,000 or so artefacts include Ice Age bones and teeth, geological artefacts, a fine art collection, the unique Ashford Black Marble as well as a Derbyshire police collection.

Concerned individuals had signed a petition organised by Vision Buxton with over 2,000 names calling for the council-run building to be repaired and preserved as the town’s museum and Discover Buxton and Buxton Civic Association also raised concerns and stressed the importance of keeping the museum in the town.

Cllr Lewis previously explained that many people had wanted the building reopened after it was shut in June, 2023, following the discovery of dry rot but after it underwent assessments the council decided it was no longer cost-effective to restore the building as a museum.

He added that repairing dry rot in a municipal building with three floors and a roof with badly affected windows all needing replacement was just not viable.

Developer Nirad Solanki, of Solanki Holdings UK and International, bought the iconic Terrace Road building at an auction in January for £435,000 and he is considering converting the building into a special ‘apartment-hotel’ with fully-kitted out apartments with a kitchen, bathroom and living space which can be hired out for short-term lets.

Buxton Museum & Art Gallery is widely recognised as a treasured local, regional and national asset, with collections that include archaeology, geology, social history and fine art.

After the museum building closure staff packed, moved and stored collections of well over 40,000 artefacts, exhibits, exhibition cases and art works, including the entire Wonders of the Peak exhibition and the Boyd Dawkins Study Room.

Derbyshire County Council has stated that it will continue with plans for the museum and library by working closely with High Peak Borough Council and other partners to shape the next phase of Buxton’s regeneration to deliver ‘a thriving cultural and civic heart for Buxton, where heritage and ambition meet’.