After checking into our holiday apartment, we wandered through the Pavilion Gardens, complete with octagonal concert hall, John William's theme tunes played enthusiastically by a band in the bandstand, and a Canada Geese population which threatened to outnumber Buxton's human residents.
There was a queue of people waiting to fill bottles at the well, so we figured we'd skip the spring water for the time being and drink Red Willow beer instead.
I enjoyed the beers from the Macclesfield brewer when they fist began to appear in London, then got the chance to drink them in their own home town bar a few years back. The Buxton venue (their second) opened in 2017 in a spectacular conversion of what was originally the William & Glynns bank. The old office in the corner, with mahogany wood and etched glass is the real eye-catcher.
On the bar were Red Willow 'Feckless', 'Wreckless', 'Heartless', 'Headless', and - deviating from naming conventions - 'Citra Luminosa'.
The 'Heartless' for me, a chocolate porter, that was...hmmm...so-so. It was rather a muddy sludge which I figured was intentional, then began to doubt half way through.
The music shifted to lesser heard territory with the Australian Crawl's 'Reckless' - wow, that's dedication to the 'words ending in 'less'' theme.
Picking the wrong beer was my own fault and I left with every intention of making a return visit to sample something better. Except Buxton has rather a lot of pubs and I never did make it back to Red Willow. Next time...
A short uphill walk along the side of The Slopes took us to a cafe/bar which had been expertly identified as an ideal option for tea.
This is very much a café/bar and very much not a pub. But it was on the ale trail leaflet we'd picked up, scored well for cask quality on the CAMRA website, and had a menu that appealed to Mrs PropUptheBar.
On the downside: table service, some ghastly flowery wallpaper and some bland music.
On the upside: well-kept local cask, a flower pot Paddington Bear outside, and some very comfy-looking armchairs by a fireplace.
Cask ales on offer were Thornbridge 'Jaipur' and a Cheshire duo of Beartown 'Kodiac' and Wincle 'Sir Philip'.
The Wincle for me, a 4.2% malty premium bitter, brewed in Macclesfield, accompanying a flat bread with beetroot falafel which was far more food than I really needed.
By this point I was keen to get to a proper pub and the Titanic one looked like it would fit the bill.
The Wincle for me, a 4.2% malty premium bitter, brewed in Macclesfield, accompanying a flat bread with beetroot falafel which was far more food than I really needed.
By this point I was keen to get to a proper pub and the Titanic one looked like it would fit the bill.
This coaching inn dates back to at least 1787. The name comes from the practice of traders paying for their overnight stays with blocks of cheese. Credit cards seem to be preferred these days.
Everards Brewery took over in 2013 and partnered with Titanic to run the pub, so the beer line-up was looking very similar to what we find back in Oxford at the Royal Blenheim.
Five hand pumps dedicated to Titanic, the Plum Porter being pulled through whilst were there...
...Everards, Castle Rock, Little Critters and Tiny Rebel on the second bank of 5.
I picked the Titanic 'Iceberg Grand Crew', released in June 2026 as a limited edition to celebrate the brewery's 40th birthday. This is a 5.9% version of the regular Iceberg - lots crisper and hoppier, tasting as though it's a percentage-or-two higher.
Hard work. I was glad I only had a half.
The Cheshire Cheese is a sprawling pub with several rooms: timber frames on the roof, wooden boards on the floor, lots of nooks and crannies, and cheery holidaymakers tucking into evening meals.
Was I lowering the tone in my scruffy attire or is that chap under the beer list over-dressed?
The Cheshire Cheese is a sprawling pub with several rooms: timber frames on the roof, wooden boards on the floor, lots of nooks and crannies, and cheery holidaymakers tucking into evening meals.
Was I lowering the tone in my scruffy attire or is that chap under the beer list over-dressed?
Our first evening finished with a visit to the Buxton Tap House (11-16 The Old Court House, George Street, Buxton, SK17 6AT) - very quiet on a Sunday evening. With food service having finished and no outdoor seating on a warm evening, the crowds had gone elsewhere. Not that this affected a great pint of 'Monsall Mild'.
Day two in Buxton began with a trip out to the village of Chelmorton and a jacket potato and fine pint of ale in the Church Inn.
Back in Buxton, we headed to the first of three pub visits in the Upper Town.
We were making our way to one of the area's first micropubs, located at the far end of the market opposite the Methodist church, a couple of doors down from the unappealing modern Vaults bar.
At least that's where we were going if we were permitted entry...
The Ale Stop (Chapel Street, Buxton, SK17 6HX)
Two rooms have been opened into one, although are distinctly different: regular seating and a splendid brick fireplace to the right, two long wooden benches and the bar counter to the left.
The gaffer shouted at his dog to get out the way and let customers in, then enthusiastically promoted the cask ales he had on offer.
Just across the road and a few doors down from the Cheshire Cheese is another old inn which I figured was worth poking our heads into.
Followed by a trek into the fields to visit the Five Wells neolithic tomb.
We were making our way to one of the area's first micropubs, located at the far end of the market opposite the Methodist church, a couple of doors down from the unappealing modern Vaults bar.
Two rooms have been opened into one, although are distinctly different: regular seating and a splendid brick fireplace to the right, two long wooden benches and the bar counter to the left.
The gaffer shouted at his dog to get out the way and let customers in, then enthusiastically promoted the cask ales he had on offer.
A Brentwood 'Big Brown Bear' for me. This is the second ever beer that the Essex brewery produced, reviving it to celebrate their 20th anniversary. I tend to be wary of brown ale, but this was a superb tasty beer served in top condition.
The Ale Stop pub dog received a temporary banning order for leaping into the small space on the bench next to Mrs PropUptheBar, throwing her weight around and 'being a tart' in the words of the boss.
The Ale Stop pub dog received a temporary banning order for leaping into the small space on the bench next to Mrs PropUptheBar, throwing her weight around and 'being a tart' in the words of the boss.
I felt a bit guilty that we'd spoilt the dogs afternoon in the pub. She was banished to a flat upstairs somewhere whilst we enjoyed the Ale Stop with its handful of cheery locals, eclectic music, and quality beers.
But we had a heritage pub which was rumoured to serve Bass ahead of us, so onward we went...
The Swan Hotel (40 High Street, Buxton, SK17 6HB)
Now this is what I call a proper pub.
The Swan consists of a large central servery with bar counters looking out into three rooms which surround it, one packed and two empty. To the rear was the room that all the locals had settled in, making a fair bit of noise and emitting the kind of sweary language that you wouldn't have expected from the gentlefolk of Buxton! To the left of the front door is the 'Scottish' lounge, provided you're content that tartan carpet and decorations on the wall qualify it as being Scottish.
Great bench seating and dumpy stools...
But we had a heritage pub which was rumoured to serve Bass ahead of us, so onward we went...
Now this is what I call a proper pub.
The Swan consists of a large central servery with bar counters looking out into three rooms which surround it, one packed and two empty. To the rear was the room that all the locals had settled in, making a fair bit of noise and emitting the kind of sweary language that you wouldn't have expected from the gentlefolk of Buxton! To the left of the front door is the 'Scottish' lounge, provided you're content that tartan carpet and decorations on the wall qualify it as being Scottish.
Great bench seating and dumpy stools...
The beer selection is likely to disappoint anyone committed to local ales and exotic brews, but I was happy...
An excellent pint of Bass.
Drank whilst sat in the front bar which contained more cushioned bench seating, copper-topped tables, dart board, display case of medals, and the distraction of TV and flashing lights on the games machine.
I loved the Swan, even if it we were sat in a room by ourselves. It would be a bolder pubman that me who'd insert themselves amongst the locals in the back bar.
The big red gates under the archway hark back to the pub's past as a 17th century coaching inn, still bearing the inscription 'Good Stabling' on the brickwork.
It fails to feel especially historic within, thanks to a 21st century makeover to ensure everything appeals to the tourists looking for a pub to eat in.
The once prolific Pedigree takes a bit of finding these days since those pesky campaigners made Bass popular and it nabbed all the production capacity from the Marston's flagship ale.
So that's what I picked, under £3 on half-price cask Monday, which was nice.
Pedigree on pretty good form, supped on the sunny patio in front of the pub.
Our plan for the remaining days in Buxton was to board the train and hop off at a few stops on the way towards Manchester, seeing what Beer Guide pubs and sights we could see along the way. And that's what I'll be waffling on about in the next posts.
Our plan for the remaining days in Buxton was to board the train and hop off at a few stops on the way towards Manchester, seeing what Beer Guide pubs and sights we could see along the way. And that's what I'll be waffling on about in the next posts.
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