SATURDAY

10am An hour’s drive from Manchester, the thermal spa town of Buxton has long lured aristocrats and royalsMary Queen of Scots among them, to ‘take the waters’. First stop: Arcade Deli. Its almond croissants are made fresh every morning – pastry heaven.

12pm We browse Cavendish Arcade’s eclectic shops – everything from artworks and waxed jackets to handcrafted earrings – then head to Grove Parade, and Maggie Mays antique shop. What a pity the vintage Harrods silk heels – only £36! – are two sizes too big.

3pm Check in at Buxton Crescent (ensanahotels.com; doubles from £220, B&B): commissioned in 1789 as a retreat for William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, it is a world-class spa. Our bathroom has an indulgent roll-top tub and plenty of Penhaligon’s.

3.30 p.m To the hotel spa for the thermal waters – discovered by the Romans. We laze in the 30C Buxton mineral water of the Victorian pool, refilled daily. There are Himalayan salt rituals and mud packs; I’m content with the infra-red sauna and the aroma steam room.

7.30 p.m A hotel dinner. The menu at 1789 features local produce – my husband, who knows his steak, says, ‘This is the best I’ve ever eaten.’ I try not-local (Derbyshire’s landlocked) halibut, new potatoes and broccoli, to leave room for the rhubarb and custard cheesecake.

10pm Drinks in the snug-yet-stylish hotel bar Darwin’s; Charles Darwin is said to have visited Buxton Crescent, drawn to its healing thermal waters. We’re drawn to the cocktail menu: espresso martini for me, negroni for him and we’re ready to conk out in our giant bed.

SUNDAY

9.30am A Buxton wander, after our hotel full English (bacon, sausage, black pudding and piles of pastries). At St Ann’s Well, which is opposite, we fill water bottles – Buxton water is owned by Nestlé, yet spring waters must, in keeping with old laws, be freely available.

11am As posters at the Buxton Opera House, home to the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, reveal, comedian Omid Djalili was on last night. (Thought that guy in the hotel lift looked familiar.) Beyond the Pavilion Gardens next door is parkland perfect for autumn walks.

1pm At the Tap House on George Street, my non-designated driver discovers why their ales have put buxtonbrewery.co.uk in the top 100 brewers in the world; I order the mushroom arancini (above) and smoked mackerel pâté, before we hit the A6 for the drive home.

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How to spend a weekend in Buxton, Derbyshire