Welcome to Buxton

Lee Wood Hotel, opening January 2027

Book today for up to 30% off holidays at the Lee Wood Hotel | Book by 30 June
+ HF Holidays members save an additional £30pp on all UK holidays. Not yet a member? Join today.

Join us at our newest HF Country House, opening January 2027

Discover the Lee Wood Hotel, our new 43-bedroom Georgian house in Buxton. It is perfectly placed for unforgettable walking holidays in the heart of the Peak District. With Buxton’s highlights on the doorstep, excellent rail links, and easy access to walking routes, it’s an inspiring base for your next escape. And with a fresh new look planned when it reopens, there’s even more reason to be among the first to visit.

Now on sale for departures from January 2027, this is the time to book. Secure your stay by 30 June to save up to 30%, and book with extra confidence thanks to our Member’s Price Pledge. If you’re a Member and the price drops after you book, we will automatically refund the difference.
“Since announcing our new HF Country House in Buxton, we have been truly encouraged by the positive response from our members, volunteers, and colleagues. We are also delighted to have the support of the Millican family, whose care of the Lee Wood Hotel for nearly 70 years has created the warm, characterful place we are proud to build on.

Lee Wood gives us a permanent home in one of our most-loved walking regions. Its central location allows us to deepen and broaden our connection with the Peak District, opening up more landscapes and experiences to enjoy year-round. We warmly invite you to join us in welcoming Buxton to the HF Holidays family. Our 2027 holidays are now available to book, and a special celebratory opening week from 29 January."

Chris Simmonds
CEO, HF Holidays

A Central Location in the Peak District

Lee Wood Hotel, our 43-bedroom Georgian house in Buxton, offers excellent rail connections and puts this historic spa town’s many highlights on the doorstep. Best of all, it has easy access to plenty of Peak District walking routes, including the Dark and White Peaks, plus the picturesque villages of the Hope Valley. Post-walk, relax in the gardens, or enjoy socialising and activities in the roomy bar and lounge areas.

  • Central location convenient for town and countryside
  • 1/2 mile walk from Buxton station and town centre
  • 43 en-suite guest rooms, including 3 Superior and
  • 11 Premium rooms, and 18 single rooms
  • Gardens with outdoor seating terrace
  • Spacious lounges and fully-licensed bar
  • Shared-dining conservatory restaurant
  • Activity rooms and oak-panelled multi-function space
  • Handy boot and drying room
  • Discovery Point with easy-to-follow self-guided maps
  • Free on-site parking, plus EV charging points (extra charge)

A history of the Lee Wood Hotel, Buxton

Set in Buxton’s Devonshire Park, the Lee Wood Hotel has its roots in the early Victorian transformation of the town into a fashionable spa destination. Originally built in 1830 as three villas by the 6th Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish – the influential “Bachelor Duke” – the buildings reflect a period when landed visionaries were actively shaping landscapes for leisure and wellbeing. Cavendish, a statesman, diplomat and passionate horticulturalist, worked alongside Joseph Paxton, designer of the Crystal Palace, to reimagine Buxton as a refined resort for visitors arriving by the newly expanding railway.

By the 1860s, the villas had been combined into a hotel, welcoming guests drawn by the restorative qualities of Buxton’s thermal waters and clean air. Early advertisements describe a property set in spacious grounds with sweeping views, designed to offer both “health and pleasure”.

In the 20th century, the hotel found a new chapter under Margaret and Derwent Millican, whose family stewardship lasted for almost seventy years and became closely woven into Buxton’s civic life. Their legacy of warm hospitality continues today, as HF Holidays prepares to carry the story forward – preserving a place shaped by vision, community, and generations of travellers seeking something meaningful.

Image
Image
“The hotel has been in my family for 69 years and we feel extremely privileged to be handing the baton over to the members of HF Holidays. Although we may be biased, we are confident that in years to come we will continue to visit the hotel and that it will remain the best hotel in Buxton."
Nicola Longden
Lee Wood Hotel, Current Owner & Manager

Interior design: A new look awaits when it reopens

Interior design artists impressions


Our future interior design approach centres on being ‘Consistently Different’. A consistent HF Signature-Club style will create a warm, sociable, members-club inspired environment that feels quintessentially British, timeless, and comfortable. While 'bringing the outside inside' will allow us to celebrate what makes our country houses different, honouring their unique heritage, character and geography through biophilic design, to shape interiors that feel highly individual, and deeply connected to their surroundings. Lee Wood Hotel will be the next in line to get the 'Consistently Different' identity. Work has already started to get plans in place to celebrate the unique history and personality of our newest HF Country House.

“Stunning place and excellent location. I feel it’s going to be a real favourite with our guests.”
Paul
Peak District HF Leader & Field Advisor
Image

HF Member’s Price Pledge

HF Members can book with confidence knowing that they will always pay the lowest price. Secure your first choice of holiday, and if the cost drops after you book, we will now automatically refund the difference.
(Excludes self-guided holidays, group & travel agent bookings)