Solomon's Temple, also known as Grinlow Tower, is a Victorian folly on the summit of
Grin Low hill, near the spa town of
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.[Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It includes the Dark Peak, where moorla ...]
.
On 23 February 1894, a meeting at
Buxton Town Hall
Buxton Town Hall was opened in 1889 on the Market Place in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. It lies in the town's central Conservation area (United Kingdom), Conservation Area overlooking The Slopes, Buxton, The Slopes. It is a Grade-II-listed build ...
decided to rebuild a landmark tower that had been built by Solomon Mycock, of the Cheshire Cheese Hotel, in the early 19th century, and of which only a few stones remained. The Local Board vice-chairman had talked with the
seventh Duke of Devonshire's agent and decided that the reconstruction was feasible if the townspeople would donate sufficient money. Sketches were submitted by architects
W. R. Bryden and G. E. Garlick. By that May, the plans were confirmed by the Duke of Devonshire, and it was well known that the site was of prehistoric importance. In June 1894, the
seventh Duke of Devonshire subscribed £25 towards building the folly. Buxton had already subscribed £50. The foundation stone was laid by
Colonel Sidebottom, M.P., on 31 May 1896, witnessed by a large crowd, and the tower was opened by Victor Cavendish in September 1896. The tower was restored in 1988 by public subscription.
["Solomon's Temple"]
''Atlas Obscura
''Atlas Obscura'' is an American-based online magazine and travel company. It was founded in 2009 by author Joshua Foer and documentary filmmaker/author Dylan Thuras. It catalogs unusual and obscure travel destinations via user-generated conten ...
'', accessed 26 May 2019
The structure is a , two-storey tower built on top of a Bronze Age barrow, sitting on top of a ridge at a height of 440 metres (1,440 ft) above sea level.
From the open top of the tower there are good 360-degree views over the town and the surrounding countryside and parts of the Peak District.
[ The tower does not contain anything other than the staircase to the top. It is a Grade II listed building.]
See also
*Listed buildings in Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. The town contains 93 listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of the three grades, ...
References
{{Derbyshire Places of interest
Folly towers in England
Peak District
Tourist attractions in Derbyshire
Tourist attractions of the Peak District
Buildings and structures in Buxton
Towers completed in 1896