Devonshire Dome

It and was later extended by architect Robert Rippon Duke, who famously added, what was then, the world's largest unsupported Dome, with a diameter of 42.2 m. In 1859, the Buxton Bath charity persuaded the Duke to allow part of the building, to be converted to a charity hospital for the use of the 'sick poor' coming in for treatment from areas such as Lancashire and Yorkshire. A third architect was employed, Henry Curry, who was architect for St Thomas's Hospital in London, and then became the Devonshire estate architect, who converted two thirds of the building into the hospital.

In 1881, the charity trustees persuaded William Cavendish, to give them the use of the whole building in exchange for providing stables elsewhere in the town. This is where Robert Duke was commissioned, to design a 300 bed hospital to rival Bath and Harrogate, for charity medical provision. The steel structure was clad in Slate, and was supported by 22 curved steel arms. However, during the construction of the Tay Bridge disaster in 1879, a number of arms were revised upwards and railway engineer, Mr Footner, who advised the builders to take into account the stresses of lateral wind storms.

The clock tower and large were completed in 1882 and surgical wards were added in 1897, and spa bath in 1913 and the building became known as the Devonshire model Hospital in 1934, the last of the eight hydropathic hospitals in England to close, when it shut down its doors in 2000.It is now the site of the Devonshire campus of the University of Derby.

The Dome is architecturally stunning, with its 44 column, 145ft diameter colonnade supporting the 562 ton roof, it is now one of Buxton's most famous landmarks. The dome is now a campus for both the University and Buxton College and offers a warm welcome to members of the public who would like to see this remarkable grade 2 listed building. Visitors can book a table in fine dining restaurant, which offers contemporary and freshly prepared dishes in a very relaxed atmosphere. Set within the breathtaking backdrop of the Devonshire Dome. It has a first-class reputation for outstanding food and service which is provided by the students under the watchful eye of their tutors midweek and their newly appointed award-winning head chef at the weekends .

The cafe provides an informal setting for light snacks and luncheons, and offers a good selection of freshly prepared, main courses with some cooked on 'live action' stations so the audience can see how it's done by the students. Visitors are also invited to use the spa and hair salon, where because these are all student training facilities, they are not only valued customers, but they also become part of the students learning experiences.