Buxton Project

Mike Wye & Associates Ltd – suppliers to one of Britain’s largest lime putty plastering projects. The finest Buxton lime used in a landmark restoration project.

Bigger than the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the University of Derby are the proud residents of the old Royal Devonshire Hospital in Buxton. Now classified a grade 2 star listed building, the 5th Duke of Devonshire commissioned Georgian architect John Carr of York in 1779 to build the original octagonal building to create an impressive stable block. Work on creating the great dome was sanctioned by the then Duke of Devonshire in 1877. Finally completed in 1881, the dome is now the centrepiece of the University’s Devonshire Campus.

The University took ownership of the building from the NHS in 2001 and the renovation began. Specialist crafts people were engaged to work on joinery, lead roofing, glazing and of course the traditional lime plaster.

Mike Wye & Associates Ltd having long been established as one of the country’s leading lime producers based on Buxton Lime Industries highest quality quicklime, it seemed a natural choice that we should supply our ready mixed lime putty plasters for this prestigious project. Of course, our materials were not simply chosen out of sentiment. We provided an invaluable technical support to the plasterers based on our years of practical experience and of course the consistently high quality of our materials along with the excellent value for money meant that costs were kept to a minimum.

Materials employed

Up to 266,000 kg of Mike Wye & Associates lime putty materials were used on the project. We believe this makes it the largest building lime project of it’s kind in the UK (after the Covent Garden renovations that Mike Wye & Associates also supplied).

The materials in detail were:

223,000 kg of lime mortar 3/1 haired
37,500 kg of lime plaster skim
1,188kg of pure lime putty
37,800 linear feet of lath

Inside the Dome

Set within the beautiful Peak district, the journey to Buxton builds the anticipation.

At over 150 ft in diameter the Buxton Dome was once the worlds largest unsupported dome and still is the largest in the UK. On entering, the sheer scale is awe inspiring with the light streaming through the glazed sections bathing areas inside with golden light that moves around with the sun.

Once inside, no visit is complete without going to the very centre of the room. The acoustics are quite extraordinary, simply having a normal conversation offers a unique experience.

The quote below is taken from visitbuxton.co.uk

From Horses to Courses

Once a magnificent 18th Century stable block built by the 5th Duke of Devonshire to house the horses and servants of the guests of the Crescent Hotels, it is now the new campus of the University of Derby in Buxton. Welcome to this grade II* listed building, offering a breathtaking backdrop for students and visitors alike.

The original stables were built by John Carr of York and is one of the Grandest 18th Century buildings in Buxton. The slate dome was erected by Robert Rippon Duke in 1882 for the Royal Devonshire Hospital and is over 150ft in diameter, bigger than St Paul’s Cathedral in London, and is the largest unsupported dome in Britain. In short, one of the most inspiring buildings in the country.

The vast central space beneath the dome is home to cafés, shops, restaurants and study spaces.

Wikipedia , University of Derby conference facilities , Peak District , Tarmac