| Administrative History | Daily readings of weather data have been taken at the climatological weather station at the Slopes in Buxton (approximately 100 metres north of Buxton Town Hall), since 1865, when it was run by the Devonshire Royal Hospital and Buxton Bath Charity, a hydroptherapy hospital making use of the thermal springs. The British Meterological Office (Met Office) took responsibility for the site in 1874 and volunteers attend daily (365 days a year) to record various readings and observations. Between 1874 and 1899 individuals continued to volunteer through the Buxton Bath Charity. By 1899, the Buxton Borough Council had appointed a Borough Meterologist, though it is unclear whether this role was remunerated or whether it was honorary. After 1899, the Borough Council and High Peak Borough Council, from 1974, managed the volunteers; the Devonshire Royal Hospital probably retained an interest in the station. Between 1990 and 2015, the readings were taken by staff from High Peak Borough Council, and it was at this time that they inherited the records dating from 1959.
Since 2015, the work has been undertaken by a group of volunteers headed by Michael Hilton of Buxton Weather (see link below), and the daily readings are submitted to the Met Office via an online portal, for use in real time forecasting – and for inclusion in Long Term Climate Records for the UK. |
| Custodial History | These items were deposited by High Peak Borough Council in September 2020. |