Cheltenham is one of Britain's finest Spa towns, set in a sheltered position between the rolling Cotswold Hills and the Severn Vale, it enjoys a mild and pleasant climate. Once a small Cotswold town, Cheltenham became famous as a Spa in the late 18th century. According to tradition, pigeons first made the discovery of the spring of mineral water, as they pecked at the salty deposits around the spring. News of its beneficial properties spread quickly, and people came from afar to drink the salty water as a cure for all manner of ailments. When King George III arrived in Cheltenham in 1788 to take the waters, he set the seal of royal patronage upon the town, and Cheltenham became the fashionable place to visit.

Most of the town centre lies within a conservation area of outstanding national importance.  Regency town houses , characterised by intricate ironwork balconies and painted stucco facades, line the historic Promenade, squares and terraces.  With its award-winning gardens, impressive range of stylish shops and restaurants, and its festivals of horse racing, music and literature, Cheltenham has a cosmopolitan ambience to beguile the most jaded spirit.

The rich and famous followed the King to Cheltenham. Among those who visited were the Duke of Wellington, Princess Victoria, Lord Byron and Jane Austin. When Charles Dickens visited Cheltenham, he wrote of the town "Rarely have I seen such a place that so attracted my fancy." Cheltenham also proved popular with retiring military officers, to the extent that it became known as "the Anglo-Indian's Paradise".  So popular and prosperous did the spa become, that a number of gifted architects of the day were commissioned to draw up plans for a new town.

The town was laid out in fine squares, wide tree-lined streets, terraces and elegant crescents. In spite of some wartime damage and modern building, Cheltenham retains its original Regency grandeur; many of the buildings still have their original wrought-iron work balconies and verandas. You can still sample the famous mineral water at the Pittville Pump Room, in Pittville Park. Built on Joseph Pitt's elegant estate, the pump room is an outstanding example of Regency architecture, completed in 1830 as an assembly hall. Today the Pittville Pump Room is home to regular concerts and entertainment.

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