Cheltenham
Though little remains of its pre-spa history, Cheltenham has always been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716.[11] Her father, William Mason, had done little in his lifetime to promote the healing properties of the mineral water apart from limited advertising and building a small enclosure over the spring.He built a pump to regulate water flow and erected an elaborate well-house complete with a ballroom and upstairs billiard room to entertain his customers.The beginnings of Cheltenham's tree-lined promenades and the gardens surrounding its spas were first designed by Captain Skillicorne with the help of "wealthy and traveled" friends who understood the value of relaxing avenues.The area's walks and gardens had views of the countryside, and soon the gentry and nobility from across the county were enticed to come and investigate the beneficial waters of Cheltenham's market town spa.[16] Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll were regular visitors to a house in Cudnall Street, Charlton Kings – a suburb of Cheltenham.Alice Liddell's grandparents owned this house, and still contains the mirror, or looking glass, that was purportedly inspired for Lewis Carroll's novel Through the Looking-Glass, published in 1871.In the Second World War, the United States Army Services of Supply, European Theatre of Operations established its primary headquarters at Cheltenham under the direction of Lt. Gen. John C. H. Lee, with the flats of the Cheltenham Racecourse[20] becoming a giant storage depot for countless trucks, jeeps, tanks and artillery pieces.West of the Greenfield Way and Fiddlers Green Lane roads, along with much of the open space up to the Civil Service Sports Ground, as well as the Cheltenham Racecourse and surrounding green park, along with St Peter Leckhampton parish church and Brizen Playing Fields/Haven and Greenmead parks along the south of the borough, are covered.[citation needed] In May 2024, under plans by Gloucestershire County Council, it was reported that there are secret talks to formally merge the conurbations of Cheltenham and Gloucester with each other.[23] The plans suggest that around ten new garden towns could be built around the green belt at Boddington which if removed would result in the complete merger of both boroughs.[29] The head office of the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), known to locals as The Doughnut, is located in Cheltenham, to which it moved in 1951.As a Regency spa town, tourism is an important sector in Cheltenham's economy, but it also has some light industry, including food processing, aerospace and electronics businesses.Vertex Data Science, GE-Aviation, Chelsea Building Society, Endsleigh Insurance, Archant, Nelson Thornes, UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service), Kohler Mira, Zürich Financial Services, Douglas Equipment, Volo and Spirax-Sarco Engineering all have sites in and around Cheltenham.Cheltenham is a regional shopping centre, home to department stores, the oldest being Cavendish House, from 1823,[34] and the Regent Arcade.[43] Many of the buildings are listed, including the Cheltenham Synagogue, judged by Nikolaus Pevsner to be one of the architecturally best non-Anglican places of worship in Britain.[44] Built in 1902 within the Imperial Square, Cheltenham Town Hall is a Grade II-listed building and features a plaque commemorating the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.Along with The Wilson, the Trust now manages the Town Hall, the Pittville Pump Room, the Prince of Wales Stadium and Leisure @, a large fitness and swimming complex.[47] The Cheltenham Paint Festival[48] attracts hundreds of mural artists from dozens of countries worldwide and is a highlight of the Gloucestershire arts calendar.The graffiti depicted three men in trench coats and dark glasses apparently listening in to calls made in the telephone box.[56] Other Cheltenham-born musicians of international renown include Gustav Holst,[57] for whom there is a dedicated museum and a monument in the town, and FKA Twigs.In 2021 the Cheltenham 7s festival began and is held at the end of July each year at the Newlands Rugby club opposite the main GE Aviation (ex Smiths Industries site) works between Southam and Bishops Cleeve.[69] Based on data from 2023–2024, Cheltenham was described by CrimeRate.co.uk as "the safest major town in Gloucestershire", although its crime rate was 55% higher than the county's overall average.[91] National Express operates a number of coach services from Cheltenham including route 444 to London and Heathrow Airport.Before becoming part of National Express, Cheltenham was a major hub for Black and White Coaches, with routes throughout the country, many of which formed a mass exodus through the town at 14:30 each day.These were the venue in 2008 for the eliminators of the National 12 Bell Striking contest, in which teams of campanologists from around the world compete to win the Taylor Trophy.
Cheltenham (disambiguation)boroughThe Town HallCheltenham MinsterMontpellier StreetGloucestershireConstituent countryEnglandRegionSouth West EnglandCeremonial countyCheltenham Borough CouncilLiberal DemocratMax Wilkinson(Liberal Democrats)Ranked 247thRanked 201stDemonymsCheltonianEthnic groupsReligionno religionArea codeOS grid referencespa townCotswoldsRegencyBritainGloucesterCheltenham Literature FestivalCheltenham Jazz FestivalCheltenham Science FestivalCheltenham Music FestivalCheltenham Cricket FestivalCheltenham Food & Drink FestivalsteeplechaseGold CupCheltenham FestivalRiver CheltDowdeswellSevernDomesday Bookmineral springsHenry SkillicorneRoyal Gloucestershire HussarsGeorge IIIPittville Pump RoomPittvilleJoseph PittCheltenham SpaAlice LiddellLewis CarrollCharlton KingsThrough the Looking-GlassA. R. QuintonFestivalSecond World WarUnited States Army Services of SupplyLt. Gen. John C. H. LeeD-Day invasionGloster E.28/39HucclecoteArea of Outstanding Natural BeautyCleeve HillcountySouth West of EnglandBristolBenhallFairviewHesters WayLansdownLeckhamptonMontpellierPrestburyRowanfieldSt Paul'sSwindon VillageUp HatherleyWhaddonWyman's Brookcivil parishesLeckhampton with Warden Hillparish councilsGloucester and Cheltenham Green Beltgreen belturban sprawlGloucestershire County CouncilBoddingtonsupercityGloucester City Councilancient parishvestryimprovement commissionersmunicipal boroughLocal Government Act 1972urban districtnon-metropolitan districtTewkesburyGovernment Communications HeadquartersThe DoughnutBritish Islesoceanic climateKöppen climate classificationprecipitationsunshine hoursMet OfficeCavendish Houselight industryelectronic surveillanceVertex Data ScienceGE-AviationChelsea Building SocietyEndsleigh InsuranceArchantNelson ThornesZürich Financial ServicesDouglas EquipmentSpirax-Sarco EngineeringWeird FishSuperdryMeri Meridepartment storesJohn LewisMichelin one-star restaurantsLe Champignon SauvageThe Guardian