Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Cheltenham is one of many English spa towns we have visited. You
can't swing a dead cat in England without hitting one, seemingly.
"Taking the waters" was a popular cure-all in Georgian and Victorian days
-- and, considering the state of medical knowledge and the other approaches
that might have been prescribed at the time, not such a bad idea.
I'm sure six weeks of rest and amusement in a spa town would do me a world
of good, if only my employer and my HMO would agree. Here's the Pittville
Pump Room -- built around the spring whence the healing waters flow.
In the old days visitors would come to drink the waters and socialize during
the day, and return later for dances, concerts, and other entertainments.
At one point the water was bottled, as we learned at the Cheltenham Museum,
the best small museum in England that we visited.
At left, Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham.
Cheltenham is a busy town with all the trappings of modern life, including
horrendous traffic. However, once we got going on foot, it was easier
to find and appreciate the town's Regency elegance. My feeling is
that nothing complements old stone better than colorful flowers, and the
many gardens in town are a nice counterpoint to the architecture.
Even though we were there in early spring, the flowerbeds were filled with
vibrant displays. The first evening we took a long walk from our
B&B (Lawn
House) to the Pump Room, along the Promenade, and through Montpellier.
The next day Cheltenham kept us captive longer than we had planned -- we
went back to the Pump Room when it was open, and had an extended visit
to the museum.
Below, a shop in Montpellier, Regency townhouses,
a cute terrace house with window boxes.
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