Gloucestershire

Cheltenham stands on the River Chelt, a tributary of the River Severn, and is a spa town (mineral springs were discovered there in 1716); it claims to be the most complete Regency town in Britain - there are tree-lined promenades and parks surrounding its several spas (these are covered in a separate post).

Starting at Royal Crescent, a terrace of 18 houses, we walk to and along the Promenade which was built at the height of the Regency Period; tree-lined and beautiful, it is flanked by the Long Gardens and contains the popular modern statue called "The Hare and the Minotaur" as well as an older statue of Edward Wilson, an Antarctic explorer, and the imposing War Memorial.  At the end of the Promenade is the amazing Neptune Fountain, which was modelled on the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

This leads to the Montpellier district, now a trendy bar area with a rotunda building.  Around the corner and backing onto the Imperial Gardens is Cheltenham Town Hall, an early-20th century and Grade II listed assembly rooms building; it is a public venue and not the seat of the borough council, which is housed in the nearby Municipal Offices.  We pass Cheltenham College, a famous Victorian public school (English independent day and boarding school) and a number of other regency buildings on the walk round the town

Cheltenham Minster, St Mary's is the only surviving medieval building in Cheltenham, and has been in continuous use for 850 years.  A short walk from this is the Brewery Quarter, Cheltenham's hub of leisure attractions, restaurants, bars and shops.Read more