300 years of Cheltenham Spa

Have you ever wondered how Cheltenham became known as Cheltenham Spa?

300 years ago, a local farmer and landowner William Mason became curious of some pigeons pecking at acumulated salts, deposited by the chalybeate spring. The pigeons were described as 'looking rather healthy' and Mr Mason was convinced the spring had healing properties. He enclosed the spring and invited people to drink the water for half a penny a glass. The original site of the spring is now sadly beneath Cheltenham Ladies College, but for many years it was a site used by locals.

In 1738, Mason's son-in-law, Captain Henry Skillicorne, inherited the land and moved to Cheltenham. He saw the potential to turn Cheltenham into a 'spa town' and holiday and leisure destination, and set about digging out the spring to make a well, installing pumping equipment, landscaping the ground and importantly, laying down an elm-tree avenue (Well Walk) from the then town centre, to the spring to enable people to reach it.

A visit from King George III, who hoped the waters would help to cure his illness, secured Cheltenham's position as a spa town, and became a catalyst for its transformation into a sought-after destination for the wealthy. The well later became known as 'Royal Well', a name which lives on today. Skillicorne went on to build some assembly rooms (demolished to build Lloyds Bank, and replaced by the erection of Cheltenham Town Hall).  

The waters were bottled and sold as far away as London, and the well received hundreds of paying visitors each year. By the start of the 1800’s it was attracting thousands of visitors.  To meet the demand, further spas began to appear including the Montpelier Spa on Bath Road and the Sherborne Spa, located at what now is the MGallery Queens Hotel.

The spas went into decline from the 1830’s by which time most had gone.  The town became a non-spa in 2003 when the last functioning well at Pittville Pump Room was found to be leaking, but Cheltenham Borough Council, generously subbed by local business Kohler Mira, committed to fixing it and in 2005 a new borehole was successfully brought into use to restore the supply.

If you visit Pittville Park, the refreshment kiosk was once known as the “Little Spa”, built as an alternative site, and pre-dates the Pump Room. Whilst there make sure you pop into Pittville Pump Room and enjoy the free trail.