Cheltenham was changed forever in the early 18th century when local people noticed pigeons pecking at salt deposits by a spring south of the town. People began to drink the water believing it would heal all kinds of illnesses.hat seems tiny to us but by the standards of the time it was a fair sized market town.
CHELTENHAM THE SPA TOWN. Cheltenham was changed forever in the early 18th century when local people noticed pigeons pecking at salt deposits by a spring south of the town. People began to drink the water believing it would heal all kinds of illnesses. That seems tiny to us but by the standards of the time it was a fair sized market town. However the population of Cheltenham exploded in the early 19th century. By 1851 the population of Cheltenham Spa had reached 35,000 although population growth eased in the second half of the Spa Town. Cheltenham was little more than a village until the early 19th century, with the river running down the High Street (for “river” read “stinking sludge”) with stepping stones across it, and stray farm animals milling about, its principle employment opportunities being brewing and the knitting of stockings. Such was the influence of royalty at that time, the entire town was catapulted into an era of complete change and regeneration. Not immediately, because the blight of the Napoleonic wars from 1792 to 1815 limited the cash for building, but by 1820 the town was well into a massive boom as a spa resort. Cheltenham /ˈtʃɛltnəm/ , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, England, located on the edge of the Cotswolds. Cheltenham is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing. The Gold Cup is the main event of the Cheltenham Festival, held every March. Cheltenham takes its name from the small River Chelt, which rises nearby at Dowdeswell and runs through the town on its way to the Severn. The town was the meeting place for the court of the Hundred of Cheltingham at the time of the Domesday Book. The town was awarded a market charter in 1226. Cheltenham [1] [2] is a historic spa town in England, which started its development in the early 1700's with the discovery of healing waters. It became very popular after the visit of King George III in 1788, and developed further.  Cheltenham was specifically designed in its 18th and 19th century heyday as a pleasure health resort for wealthy visitors, the legacy of which is an exceptional range of quality accommodation, restaurants and entertainment in an elegant Regency spa town. With such a huge variety of entertainment in Cheltenham, choose a performance at the Everyman Theatre, a concert or show at the Town Hall, or a race meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse. Cheltenham Spa began as a Saxon village. At the time of the Domesday Book (1086) it was a small village with a population of less than 200. However Cheltenham became a focal point for the surrounding villages. In 1226 King Henry III gave the people of Cheltenham the right to hold a weekly market and an annual fair. That seems tiny to us but by the standards of the time it was a fair sized market town. However the population of Cheltenham exploded in the early 19th century. By 1851 the population of Cheltenham Spa had reached 35,000 although population growth eased in the second half of the Part of a brief attempt to resurrect Cheltenham’s status as a spa town, the Town Hall in Imperial Square was equipped with a fourfold pump system from which different types of spa water, including those of Montpellier and Pittville, could be dispensed from a single circular counter. Such was the influence of royalty at that time, the entire town was catapulted into an era of complete change and regeneration. Not immediately, because the blight of the Napoleonic wars from 1792 to 1815 limited the cash for building, but by 1820 the town was well into a massive boom as a spa resort. Though little remains of its pre-spa history, Cheltenham has been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716. Captain Henry Skillicorne (1678–1763), is credited with being the first entrepreneur to recognise the opportunity to exploit the mineral springs. Cheltenham takes its name from the small River Chelt, which rises nearby at Dowdeswell and runs through the town on its way to the Severn. The town was the meeting place for the court of the Hundred of Cheltingham at the time of the Domesday Book. The town was awarded a market charter in 1226. Cheltenham's success as a spa town is reflected in the railway station, which is still called Cheltenham Spa, and spa facilities in other towns that were inspired by or named after it. Cheltenham takes its name from the small River Chelt, which rises nearby at Dowdeswell and runs through the town on its way to the Severn. The town was the meeting place for the court of the Hundred of Cheltingham at the time of the Domesday Book. The town was awarded a market charter in 1226.
http://www.localhistories.org/cheltenham.html https://cheltonia.wordpress.com/spa-town/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheltenham http://wikitravel.org/en/Cheltenham http://www.visitcheltenham.com/ http://www.localhistories.org/cheltenham.html https://cheltonia.wordpress.com/spa-town/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheltenham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheltenham
why is cheltenham a spa town