| |
a little more about Cheltenham
 An Anglo-Saxon settlement, Cheltenham, was the site of a monastery as early as 803. Alfred the Great was a big fan, and by the 13th century Cheltenham was noted for its fairs and markets. It really invoked it's birthplace in national awareness in 1716, when according to legend, a flock of pigeons discovered a spring on the site of what is now the Ladies College. The locals, noticing the perky pigeons, tried the waters and found that they also worked for them. Astute entrepreneurs realised that there was spa based opportunity to be had and designed to attract the wealthy and famous. King George III impressed the regal seal of approval in the late eighteenth century when he took the waters. Thus Cheltenham became a fashionable spa right up to the mid nineteenth century. The influence of that era lives in the town's impressive aesthetic, it is said that Cheltenham is the most complete Regency town in England. In the 19th century through to the ending of British rule in India in 1947, Cheltenham became known as "the Anglo-Indian's Paradise", with many India based, empire serving, ex-military seeking to retire here. Cheltenham remains a lively, attractive town, hosting one of the main events in the sporting calendar in the "Gold Cup".
|
|
