| Cheltenham
MP3 walking tours
Our Cheltenham Walking Tour Pack contains two walks, which can be downloaded to your iPod or MP3 player.
Montpellier: A 60-minute walk around the Regency centre of Cheltenham, including: the War Memorial; the Neptune fountain; Imperial Gardens; the Queens Hotel; Cheltenham Ladies' College; the site of the original Montpellier Spa; Lansdown Crescent; the Gordon Lamp; Suffolk Square; the Daffodil (former art deco cinema); Cheltenham College; the birthplace of polar explorer Edward Wilson; Montpellier Gardens; and the Town Hall.
Pittville: A 60-minute stroll out to the Pittville Estate, featuring: Royal Crescent; John Dower House; the Art Gallery and Museum; St Mary's Church; the Everyman Theatre; the Holst Museum; Pitville Park; the Pittville Pump Room; Wellington Square; and Clarence Square.
Zip file (includes
PDF map): 17.28Mb
MP3: 19Mb approx
Tracks: 24
Audio length: 50:10 mins
Walking time: 2 x 60 mins
Cheltenham highlights
Saltwater Spas
Cheltenham made its name in the late 18th century as a spa destination - resulting from the discovery of the only saline cold water spring in the country. You can still taste the water from this spring at the Pittville Pump Room, on our Parks, Pumps and Planets tour. Many of the original spas are no longer operating, but our Regency Ramble tour takes past the original sites of the Sherburne Spa (now the Queens Hotel), the Royal Well (now Cheltenham Ladies' College) and the Montpellier Spa (now a bank).
Regency Architecture
Along with Brighton, Cheltenham provides one of the best examples of a Regency town in Britain. Much of the original architecture is still in place, and even recent developments have been in keeping with the late 18th century design and blend in seamlessly. There are plenty of opportunities to see Regency terraces and villas, including those at Montpellier Terrace, Lansdown Terrace, Suffolk Square. Wellington Square, Clarence Square and, of course, the Pittville Estate.
Educational Excellence
Cheltenham boasts two of the finest private schools in the country - Cheltenham Ladies' College and Cheltenham College. Both are architectural marvels, as well as being seats of academic excellence, and can be seen on our Regency Ramble tour.
Musems and Galleries
Cheltenham has its fair share of historical tales to tell, many of which are featured in the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum. The town is also the birthplace of the composer Gustav Holst, most famous for his Planets Suite, and there is a museum dedicated to his life and work in the town. Both museums feature on our Parks, Pumps and Planets tour.
The Pittville Estate
This architectural experiment - which ultimately failed in its aim to become an alternative place to stay from the centre of Cheltenham for the Regency aristocracy - is the work of Joseph Pitt. Our Parks, Pumps and Planets tour will tell you how this area of the town was conceived and - to a point - developed, as well as take you past some of the surviving architecture. The area's highlight - and indeed one of the highlights of the town as a whole - is the Pittville Pump Room itself.
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