uk uncovered - Britain's spa towns

28 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Autumn 2011

uk uncovered n britain’s spa towns

Bathing beautiesFashionable, elegant and promising to cure all manner of ailments with theirmineral-rich springs, the UK’s spa towns have been attracting the well-heeledfor centuries. John Law takes the waters and examines some of the bestsurviving examples from the golden age of spa tourism

UKuncoveredTLMautumn11v128-34_T&L 14/10/2011 16:36 Page 28

douche, the Schnee electric hydrotherapy bath, salinesulphur and peat baths.Harrogate is unique as a spa town because of its vari-

ety of mineral waters. The saline sulphur bath wasprescribed by the consulting doctors as good for gout,rheumatism and hepatic disorders, while the alkalinesulphur water was used for skin diseases.Modern medicine and technology hastened the

closure of the treatment centre in 1969, but a two-year£10 million redevelopment of the Royal Baths started in2002 restored the building to its former glory. Today’svisitors can still luxuriate in the Turkish Baths and bookvarious pampering sessions.Those interested in the history of this attractive North

Yorkshire town can visit the Royal Pump Room Museumto see the old sulphur well and sample the spa water. Thebeautiful Valley Gardens – with their own mineral springs– are a great place to relax, while active types cango walking, climbing, fishing or wildlife-spot-ting on the nearby Yorkshire Dales.

cheltenham

The first Cheltenham guide in 1781described a visit as “a journey of healthand pleasure”. The natural springs hadonly been discovered a few years earlier andwhen King George III spent five weeks taking

the waters there in 1788 the Cotswold town’s reputationtook off as one of the country’s most fashionable spas.The Duke of Wellington, suffering from a dodgy

liver, gave Cheltenham further prominence when hevisited early in the 19th century. The ensuing buildingboom saw the development of sweeping, classicalterraces and squares, elegant villas set in landscapedestates and broad, tree-lined walks.Cheltenham retains its elegant architecture and claims

to be England’s most complete Regency town. A must-see attraction is the magnificent, colonnaded and domedPittville Pump Room, set amid the gardens and orna-mental lakes of Pittville Park.Here the cream of Regency and Victorian society

would attend grand balls and take the medicinal waters.It is still used as a venue for entertainment and weddings– and the water continues to be pumped up from a well80ft below.Cheltenham spa water is claimed to be the only natu-

ral consumable alkaline variety in Britain, its chiefaction being antacid and mildly diuretic. It’s also laxative– an important consideration for imbibers planning asubsequent visit to the town’s stylish shops, or itsrenowned horse-racing, music or literature festivals.

buxton

Buxton in Derbyshire has some of the country’s purestspring water, which can be sampled, free of charge,from a well dating back to the Middle Ages. St Ann’sWell was visited in Tudor times by Mary Queen ofScots when she was held captive at nearby Chatsworth.Before that, the Romans built baths here served by thewarm springs which emerge at a constant 28ºC.

The town’s attraction as a spa resort gatheredpace in the late 18th century, when the fifthDuke of Devonshire built the Crescentalongside St Ann’s Well. Thermal bathsand more fine buildings were added andthe railway’s arrival in 1863 ushered in agolden age.Buxton’s thermal baths closed in the

1950s and today’s visitors are drawn by theannual arts festivals, the ornate Edwardian

opera house and the Peak District countryside.



spa hotelsNone of Britain’s grand, old hotels still offerauthentic mineral water baths andtreatments, although several new ones are onthe drawing board.Bath’s planned five-star Gainsborough

Hotel will feature its own thermal baths nearthe city’s Thermae Bath Spa, although theproject is much delayed. Also at the planningstage is major redevelopment of Buxton’smagnificent old Crescent building as a five-star hotel offering thermal spa treatments.

Meanwhile, visitors to Bath seekingaccommodation with an on-site modern spabook properties such as the five-star, 18thcentury Macdonald Bath Spa. In Buxton, OldHall is reputed to be England’s oldest hoteland entertained Mary Queen of Scots whenshe sampled the waters. The Barcelo Palaceis an imposing Victorian hotel built whenBuxton’s spa tourism was booming.The Cottage in the Wood is a historic

hotel built in the hillside near Malvern’s HolyWell, while the Malvern Hotel is a modernproperty with an award-winning spa.Fine Georgian and Regency buildings which

once enjoyed a thriving trade from visitorstaking the waters include The George inCheltenham, The Spa in Tunbridge Wells, therecently-refurbished Crown in Harrogate,and The Angel, a former Leamington coachinginn.One of Droitwich’s more popular hotels is

St Andrews Town Hotel, built as the townclerk’s house in 1820. The Metropole in Llandrindod Wells was

the largest hotel in Wales when it opened inthe 1890s with its own spa treatment centre.That closed in 1972 but the hotel, now afour-star property, does offer a modern spa.

“Cheltenhamretains itselegantarchitectureand claims tobe England’smostcompleteRegencytown”

n Buxton has someof the country’spurest spring water

n Temple, Buxton

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They started with the Romans, became theheight of fashion in Georgian times andenjoyed a further renaissance under thehealth-obsessed Victorians. Modern medicinekilled off most of Britain’s spa bathing andtreatment centres by the middle of the last

century, but the elegant towns that grew around themremain agreeable places to visit.

bath

Take the plunge for a new perspective on GeorgianBath. Whether it’s a sizzling summer’s day or a freez-ing night in February, bobbing around in the warmoutdoor pool atop the city’s Thermae Spa is a greatway to relax after shopping or footslogging on thetourist trail.Gazing across rooftops to the Abbey and green hills

beyond, today’s Bath bathers can thank poor KingBladud and the Romans for discovering the therapeuticbenefits of the hot, mineral-rich waters. Legend has itthe hot springs cured the Celtic king of his leprosy, whilethe Romans later built a great temple and magnificentbath-house dedicated to the goddess Minerva.The restored Roman Baths are now among the UK’s

top tourist attractions. You can’t bathe there, but theydraw almost one million visitors a year and many popnext door afterwards to the elegant Georgian PumpRooms for lunch or tea, or a glass of the reputedlyhealthy but weird-tasting water from the spa fountain. Bath became a leading spa resort during its 18th

century heyday, when those famous sweeping crescents,elegant squares and parks were developed. Lastyear, 4.5 million visitors flocked there for thegrand architecture and first-rate shopping –and to enjoy a session at the country’s onlyremaining thermal baths. Opened in the city-centre five years ago,

the striking Thermae Bath Spa buildingscombine classic Georgian architecture withmodern glass and steel. There are four poolsfed by the natural hot springs, steam rooms

infused with frankincense, eucalyptus and other essentialoils, treatment rooms and a restaurant.

royal tunbridge wells

Feeling listless and in need of a tonic? The nearest spatown to London – and the only one in the South East –is Royal Tunbridge Wells, where a glass of iron-richwater from the Chalybeate Spring might liven you up.The source was discovered in 1606 and, by Georgian

times, the Kent town was a favourite among royalty andnobility as a place to see and be seen. Notable imbibersof the great cure-all included Queen Anne and QueenVictoria, Samuel Pepys and Daniel Defoe.Today, Tunbridge Wells is a prosperous commuter

town surrounded by glorious Wealden countryside.Those taking the £4 town tour are shown the originalvillage area around the Grove, the shops in the historiccolonnaded Pantiles, old lodging houses on MountEphraim, pretty clapboard cottages, elegant Regencyvillas and grand Victorian homes. They finish with areviving glass of the Chalybeate water, often served by a“dipper” in traditional costume.

harrogate

Spa buildings don’t come much grander than theornately-styled Royal Baths, home of Harrogate’s Turk-ish Baths and Health Spa. The great Islamic arches,vibrant glazed brickwork, arabesque painted ceilingsand terrazzo floors still provide exotic surroundings inwhich to relax.

Discovery of the springs of Harrogatedates back about four centuries and theRoyal Baths, which opened in 1897,claimed to be the world’s mostadvanced centre for hydrotherapy. Inaddition to the Turkish baths, therewere mud baths and steam rooms andmedicinal waters on offer. Intrepid

Victorians could sign up to a range ofbizarre treatments, such as the Plombiere

Autumn 2011 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 29


n ThermaeBath Spa

n The Inner Space,Thermae Bath Spa

n Dippers at theChalybeate Spring

n ThePantiles,RoyalTunbridgeWells

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douche, the Schnee electric hydrotherapy bath, salinesulphur and peat baths.Harrogate is unique as a spa town because of its vari-

ety of mineral waters. The saline sulphur bath wasprescribed by the consulting doctors as good for gout,rheumatism and hepatic disorders, while the alkalinesulphur water was used for skin diseases.Modern medicine and technology hastened the

closure of the treatment centre in 1969, but a two-year£10 million redevelopment of the Royal Baths started in2002 restored the building to its former glory. Today’svisitors can still luxuriate in the Turkish Baths and bookvarious pampering sessions.Those interested in the history of this attractive North

Yorkshire town can visit the Royal Pump Room Museumto see the old sulphur well and sample the spa water. Thebeautiful Valley Gardens – with their own mineral springs– are a great place to relax, while active types cango walking, climbing, fishing or wildlife-spot-ting on the nearby Yorkshire Dales.

cheltenham

The first Cheltenham guide in 1781described a visit as “a journey of healthand pleasure”. The natural springs hadonly been discovered a few years earlier andwhen King George III spent five weeks taking

the waters there in 1788 the Cotswold town’s reputationtook off as one of the country’s most fashionable spas.The Duke of Wellington, suffering from a dodgy

liver, gave Cheltenham further prominence when hevisited early in the 19th century. The ensuing buildingboom saw the development of sweeping, classicalterraces and squares, elegant villas set in landscapedestates and broad, tree-lined walks.Cheltenham retains its elegant architecture and claims

to be England’s most complete Regency town. A must-see attraction is the magnificent, colonnaded and domedPittville Pump Room, set amid the gardens and orna-mental lakes of Pittville Park.Here the cream of Regency and Victorian society

would attend grand balls and take the medicinal waters.It is still used as a venue for entertainment and weddings– and the water continues to be pumped up from a well80ft below.Cheltenham spa water is claimed to be the only natu-

ral consumable alkaline variety in Britain, its chiefaction being antacid and mildly diuretic. It’s also laxative– an important consideration for imbibers planning asubsequent visit to the town’s stylish shops, or itsrenowned horse-racing, music or literature festivals.

buxton

Buxton in Derbyshire has some of the country’s purestspring water, which can be sampled, free of charge,from a well dating back to the Middle Ages. St Ann’sWell was visited in Tudor times by Mary Queen ofScots when she was held captive at nearby Chatsworth.Before that, the Romans built baths here served by thewarm springs which emerge at a constant 28ºC.

The town’s attraction as a spa resort gatheredpace in the late 18th century, when the fifthDuke of Devonshire built the Crescentalongside St Ann’s Well. Thermal bathsand more fine buildings were added andthe railway’s arrival in 1863 ushered in agolden age.Buxton’s thermal baths closed in the

1950s and today’s visitors are drawn by theannual arts festivals, the ornate Edwardian

opera house and the Peak District countryside.



spa hotelsNone of Britain’s grand, old hotels still offerauthentic mineral water baths andtreatments, although several new ones are onthe drawing board.Bath’s planned five-star Gainsborough

Hotel will feature its own thermal baths nearthe city’s Thermae Bath Spa, although theproject is much delayed. Also at the planningstage is major redevelopment of Buxton’smagnificent old Crescent building as a five-star hotel offering thermal spa treatments.

Meanwhile, visitors to Bath seekingaccommodation with an on-site modern spabook properties such as the five-star, 18thcentury Macdonald Bath Spa. In Buxton, OldHall is reputed to be England’s oldest hoteland entertained Mary Queen of Scots whenshe sampled the waters. The Barcelo Palaceis an imposing Victorian hotel built whenBuxton’s spa tourism was booming.The Cottage in the Wood is a historic

hotel built in the hillside near Malvern’s HolyWell, while the Malvern Hotel is a modernproperty with an award-winning spa.Fine Georgian and Regency buildings which

once enjoyed a thriving trade from visitorstaking the waters include The George inCheltenham, The Spa in Tunbridge Wells, therecently-refurbished Crown in Harrogate,and The Angel, a former Leamington coachinginn.One of Droitwich’s more popular hotels is

St Andrews Town Hotel, built as the townclerk’s house in 1820. The Metropole in Llandrindod Wells was

the largest hotel in Wales when it opened inthe 1890s with its own spa treatment centre.That closed in 1972 but the hotel, now afour-star property, does offer a modern spa.

“Cheltenhamretains itselegantarchitectureand claims tobe England’smostcompleteRegencytown”

n Buxton has someof the country’spurest spring water

n Temple, Buxton

Visit

Pea

k D

istric

t &

Der

bysh

ire

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire


Autumn 2011 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 31

31TLMautumn 21/9/11 10:33 Page 1

tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Autumn 201132

Welcome to the Peak District’s nest hotel & spa...

It’s of<cial, the peak districts <nest is now a four star hotel. set in theheart of the Peak District National Park, Losehill House Hotel & Spais awarded 4 stars by the AA for its quality and hospitality.

The Hotel occupies a secluded spot on the side of Lose Hill withstunning views overlookingWin Hill. Drive along a little lane nearHope, equidistant from the wonderful villages of Castleton and Edale,and join us in the midst of some of the best walking and outdooractivity countryside in Derbyshire.

Check out www.losehillhouse.co.uk or contact us on 01433 621 219for our midweek rates and special offers or spa breaks and enjoy thevery best of the Peak District for yourself - hill top to hot tub!

Lose Hill Lane Hope Derbyshire S33 6AF01433 621 219 www.losehillhouse.co.uk

RESTAURANT SPA & POOL LUXURY ROOMS WEDDINGS CONFERENCES & EVENTS

32TLMautumn 21/9/11 10:39 Page 1

royal leamington spa

Impressive claims were made for the spa treatment atLeamington’s Royal Pump Rooms and Baths when theyopened in 1814. Relief from a huge number of disorderswas claimed – including “stiffness of tendons”, “rigidityof the joints”, and “the effects of gout and rheumatismand various paralytic conditions”.

Leamington was a small Warwickshire agriculturalvillage until about 1800, when it started to exploit themoney-spinning potential of its mineral springs. Princess(later Queen) Victoria was among those sampling thesaline waters and the place grew rapidly into an eleganttown of fine Regency and Victorian architecture andbeautiful gardens.

Visitors can no longer use the baths, but they cantaste the salty spring water from outside the PumpRooms and enjoy the rich legacy of the spa boom. The

restored Pump Rooms are home to the Assembly Roomsand Conservatory, art gallery, library and tea rooms, andthe museum tells the story of the town’s spa treatments.Jephson Gardens, which gained prominence for itspromenading, croquet, tennis, fountains, illuminationsand military bands, has been restored with a HeritageLottery Fund grant and is now a Victorian oasis with asub-tropical glasshouse and restaurant.

malvern

Take a walk in the glorious Malvern Hills in Worcester-shire and there’s no need to pack a day’s supply of wateralong with your sarnies. There are plenty of wellsproviding that famous refreshing water – if you knowwhere to look.

Tucked away in valleys are Holy Well and St Ann’sWell, where a café offers more refreshment. Elsewhere

Autumn 2011 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 33


signature spatreatmentsImagine floating dreamily in warm mineralwaters that fell as rain 10,000 years agowhile being gently stretched and massaged.You’d be hard pressed to find anything morerelaxing, claims the Thermae Bath Spa, whosesignature 50-minute Watsu treatmentsoothes in the restored Georgian Hot Bath.

With eyes closed, it’s easy to nod off whilethe therapist guides your body through a seriesof flowing movements. It costs £60 and is idealfor easing a stiff or aching back and limbs.

Signature treatments at Harrogate’s TurkishBaths start off with an appropriately-Turkishritual in a room scented with exotic candles.The warmed candle oil with shea butter isthen decanted and massaged into the bodyduring the 75-minute Eastern Temptationoption, costing £65.

For an extra £20 you can book an EasternIndulgence, which also includes a delicateexfoliating full body polish with jojoba andshea butter.

n The frigidariumat HarrogateTurkish Baths

n The pumprooms atRoyal Leamington Spa

n The hot bath atThermae Bath Spa

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are many more springs, some restored, such as theBeauchamp Spout and the Malvhina Fountain.Two doctors brought hydrotherapy from Austria and

built the first water cure house in Malvern in 1845. Youcan no longer take the spa treatments but many impres-sive buildings from that era are still in use as publicoffices. The Council House, for example, provided theoriginal consulting rooms in Victorian times.George Bernard Shaw and Edward Elgar brought

Malvern into the 20th century with their theatre andmusic festivals held in the Winter Gardens. The town’scultural life continues to thrive, with the restored Edwar-dian theatre attracting top-class drama, ballet and operaand the Forum Theatre is a top music venue.The medieval Abbey Gateway houses Malvern’s

Museum, which gives an insight into the region’s geol-ogy and spa history.

droitwich

While other spa towns may boast of kings and queenstaking a therapeutic dip, Droitwich has the distinctionof hosting footballing royalty. In the 1970s, the entireManchester United team took a brine bath – a treatmentclaimed to be particularly beneficial for those withrheumatic conditions.The Worcestershire town made its fortune from salt

and the natural brine springs have been used for bathingsince Roman times. St Richard’s House in the towncentre was the frontage to the old Brine Baths whichclosed in 1974. Another facility opened 11 years later aspart of Droitwich Spa Hospital. Sadly this has nowclosed but private investors currently have plans todevelop new brine baths.Meanwhile, swimmers can enjoy a dip in the briny at

the town’s 1930s outdoor Lido, which reopened fouryears ago. The natural brine is denser than the Dead Seabut at the pool it is diluted to the density of sea water.



spa towns facts

Bath-based travel journalistJohn Law advises enjoyingtea at the Pump Roomsbut to go easy glugging thestrange-tasting spa water.

llandrindod wells

The Romans were the first to enjoy the health benefitsof bathing in Llandrindod’s saline-sulphur spring waterand by the mid-1700s the town was described as “theQueen of Welsh Watering Places”.It then fell out of fashion until the coming of the

Central Wales Railways in 1865, when Llandrindod’s spabusiness took off. Hotels, apartments, new treatmentcentres, two pavilions, a golf course, bowling and puttinggreens and a 14-acre boating lake were built to cater for80,000 visitors a year.The town no longer provides spa treatments, although

visitors continue to enjoy many of the 19th centuryattractions. Today, Llandrindod is best known for itsannual Drama and Victorian festivals, but there are plansto develop the former Rock Park Spa and to provide ahydrotherapy centre.

spa towns and spa facilitiesBath www.visitbath.co.ukThermae Bath Spawww.thermaebathspa.comRoman Baths and Pump Room, Bathwww.romanbaths.co.ukDroitwich www.droitwichspa.comBuxtonwww.peakdistrictinformation.comCheltenham www.visitcheltenham.comHarrogate www.harrogate.gov.uk/turkishbathsMalvern www.visitthemalverns.orgLlandrindod Wells www.llandrindod.co.ukRoyal Tunbridge Wells www.visittunbridgewells.comRoyal Leamington Spa www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk

hotelsBath Macdonald Bath Spa: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/bathspa;Best Western Centurion Hotel: www.centurionhotel.co.ukMalvernThe Malvern: www.themalvernspa.com; The Cottage in the Wood: www.cottageinthewood.co.ukDroitwich St Andrews Town Hotel: www.st-andrewshotel.comLeamingtonThe Angel: www.angelhotelleamington.co.ukBuxton Old Hall: www.oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk; Losehill HouseHotel: www.losehillhouse.co.uk; Barcelo Palace: www.barcelo-hotels.co.ukCheltenhamThe George: www.stayatthegeorge.co.uk

HarrogateThe Crown:www.crownhotelharrogate.comLlandrindod Wells The Metropole:www.metropole.co.ukTunbridge WellsThe Spa:www.spahotel.co.uk

packagesSuperbreak: www.superbreak.com

Expedia: www.expedia.co.ukShearings Holidays: www.shearings.com

n The gloriousMalvern Hills

n The RomanBaths, Bath

n The Pantiles Colonnadeat Tunbridge Wells

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WIN a pair of Thermae Bath Spa vouchersWe have teamed up with Thermae Bath Spa to give away a pairof four-hour spa session vouchers, including hire of towels, robesand slippers, worth £88. You will have access to the open-airrooftop pool, with its views over the city of Bath, as well as thelarge Minerva thermal bath and the fabulous steam rooms. Go towww.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Termsand conditions apply. Closing date November 18, 2011.


Autumn 2011 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 35

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CALL NOW FOR DETAILS OF OUR SPECIAL OFFERS. BOOK DIRECT quoting ‘Travel& Leisure Magazine’ and we’ll treat you to a delicious mini cream tea on arrival!

35TLMautumn 14/10/11 17:07 Page 1

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uk uncovered - Britain's spa towns