Cheltenham

Cheltenham is a historic spa town and borough near the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It became famous as a health and holiday spot after people discovered mineral springs there in 1716. Today, Cheltenham is known as the most complete Regency town in Britain.

The town is directly northeast of Gloucester and holds many cultural festivals each year. These include the Cheltenham Literature Festival, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, the Cheltenham Science Festival, the Cheltenham Music Festival, and the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, among others. Every March, the Cheltenham Festival features the famous Gold Cup steeplechase horse race. Cheltenham is also home to well-known independent schools like Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Ladies' College.

History

Cheltenham is a historic town found near the River Chelt, which begins at Dowdeswell and flows to the Severn. Records first mention the town in 803, though its exact name meaning is still debated. It appeared in the Domesday Book as Chintenha[m].

The town became famous as a spa destination after mineral springs were discovered there in 1716. Captain Henry Skillicorne saw the chance to use these springs for visitors. He improved the springs and built a well-house with spaces for dancing and games. His work, along with friends, created the town's pleasant walks and gardens, attracting many visitors.

In 1788, King George III visited, which helped make the town very popular. Today, people can still try the spa waters at the Pittville Pump Room, finished in 1830. Cheltenham also has a famous racecourse that began in 1815 and grew into a big event after 1902. During the Second World War, the United States used parts of Cheltenham for storing military vehicles, which were later sent to help in the D-Day invasion. The town was also where the first British jet aircraft prototype was made.

Geography

Cheltenham is located near the edge of the Cotswolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in southwest England. The small River Chelt runs through the town.

Cleeve Hill overlooks the town and is the highest point in the county of Gloucestershire and the Cotswold Hills, standing at 1,083 feet (330 m).

The town is close to the northeastern edge of the South West of England region. It is 88 miles (142 km) west-northwest of London, 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Bristol, and 41 miles (66 km) south of Birmingham.

Neighbourhoods

The areas of Cheltenham include: Arle, Benhall, Charlton Kings, Fairview, Fiddler's Green, Hesters Way, Lansdown, Leckhampton, Lynworth, Montpellier, Oakley, Pittville, Prestbury, the Reddings, Rowanfield, St Luke's, St Mark's, St Paul's, St Peter's, Springbank, Swindon Village, Tivoli, Up Hatherley, Whaddon and Wyman's Brook.

The borough includes 5 civil parishes within its borders. These are Charlton Kings, Leckhampton with Warden Hill, Prestbury, Swindon and Up Hatherley. These parishes have their own parish councils that manage local services and planning.

Green belt

Further information: Gloucester and Cheltenham Green Belt

Some parts of the town have green belt along its edges. This helps keep green spaces, stop uncontrolled growth towards Gloucester and Bishop's Cleeve, and protect smaller villages nearby. Areas covered include west of the Greenfield Way and Fiddlers Green Lane, much open space up to the Civil Service Sports Ground, the Cheltenham Racecourse and surrounding park, St Peter Leckhampton parish church, and Brizen Playing Fields/Haven and Greenmead parks in the south of the borough.

Potential merger of Cheltenham and Gloucester

In May 2024, there were secret discussions about joining the towns of Cheltenham and Gloucester. These plans were made by the Gloucestershire County Council. The idea was to build around ten new garden towns near an area called Boddington. If a special area called the green belt were removed, the two towns would become one big city, sometimes called a supercity. This idea was not liked by leaders from both Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council.

Government

Cheltenham Borough Council is the local authority for Cheltenham. It has 20 areas called wards and 40 councillors who help make decisions for the town. Every two years, half of these councillors are chosen in elections.

Cheltenham used to be managed by a group called the vestry, similar to many rural places. Over time, different groups helped improve the town, like paving streets and setting building standards. In 1976, Cheltenham joined with nearby Charlton Kings to become a larger local government area. Later, in 1991, a few more areas were added to Cheltenham.

The main office of the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), often called The Doughnut by locals, is in Cheltenham. It moved there in 1951.

Climate

Like most of the British Isles, Cheltenham has a mild and steady oceanic climate. The summers are warm, and the winters are cool. In the past, Cheltenham held a record for the hottest temperature in Britain, reaching 98.8 °F (37.1 °C). The coldest it ever got was −4.2 °F (−20.1 °C) in December 1981. On average, the town gets a little rain on 139 days each year, and there are about 35 nights with frost.

Economy

Cheltenham's economy is supported by tourism and light industries such as food processing, aerospace, and electronics. A well-known building in the town belongs to the Government's electronic surveillance operation, called GCHQ. Many companies have offices in Cheltenham, including Vertex Data Science, GE-Aviation, and UCAS.

The town is also a shopping center with department stores and the Regent Arcade. Some famous design companies started in Cheltenham, like Weird Fish and Superdry. Cheltenham has special dining spots, including two restaurants with Michelin one-star ratings.

Culture

Architecture

The town is famous for its Regency architecture and is often called "the most complete regency town in England". Many buildings are important historic sites, including the Cheltenham Synagogue, which is considered one of the best non-church buildings in Britain.

Built in 1902, the Cheltenham Town Hall is a special building with a plaque remembering the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Art

The Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum, also named The Wilson, shows art exhibits all year. It was named after explorer Edward Wilson, who was born in Cheltenham.

In 2014, many of the town's historic buildings were given to The Cheltenham Trust, a group that looks after them. The Trust manages The Wilson, the Town Hall, the Pittville Pump Room, the Prince of Wales Stadium, and a big fitness and swimming place called Leisure @. A group of volunteers helps run the Trust.

Cheltenham holds a Paint Festival that brings artists from all over the world. In 2014, a famous artist named Banksy made a special drawing in the town.

Cheltenham has several famous sculptures, including:

• Neptune's Fountain in the Promenade, built in 1893
• The Hare and the Minotaur in the Promenade, made in 1995
• A large bronze Emperor Penguin placed in The Wilson art gallery in 2015
• The Wishing Fish Clock in the Regent Shopping Arcade, made in 1987

Music

Cheltenham holds yearly music events like the Cheltenham Music Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, and the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain.

In 2010, Cheltenham was named the UK's fifth "most musical" city by PRS for Music.

Famous musicians Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and Michael Burston of Motörhead were born in Cheltenham. Other well-known musicians from the town include Gustav Holst and FKA Twigs.

History

The Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum has collections of decorative arts from the Arts and Crafts Movement. It also has a museum about Gustav Holst with his personal items, including his piano. The museum also shows a working Victorian kitchen and laundry, a Regency drawing room, and an Edwardian nursery.

Festivals

Every year, Cheltenham Festivals organizes music, jazz, literature, and science festivals. These events happen at places like the town hall, the Everyman Theatre, the Playhouse Theatre, and the Pittville Pump Room.

The town also has many other festivals, such as the Cheltenham International Film Festival, Cheltenham Paranormal Festival, Cheltenham Design Festival, Cheltenham Folk Festival, Cheltenham Poetry Festival, The True Believers Comic Festival, and Cheltenham Comedy Festival. A local event, the Cheltenham Festival of the Performing Arts, started in 1926 and includes over 300 performance competitions.

Film and television

Cheltenham has been used as a filming location for several movies and TV shows, including Butterflies, If...., The Whistle Blower, The Full Monteverdi, The House of Eliott, and Vanity Fair. The Thistle Golden Valley Hotel was used by the TV show Crossroads for outdoor scenes from 1982 to 1985.

Theatre

Cheltenham has four theatres: the Everyman, the Playhouse, the Bacon, and the Parabola Arts Centre.

Brewing

DEYA Brewing Company is an independent brewery in Cheltenham, known for its hoppy beers, lagers, traditional UK styles, and mixed fermentation ales.

Demography

According to mid-2021 population figures published by the ONS, the population of Cheltenham stood at 118,866, making it the second largest settlement in Gloucestershire by population, after the city of Gloucester.

The 2021 census showed that most people in Cheltenham are from a White background, with smaller numbers from Asian, Mixed, Black, and other groups. In terms of religion, many people are Christian, but there are also Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities. The town has many Protestant and Catholic churches, as well as a Hindu Temple and a Mosque in the northern area near St Pauls.

Crime and public safety

In 2013, Cheltenham was named one of the safest towns in the UK for students.

From 2023 to 2024, Cheltenham had a medium crime rate compared to other towns in the UK. Some types of crimes, like breaking into homes and damaging property, were higher than average in the area during this time.

Police

Gloucestershire Constabulary is the territorial police force that keeps the town safe.

Education

Main article: List of schools in Cheltenham

Cheltenham has many schools with long histories. The oldest is Pate's Grammar School, which started in 1574. Another important school is Cheltenham College, founded in 1841, and it was used for a famous film in 1968. The town is also home to Cheltenham Ladies' College, founded in 1853, and Dean Close School, started in 1886. There are also campuses of the University of Gloucestershire and many other schools in the area.

Local media

Cheltenham gets its TV news from BBC Midlands Today and BBC Points West on BBC One, and from ITV News Central and ITV News West Country on ITV1.

The town’s radio stations include BBC Radio Gloucestershire on 104.7 FM, Greatest Hits Radio South West on 107.5 FM, Heart West on 102.4 FM, and Cheltenham Radio, which broadcasts during the Cheltenham Festival.

Cheltenham’s newspaper is the Gloucestershire Echo.

Sport and leisure

Cheltenham Racecourse, located in the nearby village of Prestbury, is a popular place for horse racing in the UK from October to April. The most exciting event is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, usually held in March during the Cheltenham Festival.

The town has football teams like Cheltenham Town F.C., along with other local sides such as Bishop's Cleeve and Cheltenham Saracens F.C.. There are also many rugby teams, including Cheltenham Tigers R.F.C. and Old Patesians R.F.C.. The town has a golf course called Lilley Brook and one of the biggest croquet clubs in the country, run by the Croquet Association.

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is a big horse racing event held every March at Cheltenham Racecourse. It is very popular, especially in Ireland, and many people enjoy the exciting races and the lively crowd atmosphere.

Transport

Railways

Cheltenham Spa railway station is a stop on the Bristol-Birmingham main line. It is located to the west of the Montpellier area of the town and is known locally as Lansdown.

The station is served by three train operating companies:

• CrossCountry operates long-distance services between the South West, South Wales, the Midlands, the North West, the North East and Scotland.
• Great Western Railway connects the town with Bristol Temple Meads, Worcester Foregate Street, Gloucester, Swindon and London Paddington.
• Transport for Wales operates services between Cheltenham Spa and South Wales, usually running through to Maesteg via Gloucester, Chepstow, Newport, Cardiff Central and Bridgend.

The Cheltenham Spa Express, once known as the Cheltenham Flyer, is a named passenger train connecting Cheltenham with London.

At its peak, the town had eight railway stations, only one of which survives.

The restored Cheltenham Racecourse railway station is the southern terminus of the heritage Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. The Honeybourne Line was extended northwards to Broadway in 2018.

Roads

Cheltenham is adjacent to the M5 motorway, between Bristol and Birmingham. Junction 10 serves the north of the town, via the A4019; junction 11 links to the south, via the A40 which continues towards Oxford and London.

Buses and coaches

Stagecoach West operate the majority of bus services in Cheltenham, including routes to Gloucester and Tewkesbury.

National Express operates a number of coach services from Cheltenham including route 444 to London and Heathrow Airport.

Tramroad

Cheltenham was a terminus of the Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad.

Churches

Main article: List of churches in Cheltenham

The first parish church in Cheltenham is Cheltenham Minster, St Mary's, the only building from medieval times still standing in the town. Because the town grew and took in nearby villages, many new churches were built. Some of these include Trinity Church and All Saints' in Pittville. The father of the famous composer Gustav Holst worked there as an organist.

St Gregory's Roman Catholic church shows the work of architect Charles Hansom. Built between 1854 and 1857 in a Gothic Revival style, it has beautiful stained glass made by Hardman & Co..

Bell ringing

Cheltenham has three sets of bells used for a special kind of ringing called change ringing. One set is in St Mark's Church, with eight bells. Another set is at St. Christopher's (Warden Hill) and is the lightest set of church bells in the world. The third set has twelve bells in St. Mary's Church (the Minster). These bells were used in 2008 for a big competition, and in 2017 they were replaced with new bells made by John Taylor & Co. The biggest bell weighs just over a ton, and there is also a smaller thirteenth bell for easier ringing. The bell ringing groups in Cheltenham are part of the Gloucester & Bristol Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers.

Twin towns

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in England

Cheltenham is twinned with:

• Annecy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
• Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, United States
• Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
• Weihai, Shandong, China

Twinning with Sochi, Russia was stopped because of events in 2022.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Cheltenham

Cheltenham has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some of these individuals have made big impacts in areas like arts, sports, and science. The town continues to attract people from all over who come to live or visit.