One of the main difficulties the college faced was the need to find larger premises. In 1871 the college council purchased some grounds attached to the Old Well Spa, which had been the original Cheltenham spa. On this site buildings were erected that eventually covered the entire area of the original spa.

The Music Hall building was pulled down in 1896, and replaced with the Princess Hall, which still remains today. The hall has the dimensions and internal configuration of the earlier building, and externally is Victorian Gothic in style. The venue can hold up to two thousand people, and is still used for various events on a regular basis.

Today at Cheltenham Ladies’ College there are some 865 girls spread across the Lower College, Upper College and Sixth Form. Approximately 75% are boarders and 25% day girls. Around 170 new girls join each year.

For more information visit The Cheltenham Ladies’ College website.

The Music festival has been ongoing from 1945, and the Literature Festival from 1949.  The two events have already associated Cheltenham with the British cultural scene.   With the addition of the Jazz Festival (added 1996) and the Science Festival (added 2002) Cheltenham has garnered a reputation for encouraging up-and-coming, and serious, cultural work.

The festivals are held throughout the calendar year as follows:-

April-May: Cheltenham Jazz Festival

June: The Times Cheltenham Science Festival

July: Cheltenham Music Festival

October: The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival

For more information visit the Cheltenham Festivals website.

In the early 18^th Century local residents noticed pigeons pecking at salt deposits by a spring south of the town.  People started drinking the water in the belief it would heal various health issues.  By 1742 Henry Skillicorne had deepened the spring, and turned it into a well.  He built assembly rooms, and started charging for the use of the water.   He also landscaped the area.

The idea of “taking the water” really developed from 1788 when George III visited the town on the advice of his physician.  Skillicorne’s original well became known as the Royal Well after the king’s visit, and by 1800 it had approximately 2000 visitors a year.

Ironically the original spring is no longer in existence as the area was eventually developed into the Cheltenham Ladies College.

Competing Spas

To meet the demand for ‘health treatments’ new spas were opened.  In 1801 Henry Thompson, a wealthy Londoner, bought a large estate, and shortly afterwards the Montpellier Spa was opened.  Originally the spa was housed in a wooden structure, but respected architect John Papworth created a stone building with a copper rotunda.  Today this building still remains as Lloyds bank, which can be seen at the corner of the Montpellier Gardens on the Montpellier Walk.

Montpellier Rotunda Cheltenham

Next the Sherbourne Spa was opened on the site that is now the Queens Hotel near the Imperial Gardens.  The Sherbourne Promenade that led to the spa was eventually renamed the ‘Promenade’.

A number of other spas followed, but of these the best know is Pitville Pump Room in Pitville Park.  The pump room is located in the north end of the park, and is a fantastic example of Regency architecture.  With colonnades, and a Grande dome it overlooks ornamental lakes.  Architect John Fobes intended the structure be both a spa, and a social venue.  The building combines elements of both Greek and Roman architecture; the dome is probably modelled on the Panthenon in Rome.

Today the pump room is actively used as a concert venue that can seat 400 people; the excellent acoustics mean it is Cheltenham’s premier venue.  The spa is still available in the oval pump room should visitors want to ‘take the water’.

St Mary’s Church, Clarence Street

This is the oldest building in Cheltenham, and is located just off the Promenade.  It dates back to the middle of the 11^th Century. The church features a spa theme, and has a royal coat of arms that commemorates George III’s visit in 1788.  There is also a memorial to Henry Skillicorne the founder of the first spa in Cheltenham.

St Andrew’s Church, Montpellier

The spire is perhaps the main feature of this Early English church that is located on one of the main thoroughfares, Montpellier Street, opposite the Cheltenham Ladies College.   The church was built in 1885 for a Presbyterian congregation, and underwent a substantial refurbishment in 2002.  It is now the local United Reformed Church, and is used by many local community organisations.  The nearby town hall serves as a centre for Cheltenham’s famous international arts and science festivals.  St Andrew’s is used for some of the fringe events.

Christ Church, Lansdown

The main feature of this church is the 174 feet high tower with its four pinnacles.  The church was built in 1837 for the new Lansdown estate.  The foundation stone was laid by Francis Close a key figure in the development of the Cheltenham Ladies College.   The building was originally designed by the Jearrad brothers who were local architects.  However, the church was altered by John Middleton who added the domed apse in 1888.  The parish of Christ Church was formed in 1865.

Rose Window St Marys Cheltenham