 Cheltenham
The sights
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Cheltenham has much to offer visitors with its wide tree lined
avenues, fine Regency buildings and beautiful parks.
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At the northern end of the town you will find Pittville
Park which has two scenic lakes, an 18 hole pitch and putt course, tennis courts
and spacious lawns featuring colourful flower beds. Also in the park is Pittville
Pump Room where the spa waters which made Cheltenham famous can still be tasted -
if you are feeling brave! The Pump Room also houses Cheltenham's Gallery of Fashion. |
One of the lakes in Pittville Park
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You are never far away from one of Cheltenham's lovely parks
where you can sit and admire the floral displays which have helped Cheltenham to win the Britain
in Bloom trophy. One of the best hidden but beautiful parks is Sandford Park
and adjacent to this is Cheltenham's outdoor heated swimming pool the Lido.
Heading back towards the centre of town, your next port of call
should be the Holst Birthplace Museum where you can see exhibits
belonging to Gustav Holst - best known as composer of the Planets Suite. Right in the
centre of town is Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum which houses a wide
range of treasures and regularly holds special exhibitions. Leaving the centre of town via
the wide, tree-lined Promenade your journey will take you past the Municipal
Offices, the Imperial Gardens where every summer an exhibition
of the works of local artists is held, and the impressive Queens Hotel.
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Carry on past the hotel and you will be in the Montpellier
district of the town with yet another park on one side of the road and on the other, a
parade of speciality shops. The architecture of this area is extremely interesting and one
special feature to look out for is the presence of Caryatids - handsome figures based on
the Acropolis - between each shop. |
A caryatid in Montpellier
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There are many other beautiful buildings worth seeing - in fact
Cheltenham has over 2,000 listed buildings - and the town's planners have ensured that
newly constructed buildings do not disrupt the Regency feel of Cheltenham.
