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Cheltenham, England
Cheltenham in England with e-travelguide.info
Welcome To the e-travelguide to Hotels, guest houses and attractions in Cheltenham.
Make the most of your time in Cheltenham, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links to plan your visit.
Cheltenham is England’s most complete and well preserved Regency town, with beautiful architecture characteristic of the era making up its handsome town centre. Cheltenham can be found in the county of Gloucestershire, and is approximately 10 miles east of Gloucester at the point where the River Chelt emerges from the western Cotswolds. It is a popular tourist destination, not only because of its wonderfully preserved architecture and interesting history, but also because of its accessible location via the A40 from Oxford and London, as well as its role as a centre for the region’s shopping and culture. The town is blessed with a large number of first-rate luxury hotels, a reflection of the number of visitors the town attracts every year. A large proportion of these visitors come to Cheltenham for the horse racing; Cheltenham is the home of National Hunt Racing in the UK, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Cheltenham Festival are two of the most prestigious fixtures on the racing calendar.
The earliest documented history of Cheltenham is of an Anglo-Saxon monastery, erected in Celtenhomme in 803, and King Alfred the Great reputedly much admired this peaceful dwelling on the banks of the River Chelt. The town slowly grew, with markets and fairs aiding the 
town’s prosperity, yet it was not until the 18th Century that Cheltenham’s true calling arrived: Three mineral springs were discovered in the town in 1716, by a flock of pigeons according to legend, and a pump room was erected in 1738, as Cheltenham became a fashionable spa destination for the English upper classes, who partook in the drinking of iron and sulphur rich waters for their perceived health benefits. King George III visited the town in 1788, and it is from the Regency era that much of today’s handsome Georgian buildings, wide tree-lined avenues, and open spaces were built. Although the popularity of the spa declined, Cheltenham itself continued to prosper, and the town is renowned for its tradition of craftsmanship, evident with the presence of high-tech companies in the Gloucestershire area today.