1. Neptune’s Fountain in the Promenade, built in 1893, is modelled on the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
2. “I have rarely seen a place that so attracted my fancy”. Charles Dickens
3. Cheltenham’s salty waters were hailed as something of a cure-all. They are the only natural, alkaline water in Britain. It’s main properties are antacid, mildly diuretic and laxative. The waters can be taken at Pittville Pump Room and the Town Hall. Beware, they are salty!
4. The local village of Prestbury is reputed to be one of the most haunted villages in England. Chief among its ghostly residents is the Black Abbott, who roams about the village and has been known to cause traffic to swerve.
5. Cheltenham is the proud possessor of eight out of only 94 remaining hexagonal Penfold type Victorian pillar boxes in the whole country.
6. Gustav Holst, the musician and composer of the ‘Planets’, was born at No 4 Clarence Road in 1874. His home is now a fascinating museum.
7. Edward Wilson, who journeyed with Captain Scott on the ill-fated Antarctic Expedition of 1910-12, was born at No. 91 Montpellier Terrace in 1872. There is a statue of him in the Long garden.
8. GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) was established in Cheltenham in 1952.
9. The first horse-racing meetings were held on Cleeve Hill in 1818, and proved so popular that they became an annual event. Cheltenham is now home to the famous Gold Cup Festival.
10. The world renowned Cheltenham Ladies College is Europe’s largest boarding school for girls.
11. Cheltenham was once famous for its cap, bonnet, buttons and buckles - ‘...... all the fashions are completely Cheltenhamised’. The Morning Post, 1788.