Discovering Cheltenham: The Party Capital of Regency Era England

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Discovering Cheltenham: The Party Capital of Regency Era England

(134 reviews)
Cheltenham audio tour: Discovering Cheltenham: The Party Capital of Regency Era England
This is a 2.1mi walking tour
It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.
Cheltenham
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$9.99
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About the Tour

Why did an obscure one-street town in Gloucestershire become the go-to party destination of Regency high society? On this walking tour, you’ll discover how the humble pigeon transformed Cheltenham into a leading resort town, with a Regency building boom that attracted royal patronage. The great and the good of the Regency era flocked to Cheltenham to enjoy the benefits of its mineral waters, to find marriage partners, and to party.

This walking tour traces the town’s modest origins as a royal Saxon estate, its growth into a one-street market-town and, along with the discovery of mineral waters, its evolution into the architectural gem and cultural destination that it is today. Along the way, you’ll see sweeping Regency terraces, magnificent parks, grand promenades, historical spa buildings, and chic shopping arcades. You’ll also hear about famous Cheltenham residents like Dr Edward Jenner, the inventor of the vaccine, Gustav Holst, composer of ‘The Planets’, Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling Stones, and John Hampton’s exploding hot-air balloon and subsequent death-defying parachute jump.

Join me as we follow in the footsteps of England’s high society.

Categories
Architecture Neighbourhoods Music And Performance Parks And Gardens Modern History

Tour Producer

avatar

Owen Bowles

6 tours

I am a retired aerospace executive with extensive international experience, including many years working overseas, particularly in France. I have been a Blue Badge Tourist Guide since 2019 for the Heart of England and have subsequently qualified to guide in South Central England, Windsor, and Wells (city and cathedral). I am fluent in French and certified by the Institute of Tourist Guiding to conduct tours in both English and French. I currently conduct tours of the Cotswolds, the awe-inspiring prehistoric sites of Stonehenge and Avebury, and the beautiful ‘Jurassic Coast’ in Dorset, where you can see exposed rocks from the entirety of the Mesozoic geological era – 185 million years of geology exposed in just 95 miles of coastline. I have published audio walking tours on the Voicemap app of Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Shrewsbury, Cirencester, Ludlow, and Wells. My particular interests are history, prehistory, folklore, architecture, food and drink, amusing anecdotes and rugby.

Preview Location

Location 26

Holst Statue

Please stand in front of the Holst statue.

Gustav Holst, composer, was born in Cheltenham into a musical family. His grandfather was originally from Latvia and after living in London came to Cheltenham as a music teacher. Gustav's father Adolph was the organist at All Sain... Read More
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Major Landmarks

  • The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum and The Wilson Kitchen arts café

  • Strozzi Palace Suites by Mansley

  • Dr Edward Jenner House

  • The Brewery Quarter

  • Cheltenham Minster

  • John Dower House

  • Royal Crescent

  • The Hare and the Minotaur

  • Municipal Offices

  • Edward Wilson Statue

  • The Neptune Fountain

  • Cheltenham Town Hall

  • Imperial Square and Gardens

  • Gustav Holst Statue & Planets Fountain

  • Queens Hotel Cheltenham

  • Cheltenham Ladies' College

  • Montpellier Arcade

  • Montpellier Walk

  • Montpellier Spa and Rotunda

  • King Edward VII

  • Suffolk Square

  • Suffolk Parade

  • Cheltenham College

  • Cheltenham College Chapel

  • Montpellier Gardens

  • William IV Statue

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.
  1. Start location
    51 Clarence St, Cheltenham GL50 3JT, UK
  2. Total distance
    3km
  3. Final location
    24 Montpellier Spa Rd, Cheltenham GL50 1UL, UK
  4. Distance back to start location
    715m

Directions to Starting Point

The nearest large car park is the NCP Car Park in the Brewery Quarter, Monson Ave, Cheltenham GL50 4EJ. It is an 8-minute walk to the Wilson Museum in Clarence St, GL50 3JT.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

If you would like to experience some fine dining, try No. 3 Royal Crescent - a restaurant run by former England rugby player and 2011 Masterchef winner, Phil Vickery. Bookings recommended: https://www.no3restaurants.com/

If in need of liquid refreshment, take tea in the stylish surroundings of the Queen's Hotel on the route.

Best time of day

This tour can be walked all year and best enjoyed in dry weather as there is little shelter on route. Cheltenham hosts many festivals throughout the year, so at times it may be crowded. Look up the Visit Cheltenham website to check the dates and times of the festivals: https://www.visitcheltenham.com/whats-on

Precautions

This walking tour involves crossing a number of roads. Please cross at designated crossing areas, indicated by lowered kerbstones, and use traffic islands and refuges wherever possible.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”
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Questions and Reviews

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134 Ratings
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