7 historic spa towns to visit in the UK

Next time you swig some British spring water, take a moment to ponder where it came from — maybe Harrogate, Malvern or Buxton? From the late 1700s, English towns with nearby springs were transformed into spa destinations, becoming magnets for those who believed these waters could cure everything from scabies to smallpox. Today, these places, many of which are surrounded by granite hills and filled with reminders of the spa booms that shaped them, are fantastic destinations in their own right. Here are seven historic English spa towns that should be on your radar.

1. Buxton, Derbyshire

The Romans settled the area around what’s now known as Buxton in about 70 CE, drawn by the natural warm springs there. They subsequently built a temple dedicated to the goddess Arnemetia on the site, along with some spring-fed baths. Equally fond of steamy soaks was the fifth Duke of Devonshire — in 1780, he built the city’s Georgian crescent and filled it with spa hotels. The buildings now house swanky Buxton Crescent hotel, where you can bathe in the mineral-rich waters that attracted the Romans all those years ago. Other highlights of this Peak District town that’s home to England’s highest market include Buxton’s Grade II-listed Pump Room (now home to Buxton Visitor Centre) and St Ann’s Well, which has quenched locals’ thirst for centuries.

2. Harrogate, North Yorkshire

When Harrogate’s sulphuric waters were discovered in 1571, visitors from across England flocked there, initially gathering in marshy areas where the water flowed to the surface. By the 1700s, wellheads and ornate bath houses had been built, and the town’s grandest structure was the Royal Pump Room (now a museum), where wealthy visitors sipped Harrogate’s healing waters beneath an ornate octagonal roof (hard-up locals could drink for free from a communal tap outside). Today, the Turkish Baths, in the former Royal Baths complex that first opened in 1897, is a great spot for a soak. Highlights there include the original terrazzo flooring and today’s treatments are significantly more appealing than those from the 1800s. Peat bath, anyone?

3. Malvern, Worcestershire

Former fans of this town’s spring water, filtered through the Malvern Hills’ hard rocks, include Florence Nightingale and Charles Darwin. During Victorian times, thousands flocked here for the so-called ‘water cure’ pioneered by Dr James Wilson. The treatment involved stripping naked, being wrapped in spring water-soaked sheets and laying in a cold bath. Today, the town is surrounded by numerous springs, one of which feeds St Ann’s Well, a shell-shaped fountain where you can fill your flask before hiking to the summit of nearby Worcestershire Beacon, 1,394ft above sea level. You can learn more about Malvern’s history at the Malvern Museum, inside a medieval gatehouse on Abbey Road, or soak in the natural spring water at The Malvern Spa.

4. Bath, Somerset

The hot spring in what we now call the city of Bath was in use long before the Romans arrived in Britain in 43 CE; a local tribe had been worshipping a goddess they called Sulis there for many years. The Romans, however, had grander plans and went on to build a huge bathing complex, all fed by that same hot spring. Much later, in the 18^th century, King George III was the power behind Bath’s eventual transformation into England’s most popular spa town. Today, the city’s most famous landmarks include the Roman Baths, an ancient complex of pools where Romans bathed while paying their respects to Sulis Minerva, the goddess of healing (artefacts on display include a bronze statue of the deity). To live like a Roman, head to the adults-only Thermae Bath Spa, which has several pools filled with 35.5C spring water.

(Going to Bath? Here is where you should stay.)

5. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Cheltenham’s healing waters were discovered in 1716 when, according to legend, a landowner noticed pigeons gathering around a spring, pecking at salt deposits. The site soon became Cheltenham’s first spa, while the pecking pigeons became the town’s symbol and now adorn its signposts. Soon, aristocrats, royalty and writers were flocking to Cheltenham to drink and bathe in the waters, which were recommended by doctors as a cure for everything from pimples to ulcers. The town’s numerous spa buildings included Pittville Pump Room, probably the grandest of the lot and still standing today; it houses the original spa pump and you can even taste the famous water there (a word of warning — it’s incredibly salty).

6. Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

The healing benefits of this town’s spring water were first documented in the Middle Ages, and by the 1800s, the town was a magnet for water-based experiences thanks to its mineral-rich water, which wasn’t just used to treat ailments such as gout (and rabies, apparently), but also used by bakers to make bread and butchers to preserve meat. Today, Leamington Spa’s grandest landmark is the Royal Pump Rooms, now a museum packed with more than 12,000 artefacts that recount the history of the spa town. One of the best ways to learn about the area’s history is on a free tour led by volunteers from the Leamington Society (advance booking required).

7. Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent

In 1606, Lord Dudley North came across a Kent spring filled with rust-coloured water and took a sip; rejuvenated, he raved about the water’s healing powers to friends, and soon, the water of Tunbridge Wells became known as a cure for everything from infertility to hangovers. Grand bath houses sprang up around the Chalybeate Spring, where ‘dippers’ served glasses of water for a fee. Today, you can still visit the spring in The Pantiles, a Georgian colonnade built not long after Lord Dudley North’s discovery, and buy a bottle of the Royal TW Water for a taste of the slightly bitter but mineral-rich water.

(Explore history and healing in some of Europe's oldest spa towns.)