Cheltenham set to lose spa town status after 'bacteria found in mineral water' once said to cure all illness
27 June 2023, 09:47
Cheltenham could lose its coveted spa town status after bacteria in its mineral water led to it being designated undrinkable.
The Pittville Pump Room has been closed to visitors since the outbreak of the pandemic as a new system was implemented - but the work has been paused after the discovery of bacteria in the once-pristine springs.
Councillors in the Gloucestershire town fear that the vaunted springs will never be drinkable again and in that case, Cheltenham would lose its spa town status after almost 300 years.
The mineral springs were discovered in 1716 and led to wild rumours about the healing properties of the waters.
These rumours even led to King George III visiting the town to bathe in the waters in the hopes it would cure his mental illness.
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George's visit catapulted the town into the spotlight for wealthy visitors - turning it into a popular upper-class holiday resort.
Stephan Fifield, a Conservative councillor, said that it was previously supposed that it was “only a matter of months” until drinking water would return to the Pittville Pump Room back in 2021.
The Pump Room is a Regency spa building and the last remaining place where the spring waters could be taken.
“Now we find out that the waters might never be coming back and we still don’t understand what the cause might be,” Fifield mused.
“The waters are a part of Cheltenham’s identity. Cheltenham is a spa town and the waters at the pump room have been an attraction for centuries," he concluded.
Lib Dem council cabinet member Max Wilkinson said: “The Cheltenham Trust, which has responsibility for testing the spa water, has asked a specialist contractor to undertake a site visit within the next two weeks to review the system condition.
"That contractor has been asked to supply an options and costs proposal.”
