Cheltenham
This article is about the south-west English seaside resort. For other places with the same name, see Cheltenham (disambiguation).
Cheltenham [ˈtʃɛltnəm] (or Cheltenham Spa) is a seaside resort (hence Spa) and borough in Gloucestershire in south-west England. The town's motto is Salubritas et Eruditio - Health and Education. Cheltenham is also the location of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
The town enjoys a reputation as a genteel and wealthy town. Since the discovery of the highly mineral-rich springs in 1716, the town has been a bathing resort of national importance, even though the water is no longer bottled.
The town is of national importance because of the nearby Cheltenham College, one of the most prestigious schools in the country, which is both a boarding school and a day school. Since its foundation in 1841, the college has become one of the largest such institutions in England. Education is based on holistic humanistic Christian ideals.
Cheltenham, along with neighbouring Gloucester, is the seat of the University of Gloucestershire.
From an international perspective, Cheltenham enjoys fame for its horse racing. Cheltenham Racecourse on the outskirts of the town in the suburb of Prestbury is the centre of the British "National Hunt Season" (hurdle races and hunt races). The courses are used from November to April. The highlight is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, held in mid-March during the Cheltenham Festival. As this coincides with Saint Patrick's Day, many Irish tourists with an interest in equestrian and betting sports find themselves in the town. From an Irish perspective, Cheltenham is also synonymous with the triple victory of their champion horse Arkle (1964-1966) over English rival Mill House, which has also been immortalised in a monument.
Town twinning exists
- with Annecy, France,
- with Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, USA,
- with Göttingen, Germany,
- with Sochi, Russia, and
- with Weihai, People's Republic of China.
Special relationships are also cultivated
Location
The county of Gloucestershire includes Gloucester and Cirencester. It borders Wales to the west. It lies on the western edge of the Cotswolds, the hilly "heart of England", and 140 km west-northwest of London and 65 km south of Birmingham.
Personalities
- Edward Inglefield (1820-1894), British admiral and polar explorer
- Clara Montalba (1840-1929), English watercolour painter
- Henry John Elwes (1846-1922), botanist, naturalist and entomologist
- Claude Reignier Conder (1848-1910), English Palestine researcher
- Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912), English physician and polar explorer
- Edward H. Bennett (1874-1954), US-American architect and urban planner
- Gustav Holst (1874-1934), British composer
- Sigismund Payne Best (1885-1978), Captain in the Secret Intelligence Service
- Raymond Priestley (1886-1974), British geologist and polar explorer
- Arthur Harris (1892-1984), Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command and Air Marshal of the British Royal Air Force during World War II.
- Ralph Richardson (1902-1983), British actor
- Robert Hardy (1925-2017), British actor
- Brian Jones (1942-1969), British musician (The Rolling Stones)
- Richard O'Brien (* 1942), English actor, author and composer
- Mick Farren (1943-2013), British journalist, author and singer.
- Richard Loncraine (* 1946), British film director
- Felicity Lott (* 1947), British soprano
- Michael Burston (1949-2011), English guitarist
- Jaz Coleman (* 1960), musician, singer, composer
- Eddie Edwards (* 1963), British ski jumper
- Steve Cotterill (* 1964), football player
- Paul Casey (* 1977), English professional golfer
- Leon Taylor (* 1977), water diver
- Jack Lisowski (* 1991), British snooker player
- Liam Hess (* 1992), actor
- Eric Dier (* 1994), English football player
"The Minotaur and the Hare", sculpture in the city center.
Cheltenham Promenade Cycle Station
