Britain’s impressive spa towns owe their magnificence to mineral-rich natural springs. Developed largely by the Romans, Georgians and Victorians, they attracted people searching for cures for everything from gout and rheumatism to sciatica and back pain.
The popularity of ‘taking the waters’ created a demand for elegant housing, hotels, restaurants, theatres and other amusements – more so when the railways allowed greater travel – leaving a stylish legacy.