List of spa towns in the United Kingdom facts for kids

A spa town is a special kind of town where people used to visit, and sometimes still do, to enjoy natural springs or wells. The water from these springs often contains unique minerals that people believed could help with their health. For hundreds of years, people have traveled to these towns to drink the water, bathe in it, or just relax and feel better.

Welcome to Spa Towns!

Spa towns are places famous for their natural springs. These springs bring water up from deep underground. People have believed for a very long time that this water has special healing powers because of the minerals it contains. Going to a spa town was a bit like going to a health resort, where people could relax, socialise, and try to improve their well-being.

What Makes a Town a "Spa"?

The word "spa" comes from a town in Belgium, but the idea of using natural springs for health goes back thousands of years, even to Roman times in Britain. People would build special bathhouses around these springs. In later centuries, especially during the Victorian era, spa towns became very popular. People would travel from far away to "take the waters," which meant drinking the spring water or bathing in it. These towns often grew into lively places with beautiful buildings, parks, and entertainment for visitors.

Famous Spa Towns Today

Many towns in the United Kingdom are still known as spa towns, even if fewer people visit them just for the springs now. They often have a rich history and beautiful architecture from their spa days.

England's Soothing Springs

England has many famous spa towns, spread across different regions.

• Derbyshire:
  • Buxton is a well-known spa town in the Peak District. It has a long history of people visiting its natural springs.
  • Matlock and Matlock Bath are also in Derbyshire and were popular for their waters.

• Worcestershire:
  • Droitwich Spa is famous for its very salty brine springs.
  • Malvern and Tenbury Wells also attracted visitors for their waters.

• Yorkshire:
  • Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, is one of England's most famous spa towns. It has many mineral springs and grand old buildings.
  • Ilkley and Boston Spa in West Yorkshire, and Knaresborough and Askern in North Yorkshire, were also popular spa destinations.

• Other English Spa Towns:
  • Bath in Somerset is perhaps the most famous, with its ancient Roman Baths. People have been visiting its hot springs for thousands of years.
  • Cheltenham in Gloucestershire is another elegant spa town known for its mineral waters.
  • Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire and Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent both have "Royal" in their names, showing their importance and popularity with royalty and high society in the past.
  • Other towns include Church Stretton in Shropshire, Dorton Spa in Buckinghamshire, Epsom in Surrey (which gave its name to Epsom salts!), Shearsby in Leicestershire, and Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire.

Wales's Healing Waters

Wales also has its own collection of historic spa towns, often nestled in beautiful countryside.

• Builth Wells
• Llandrindod Wells
• Llangammarch Wells
• Llanwrtyd Wells

These four towns are sometimes called the "Mid-Wales Spa Towns" because of their close location and shared history of attracting visitors for their mineral springs.

Spa Towns of the Past

Some towns that were once famous spa destinations are no longer visited for their springs. Over time, medical understanding changed, and new ways of relaxing and seeking health became popular. However, their history as spa towns is still an important part of their story.

England's Historic Spas

Many towns across England once had popular springs.

• Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire
• Bakewell and Baslow in Derbyshire
• Clifton/Hotwells in Bristol
• Ewell in Surrey
• Goathland and Hovingham in North Yorkshire
• Hartlepool in County Durham
• Hockley in Essex
• Leeds and Ossett in West Yorkshire
• Melksham in Wiltshire
• Nantwich in Cheshire
• Ripon and Scarborough in North Yorkshire
• Stoney Middleton and Wirksworth in Derbyshire
• Wigan in Greater Manchester

Scotland's Forgotten Springs

Scotland also had its share of spa towns, where people would travel to enjoy the mineral waters.

• Bridge of Allan in Stirling
• Crieff in Perth and Kinross
• Dunblane in Stirling
• Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway
• Peebles in the Scottish Borders
• Rothesay in Argyll and Bute
• Strathpeffer in Ross and Cromarty

Wales's Old Spa Spots

Besides the current spa towns, some places in Wales were once known for their springs.

• Taff's Well Thermal Spring, near Cardiff, is a natural warm spring.
• Chalybeate springs, near Trefriw, were also promoted as a spa in the early 20th century.

See also

• List of spa towns