Pittville Pump Room

The grandest of Cheltenham's Regency set pieces, Pittville Pump Room stands at the northern end of a small park laid out with lakes, lawns, and specimen trees. The building itself is a confident piece of Greek Revival work — a colonnade of Ionic columns supporting a dome, the whole thing sitting slightly too large for its surroundings in a way that somehow makes it more impressive.

The park is free and open year-round, worth a walk regardless of the season. The building opens for concerts, exhibitions, and guided tours. The mineral spring still flows in the basement, and staff will pour you a glass if you want to experience what all the Georgian fuss was about. It's an acquired taste.

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A story
George III visited Cheltenham in 1788 to take the chalybeate waters, and the royal endorsement triggered the town's entire Regency building boom. The Pump Room was built between 1825 and 1830 by Joseph Pitt, who hoped to develop a new spa resort around it. You can still drink the mineral water today — it tastes medicinal and slightly brackish, exactly as it should.