Royal Leamington Spa is a handsome Regency town in Warwickshire, granted its royal prefix by Queen Victoria in 1838. The town grew around its saline springs in the early nineteenth century, and the legacy of that era is visible everywhere — elegant white-stuccoed terraces, the Pump Room gardens along the River Leam, and wide tree-lined avenues that give the centre an air of faded grandeur.
The Parade is the main shopping street, with a good mix of independent shops and cafes. Jephson Gardens, in the heart of town, is one of the finest public parks in the Midlands, with a glasshouse, a boating lake, and borders that are impressive year-round. The town has a lively restaurant scene and a student population from nearby Warwick University that keeps the evenings busy.
Leamington Spa is an excellent base for visiting Warwick Castle, just two miles away, and Stratford-upon-Avon is a short drive south. The train to London Marylebone takes about ninety minutes.