Royal Leamington Spa

	The elegant curve of Lansdowne Crescent is typical of Royal Leamington Spa

In an era when "medicine" consisted of doses of laudanum or arsenic, it was amaznng just how much good a glass of water could do you. Of course, in order to persuade people to drink the water, it had to taste of something and the fouler the flavour the better people thought it was for you - and thus the spa was born.

A series of salt water springs a few miles from Warwick were developed into a thriving spa town to which the rich and famous came for the "cure". The town of Leamington Spa grew and prospered - and then the NHS came along and spoiled it all!

However, the beautiful buildings of the Regency period remain to delight the eye, and if you are particularly masochistic, you can drink a glass of the water - half a pint a day was the recommended dose.