Cheltenham, borough, Gloucestershire, central England, on the Chelt River. Cheltenham is a spa and resort town situated on the western edge of the Cotswold Hills. Also known as an educational center, it is the seat of Cheltenham College (1841), a private school for boys; Cheltenham Ladies' College (1853); a grammar school (mid-16th century); and a college of art. Annual festivals of music and literature are held here. Cheltenham has broad, tree-lined streets and many fine early 19th-century buildings. An Anglo-Saxon settlement, Cheltenham was the site of a church as early as 803, and by the 13th century was noted for its fairs and markets. In 1716 mineral springs were discovered here, and after 1738, when a pump room was built, the town began its growth as a health resort. Population (1991) 91,301.
