Days Out - Shop till you drop

Beautiful Spa Towns

They might not be on a grand scale like some of our cities, but tucked away in various corners of the UK are some of the most beautiful spa towns in Europe. Here at Littlewoods Bingo, we like nothing more than a relaxing day looking round one of these stunning places and bathing like we’re Roman royalty!

Here’s our pick of the best UK spa towns, so put your bingo dabber down for a few short minutes, get your towels ready, and read on...

Leamington Spa
Right in the heart of England, Leamington Spa is one of the easiest spa town’s to get to, wherever you are in the country. Queen Victoria bestowed the ‘Royal’ title onto Royal Leamington Spa after numerous visits between 1830 and 1858, but the first spring found in Leamington goes back around 200 years before that.

On a site close to the parish church in 1656, the first spring was recorded. Originally used for medicinal purposes, the Earl of Aylesford was the first to charge people to use and drink the water – after he erected a small building over the spring in 1803.

Locals believed that the spa treatments could cure, or alleviate a huge number of illnesses, but it took them rather longer to figure out that the spa water was also a mild laxative!

Harrogate
For over 400 years the town of Harrogate has been renowned for its curious sulphur spring. First discovered in 1571 and, as was the case with most natural springs, hailed as a miracle cure for a number of ailments, the town became one of the most fashionable spas in Europe towards the end of the 18th Century.

This rising popularity meant that people soon travelled to and settled in Harrogate, eager to get their clothes off and bathe. (hey what else could they do – bingo hadn’t been invented yet!) Harrogate is also home to one of only three Turkish Baths in the UK – which as anyone who has experienced it will tell you, gives a wonderful refreshing experience.

You need an ounce of bravery for the freezing plunge pool though!

Tunbridge Wells
Despite once being an exclusive retreat for royalty and aristocracy, the spa town in the heart of Kent is now popular with everyone, whatever your social background. You don’t have to be the Queen’s cousin (but it would probably help!!!)

A renowned spa town since the 17th Century, Tunbridge Wells was given its ‘Royal’ title by Edward VII in 1909. Today the town is alive with shops, restaurants and outdoor entertainment. If you’re feeling a little under the weather, get yourself down to the Chalybeate Spring where costumed dippers will serve you a glass of iron-rich mineral water - said to cure all ills! It’s not the Fountain of Youth, but it might be as close as we get!

Buxton
Buxton is the place to be if you want a hedonistic mix of Royal Spa action and outdoor music festivals. For hundreds of years the town has been a spa popular with visitors from the far reaches of the globe.

More recently it also attracts the tourists thanks to a summer music festival. Buxton has a trump card over many spa towns in that it’s situated in the Peak District. Stunning views are the order of the day, and if you are there for the weekend, Buxton offers a variety of accommodation, from grand hotels to quaint B ‘n Bs.

The Romans were so taken with Buxton that the named it "Aquae Arnemetiae" which means "The Spa of the Goddess of the Grove". You’ve probably even drunk the water yourself – Buxton mineral water being one of the best selling waters in the UK.

Bath
Bath lays claim to being Britain’s leading Royal Spa town and it’s easy to see why. UNESCO has designated the town as a World Heritage Site, owing to its 2000 year history. (that’s a lot of mineral water bingo buddies!)

If you’ve not seen it before, it’s worth paying a visit to the Roman Baths Museum, where you can learn all about the ‘birth’ of communal bathing in the UK. Named Aquae Sulis by the Romans, the town is also home to some of the finest architecture in Europe. If you’re a culture vulture like everyone here at Littlewoods Bingo, you’ll marvel at the Royal Crescent, Bath Abbey, the Circus and Pulteney Bridge.

There you have it, our whistle-stop tour of the best Royal Spa towns in the UK. If there’s one near you it’s definitely worth a visit. After you’re fully restored and raring to go, it’s time to play some online bingo games for your chance to win a bingo jackpot that could change your life.

We have all sorts of bingo games, slots games and numbers games, so there’s bound to be something that tickles your fancy. Get playing and good luck!