Cheltenham has many unique shops and arcades, some dating from its heyday as a fashionable spa town. This arcade is one of them and it's among the best preserved in the country. It was built in 1831 for the sale of luxury goods to visitors to the town’s spas. Inside there were originally 16 small shops. Today, the arcade is little changed, with one-off specialty shops and boutiques plying their trade to residents and tourists alike.