When 'taking the waters' became less fashionable after the mid-19th century the Pump Rooms became Leamington's only surviving spa facility, later also being extended to include the town's public swimming pool.

After a major redevelopment in 1997-99 the building now houses Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, a public library, a Tourist Information Centre, cafe and assembly rooms.

It was decided by these men that they needed to find a spring on their side of the river so that they could erect a suitably grand building to match the town they aimed to develop.

Another spring was found in 1811 on the land of Mr Bertie Greatheed[3] and the architectural work was undertaken by local man Charles S. Smith (who also designed The Regent Hotel and the Upper Assembly Rooms in the town) in the Classical style.

It also included the world's first gravity fed piped hot water system in modern times, which was designed and installed in 1815 by the engineer William Murdoch.

[4] From the 1840s onwards the British spa town tourist industry began to wane thanks to the growing popularity of spas in continental Europe, notably Belgium and France.

Faced with the decline in demand for spa health treatments the decision was made in 1860 to close the Pump Rooms with a view to demolishing them and selling the land.