The unfinished UK village bought by a millionaire to become a spa town

The unfinished UK colony bought by a millionaire to go a spa town. (Image: Getty)

Mistley is simply a tiny riverside village successful Essex but it was erstwhile astatine the centre of a precise ambitious program to go a fashionable spa town. 

While the imagination ne'er came true, determination are inactive small reminders of the attempt, including the Mistley Towers and the Swan Fountain.

The program was led by Richard Rigby, the lad of a affluent Paymaster General nether King George III. 

In the precocious 1700s, helium wanted to crook Mistley into a fashionable spa destination. At the time, Mistley lone had its port, warehouses, and a humble ceramic religion built successful 1735.

Rigby initially hired celebrated designer Robert Adam to plan a saltwater bath adjacent the river, but this thought ne'er came to fruition. Instead, the designer was tasked with moving connected the religion astir 1776.

The Swan Fountain successful Mistley. (Image: Getty)

Adam reworked the religion giving it 2 towers and rounded porticoes. The antithetic plan is said to person been inspired by Roman tombs, EssexLive reports.

Despite these efforts, the task besides failed, and astir of the religion was demolished successful 1870 to marque mode for a newer one. 

The duplicate towers, however, were near standing. Over time, they became landmarks for sailors, known arsenic "seamarks." And, successful the 1950s, designer Raymond Erith restored the towers to sphere Mistley’s history. 

While Mistley’s spa municipality imagination whitethorn person faded implicit time, overmuch of its Georgian charm remains to this day.

The High Street and colony greenish are inactive mostly arsenic they were successful Rigby’s time.

The duplicate aged religion towers became landmarks for sailors, known arsenic 'seamarks'. (Image: Getty)

Mistley High Street. (Image: Getty)

The Swan Fountain besides remains intact and is located other the Mistley Thorn pub.

The Mistley Thorn was built successful 1723 and has its ain history. The pub that stood determination earlier was erstwhile the workplace of Matthew Hopkins, known arsenic the "Witchfinder General," who condemned galore women during the English Civil War.

Mistley besides played an important relation arsenic a trading port. In the 18th century, ships carried atom to London and returned with manure to fertilise crops. 

What’s more, the colony became a centre for boat-building, producing ships similar Admiral Nelson’s flagship Amphibian.

Today, visitors tin inactive research the quality of Mistley by walking by the duplicate towers, oregon bask adjacent attractions similar Flatford Mill successful Constable Country. 

The River Stour besides offers sailing, birdwatching and cruises connected historical Thames barges that dock astatine Mistley Quay successful summer.