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

Mistley is a small riverside village in Essex but it was once at the centre of a very ambitious plan to become a fashionable spa town. 

While the dream never came true, there are still little reminders of the attempt, including the Mistley Towers and the Swan Fountain.

The plan was led by Richard Rigby, the son of a wealthy Paymaster General under King George III. 

In the late 1700s, he wanted to turn Mistley into a popular spa destination. At the time, Mistley only had its port, warehouses, and a modest brick church built in 1735.

Rigby initially hired famous architect Robert Adam to design a saltwater bath near the river, but this idea never came to fruition. Instead, the architect was tasked with working on the church around 1776.

Adam reworked the church giving it two towers and rounded porticoes. The unusual design is said to have been inspired by Roman tombs, EssexLive reports.

Despite these efforts, the project also failed, and most of the church was demolished in 1870 to make way for a newer one. 

The twin towers, however, were left standing. Over time, they became landmarks for sailors, known as “seamarks.” And, in the 1950s, architect Raymond Erith restored the towers to preserve Mistley’s history. 

While Mistley’s spa town dream may have faded over time, much of its Georgian charm remains to this day.

The High Street and village green are still largely as they were in Rigby’s time.

The Swan Fountain also remains intact and is located opposite the Mistley Thorn pub.

The Mistley Thorn was built in 1723 and has its own history. The pub that stood there before was once the workplace of Matthew Hopkins, known as the “Witchfinder General,” who condemned many women during the English Civil War.

Mistley also played an important role as a trading port. In the 18th century, ships carried grain to London and returned with manure to fertilise crops. 

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

Today, visitors can still explore the beauty of Mistley by walking by the twin towers, or enjoy nearby attractions like Flatford Mill in Constable Country. 

The River Stour also offers sailing, birdwatching and cruises on historic Thames barges that dock at Mistley Quay in summer.