Upon visiting the quaint, riverside town of Mistley, it may not immediately strike you as anything out of the ordinary. However, two physical remnants of an ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful 18th-century plan to transform the town into a saltwater spa still stand - the swan fountain and the Mistley Towers. As per English Heritage, Richard Rigby's father amassed considerable wealth and influence when he was appointed Paymaster General of the Forces by George III in 1786.
At that time, the village of Mistley comprised warehouses, a granary, a malting office, quays and a medieval church - of which only the porch remains today. There was also a newer church, constructed to the north of the village in 1735 at the behest of Rigby's father. However, when Rigby conceived his grand scheme to convert Mistley into a chic spa, the simple, brick structure of the church didn't align with his vision.
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