Editing Tenby (section)

===The Paxton Revival===
[[File:Tenby2550lg.JPG|thumb|left|View upwards to the promenade, showing the 1814 arched road built during the town's revival by [[William Paxton (MP)|Sir William Paxton]]]]
Another [[Napoleonic Wars|war]] led to a resurgence in Tenby's fortunes. Since 1798, the French General [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] had begun conquering Europe restricting the rich British upper classes from making their [[Grand Tour]]s to continental [[List of spa towns|spa towns]]. In 1802 local resident, merchant banker and politician, [[William Paxton (MP)|Sir William Paxton]], bought his first property in the old town. From this point onwards he invested heavily in the area with the full approval of the town council.

With the growth in saltwater sea-bathing for health purposes, Paxton engaged engineer James Grier and architect [[Samuel Pepys Cockerell]] (the same team who had built his home at [[National Botanic Garden of Wales|Middleton Hall]]) to create a "fashionable bathing establishment suitable for the highest society." His sea-bathing baths came into operation in July 1806 and, after acquiring the Globe Inn, transformed it into "a most lofty, elegant and convenient style" to lodge the more elegant visitors to his baths. Cottages were erected adjoining the baths with adjoining livery stables and coach house.

A road was built on arches overlooking the harbour at Paxton's full expense in 1814. He had a [[private act of Parliament]]{{which|date=December 2024}} passed{{when|date=December 2024}} that enabled fresh water to be piped through the town. Despite these accomplishments, his 1809 theatre was closed in 1818 due to lack of patronage.<ref name=Kuiters/> The Market Hall was completed in 1829 and remodelled to serve as [[Tenby Town Hall]] in 1860.<ref name="listed"/>

Paxton also took in "tour" developments in the area as required by rich Victorian tourists. This included the discovery of a [[chalybeate spring]] in his own park at Middleton Hall, and coaching inns from [[Swansea]] to [[Narberth, Pembrokeshire|Narberth]]. He built [[Paxton's Tower]], in memorial to [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Lord Nelson]] whom he had met in 1802 when mayor of [[Carmarthen]].<ref name=Kuiters/> Paxton's efforts to revive the town succeeded and after the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], the growth of Victorian Tenby was inevitable.