Harrogate
Harrogate grew up around a cluster of mineral springs discovered in the 16th century, and by the Victorian era had become one of England's most fashionable spa towns — a reputation the town has kept hold of in a quieter, more genteel form ever since.
The Royal Pump Room, built over the town's strongest sulphur spring, is now a museum telling the story of that spa heritage, and the Turkish Baths nearby are a rare surviving example of Victorian Turkish bath architecture still in working use. The Stray, 200 acres of open parkland running through the town, was set aside by an Act of Parliament in 1778 to protect the springs feeding it and still can't be built on today.
The Valley Gardens, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and the town's well-kept Victorian and Georgian streets give Harrogate a genteel character that's made it a consistent fixture in quality-of-life surveys, and it remains a popular base for the surrounding Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale.
Where to Stay in Harrogate
- The Old Swan Hotel — a Victorian hotel near the town centre, known for its connection to Agatha Christie's 1926 disappearance.
- Cedar Court Hotel Harrogate — overlooking the Stray, on a site dating back to the town's first hotel.
- DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa — a large hotel with a spa, close to the conference centre.
- Hotel du Vin & Bistro Harrogate — a boutique hotel a short walk from Beulah Street.
- Premier Inn Harrogate Town Centre — close to the Turkish Baths and Valley Gardens.
Getting there
Harrogate has a direct rail line to Leeds and York, with York around 30 minutes away, making it a workable base for both cities as well as the Dales to the west.