Things to do in Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Stuart Forster provides an overview of things to do in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

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Looking for reasons to visit Harrogate, North Yorkshire? The spa town was once a destination of choice among members of European high society. Royalty, nobles and people of influence would enjoy lengthy stays to ‘take the waters’, which were believed to have properties beneficial to health, and spend time socialising together.

By contrast, I popped there for a day trip with the aim of having a cuppa at Bettys Café Tea Rooms.

The outbreak of World War One, in 1914, resulted in a marked downturn in the patronage of Harrogate’s spas. Inevitably, members of Europe’s elite now tend to favour jetting to tropical climes for luxury spa breaks and fashionable detox programmes. Harrogate, meanwhile, remains a charming place to visit.

Swathes of greenery plus grand Georgian and Victorian houses plus make Harrogate a pleasant place to stroll.



Things to do near Harrogate

Some visitors come because the town is a handy base for visiting the Yorkshire Dales National Park, whose boundaries are less than a half-hour’s drive away. The Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is another nearby attraction. Nidderdale is home to the National Trust-managed Brimham Rocks.

Roundabout at The Stray in Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Roundabout at The Stray in Harrogate.

Turkish Baths Harrogate

Though the town’s heyday as a spa has passed, it’s still possible to de-stress in the multi-room Turkish Baths and Health Spa (tel. 01423 556746).

Aesthetically impressive, the atmospheric bathhouse in Parliament Street features Moorish-inspired interiors replete with painted ceilings, colourful screens and horseshoe-shaped arches. It once formed part of the grand Royal Baths, which were declared open by the Duke of Cambridge on 23 July 1897.

Guides lead 45-minute tours at 9.00 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They introduce the history of the Turkish baths and what visitors can experience. (Call the baths to book a place on one of the tours.)

Modern bathers can sit sweating in the steam room before moving through a series of heated rooms. The hottest is the Laconium, where the latent heat opens bathers’ pores, stimulates circulation and is reputed to have a detoxifying effect. For those robust enough to withstand the shock of cold water, a dip in the chilled plunge pool flushes out toxins while closing pores.

Constructing the Royal Baths, between 1894 and 1897, was a huge undertaking. Baggalley and Bristowe, a firm of London-based architects, won a competition run by Harrogate Corporation. A budget of £120,000 was set aside for the building — that amount was then an enormous sum but now represents less than a week’s pay for some star footballers in England’s Premier League.

Electric hydrotherapy, peat baths and mud baths counted among the range of treatments once offered to guests after consultations with the Royal Bath’s doctors.



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The story of Harrogate spa

The Royal Pump Room Museum, inside an early Victorian building, tells the story of Harrogate’s spa heritage. It exhibits artefacts formerly used by bathers.

The restorative, health-giving properties of Harrogate’s iron- and sulphur-rich water were discovered in 1571 century by William Slingsby. His surname is now associated with Slingsby Gin, which is distilled in the North Yorkshire town

Over time a range of curative treatments evolved for rheumatism, skin diseases and ailments such as gout. Some meant drinking Harrogate’s water, others involved bathing.

Inevitably, guesthouses sprang up to accommodate visitors undergoing treatments. Health tourism, long before that term became fashionable, was a major contributor to Harrogate’s economy.

The War Memorial at Prospect Square in Harrogate, North Yorkshire
The War Memorial at Prospect Square in Harrogate.

Spa tourism and enclosure

Spa tourism began to boom at a time of radical change in Britain. During the 18th century, vast swathes of English common land were enclosed by acts of parliament, a development generally unpopular among the common people.

Enclosure was a key development in the Agricultural Revolution of that era, an important facet of British history. Yet it’s much less frequently discussed than the steam-driven Industrial Revolution that resulted in Harrogate acquiring a railway station in 1862.

Once enclosed — that meant being fenced off or demarcated by hedges — land could be intensively farmed, under private ownership, using scientific methods of land cultivation. The origins of The Stray, one of Harrogate’s many areas of greenery and parkland, dates from that era.

After the Great Forest of Knaresborough was enclosed in 1770, locals expressed concern that they may be in danger of losing the right of public access to Harrogate’s mineral-rich springs. On 19 August 1778 land between the villages of High and Low Harrogate was set aside for public use in perpetuity.

“200 acres shall forever hereafter remain open and unenclosed, and all persons shall and may have free access at all times to the said springs…and enjoy full and free ingress, egress and regress…,” says the grant recording the origins of The Stray, across which footpaths now meander.



The happiest place in Britain

That open space is one of the factors fostering a high quality of life in the town. Locals are proud to inform visitors that Harrogate was voted the happiest place in Great Britain by participants in the Rightmove survey for three years in succession, between 2013 and 2015.

Stuart Forster enjoying a cup of tea at Bettys Cafe Tea Room in Harrogate, North Yorkshire..
Enjoying a cuppa at Bettys.

Bettys Café Tea Room

On busy days people queue beyond the door to take afternoon tea in Bettys Café Tea Room, waiting beneath a broad canopy on Parliament Street. The chic café, in which personable waiting staff wear uniforms, was opened in 1919 by a Swiss man, Frederick Belmont.

According to legend, Belmont, a baker and confectioner, settled in Yorkshire because its clean air and greenery reminded him of Switzerland. Perhaps his heritage accounts for the glaring omission of an apostrophe in his popular café’s name? (Question to readers: be honest, did you think I’d missed it?)

Mystery, though, surrounds the identity of the eponymous Betty. There’s speculation that the name may be a tip of the hat to the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes Lyon.

Devouring a Yorkshire Fat Rascal served with butter at Bettys Cafe Tea Room counts among top things to do in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
A Yorkshire Fat Rascal served with butter at Bettys Cafe Tea Room. Surely one of the best reasons to visit Harrogate?

Cycling in Yorkshire

One way of maximising the amount of ground covered while exploring Harrogate is to hire a bicycle. Vern Overton Cycling offers a guided-ride service. One of the district’s chief attractions is the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Harlow Carr, about one-and-a-half miles from the pedestrianised centre of town.

The Victoria Shopping Centre plus a smattering of independent stores are among the reasons for keen shoppers to browse Harrogate’s shops. One of the most distinctive façades is that of Mr Arkwright’s Tool Emporium, an old-fashioned corner store with hardware stacked under a canopy supported by black-painted iron pillars.

Art aficionados, meanwhile, should look inside the Mercer Art Gallery (31 Swan Road). Work by Yorkshire-based artists frequently features in the gallery.

Open all hours? Mr Arkwright's Tool Emporium is one of the options when shopping in Harrogate.
Open all hours? Mr Arkwright’s Tool Emporium in Harrogate.

Harrogate Convention Centre

Conferences are a catalyst to many visits to Harrogate.

Harrogate Convention Centre occupies a modern building close to the heart of the town.

The Yorkshire Showground, on the edge of town, hosts events including the Harrogate Spring Flower Show (April), the Great Yorkshire Show (July) and the Yorkshire Antiques and Arts Fair (November). The Harrogate International Centre is also a major venue.

It’s reassuring to know that a cuppa and a slice of cake in Bettys and the heat of the Turkish baths are ways of finding warmth if Yorkshire’s winter weather proves blustery and cold.

Stuart Forster on location at Montpellier Gardens in Harrogate.
On location at Montpellier Gardens in Harrogate.

Travel to Harrogate

Harrogate’s railway station is in the heart of the town, which is near the A59.

The 85-mile drive from Newcastle-upon-Tyne took around one hour and 40 minutes. For travellers coming from further afield, Harrogate town centre is 10 miles north-east of Leeds Bradford Airport.


Things to do in Harrogate

If you plan on staying overnight, it might be possible to purchase tickets for a show. Harrogate Theatre was built in 1900.

The late-Victorian, Grade II listed building hosts a diverse programme of shows. Look out for its musicals, dance and drama performances.



Hotels in Harrogate

There’s a broad choice of places to stay in Harrogate.

The Hotel Du Vin and Bistro (Prospect Place, Harrogate, HG1 1LB) has 48 stylish guest rooms in connected Georgian buildings.

The Crown Hotel Harrogate (Crown Place, Harrogate, HG1 2RZ; tel. 01423 567755) offers accommodation in 114 rooms in a grand, centrally situated building with a long and interesting history.

Less than 20 minutes’ drive from the town centre, Rudding Park (Follifoot, Harrogate, HG3 1JH; tel. 01423 871350) is a 90-room luxury hotel with a spa and golf course. Set in the countryside, it’s a gorgeous place for a getaway with someone special.



Booking.com

Restaurants in Harrogate

For avid foodies, the presence of more than 130 restaurants represents an array of mouth-watering array of reasons to visit Harrogate. Three of the popular places to dine are:

Bettys Café Tea Rooms (1 Parliament Street, Harrogate, HG1 2QU; tel. 01423 814070) is a popular spot for afternoon tea. It serves food throughout the day, serving breakfast and dinner, from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm. House specials include Swiss-style bacon and raclette rösti plus chicken schnitzel. My personal favourite is the Yorkshire Fat Rascal, which is similar to an almond-topped scone and served with butter. The shop is an option if you want to pick up cakes or other items of food and drink for a picnic.

The Ivy Harrogate (7 – 9 Parliament Street, Harrogate, HG1 2QU) is an elegant brasserie. Part of a restaurant chain with outlets across the United Kingdom, The Ivy is known for slick service, quality cocktails and consistently good food. Can’t get into Bettys for afternoon tea? Try this place instead.

The Fat Badger (Coldbath Road, Harrogate, HG2 0NF; tel. 01423 505681) serves modern British food in its restaurant. The bar menu includes Scottish mussels, roasted monkfish tail and a selection of steaks.

Map of Harrogate

Zoom into the map of Harrogate below to view places of interest in and around the North Yorkshire town:

Google Map showing Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Books about Harrogate and Yorkshire

Planning a trip to Harrogate and North Yorkshire? You can buy the following books via Amazon by clicking on the links or cover photos:

Secret Harrogate by Paul Chrystal:

A to Z of Harrogate: People – Places – History by Paul Neesam:


Harrogate and Nidderdale: Short Scenic Walks by Paul Hannon:


Pathfinder Guides’ Yorkshire Dales: Outstanding Circular Walks:

Further information

For more information see the Visit Harrogate and Welcome to Yorkshire websites.

Stuart Forster, the author of this post, is an award-winning travel and food writer from North East England.

Thank you for visiting Go Eat Do and reading this post about reasons to visit Harrogate. Looking for ideas for days out in the north of England? Take a look at this post suggesting 16 things to do in Sedbergh.

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A version of this post was originally published on Go Eat Do on 18 January 2018.

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2 Comments

  • Katie Jane

    January 4, 2018 at 15:56 Reply

    Some great things mentioned! Betty’s has to be on the top of my list to do in Harrogate. I go every time! Katie

    • Stuart Forster

      January 5, 2018 at 16:12 Reply

      I’m looking forward to returning in the summer when the gardens are in full bloom.

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