Harrogate

Harrogate is not just a touristic town, but it is also a SPA-resort of England. A lot of the British choose it as a quiet and comfortable retirement away from the hustle of a big city. The most amazing attraction of Harrogate is its natural landscape – valleys, rivers, meadows and spa lakes.

Harrogate is just an hour away from Leeds and 3 hours away from Manchester. From Leeds it is possible to make a one day trip. Return bus ticket is 8.6 pounds. It is available with the bus driver.

If you wish to have a photo shoot in Harrogate or any other town in UK you can find all the information on this page. The price of a photo shoot is from 250 pounds.

Harrogate is very small and it is possible to walk around it within half a day and then, move further to Knaresborough, as an option (read my story about Knaresborough here). When you arrive to Harrogate and exit from the bus or railway station you will find yourself at James Street in front of the shopping moll “Victoria”. Nearby, there is also a small park with a statue of Queen Victoria. The street is packed with various cafes, restaurants, pizzerias and bakeries and there is also a “Marks & Spencer” moll. You have to remember, that almost everything is closing at 5 p.m., except the pubs and Tesco Express markets. But the public transport is available even at night time Fridays and Saturdays.

Going further, along James str. or Cambridge str., you will reach the downtown area called Montpellier. The best and popular cafe in Harrogate is located here –Betty’s Café Tea Room on the 1 Parliament St. Here you can have breakfast, lunch or Afternoon tea.

You can check its menu card here.  It is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

By the way, the name of the downtown has no connection with the French city of Montpellier, except for its name, that the English liked and used. The district Montpellier, the Montpellier Gardens, the Montpelier Road and the Montpelier Back Road together with the Royal Parade Street are forming a transport circle with a big monument of the Crown in the middle. 

A significant part of socializing is going on in local pubs. This is exactly where they opened a popular English pub “Old Bell that is famous for its excellent choice of beer. You can find it at 6 Royal Parade str. A remarkable fact is that Harrogate has a special blend of British, Scottish and Irish culture altogether. That is why a special English atmosphere of peaceful nature, noisy pubs and remarkable architecture seems here most prominent and profound.

Also, you will notice that there is no language accent here – you will hear almost perfect, pure English speech. So, if you have to choose a city to study English, this is a perfect place. Here you can find an excellent language school CES at 8 Royal Parade str., where I studied as well. All the details about the school are here.

A small street, Royal Parade, will bring you to the Royal Pump Room, a Grade II listed building in Harrogate.

Nowadays, this architectural masterpiece is the town’s museum governed by the Harrogate Borough Council, but initially, it was a spa water pump room.

It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Mon-Sat). The entrance fee is 4 pounds for adults and 2.5 pounds for kids.

On the opposite side of the road there is one of the most remarkable landmarks of the city – the Valley Gardens also called “fun valley”. This really charming place is impressing with its huge territory with lavish green trees, unique plants, crystal clear pools, footpaths and flower beds. It is also the location of the city festivals and celebrations. Every bench here is installed by a certain prominent local person and has a personal signature.

One of the central paths of the Valley Gardens has a Wishing Well. You can drop a coin inside and ring the bell. I decided to check it and made a wish. Strange it may be, but it came true in a week. Later, I came here again, convinced that it really works, and dropped a handful of different coins for a bigger dream, but I am still waiting... May be, it accepts only local currency ;)

After the Valley Gardens you can take the Crescent Road and on your way you will come across the Mercer Art Gallery and the Tourist Center of Harrogate where they can recommend to you few more interesting spots to see.

The downtown of Harrogate fascinates with its homely environment and fabulous architecture. The same types of buildings house restaurants and spa centers as well as the Royal Hall and the Royal Hall Theatre with the lavish interior design inherited from the times of the dancing halls of the Imperial Europe.

Harrogate is famous for its mineral springs. It is because of them, that Harrogate has become a “citadel” of spa resorts being an attraction of wealthy British. Harrogate produces its own local mineral water, delicious and healthy.

You can finish your tour with at Oxford Street walking towards the railway and bus stations. You will find a big variety of shops here and the Harrogate Theatre built in 1900 as Grand Opera House. The tickets and the theatre repertoire are available here.

Being in Harrogate, one might start to compare it to London, Manchester and other cities of North Yorkshire. It is obvious, that Harrogate is the best in terms of a quiet and peaceful lifestyle in England. At any place here you will be surrounded with amazing nature and charming houses. There are almost no tourists and the location itself is in the middle of endless fields with pure air and tranquil atmosphere. 

Harewood House is the internal exquisite mark of Harrogate. It is a pompous palace of Harewood Dukes and a perfect example of the Classical architecture. The design of this magnificent building had been developed for 15 years in the middle of 18th century. 

You should not skip seeing the Ripley Castle, a 14th century country residence three miles north of Harrogate. The building is made of coursed squared gritstone and ashlar with grey slate and stone slate roofs. It looks a bit gloomy, but for sure, it is a worthy backdrop for your pictures.