Harrogate

Harrogate is a beautiful Regency / Victorian spa town in the English county of North Yorkshire. It's home to the famous Betty's tea rooms, Harlow Carr Gardens and Harrogate spa water. In addition to being a charming floral town Harrogate is a popular conference venue, with a large convention centre. As a result it has many good restaurants and hotels and a pleasant, walkable centre.

North of Harrogate are the scenic Yorkshire Dales.

Simply strolling the central streets and arcades is a joy.

• Betty's Tea Rooms, 1 Parliament Street HG1 2QU. Daily 09:00-21:00. Famous, so there will be long queues to eat in at weekends, even if the Queen isn't visiting. Still, you could get everything for a picnic from the onsite bakery, then head into one of the green spaces to enjoy: in all but the dead of winter there are excellent floral displays.
• The Valley Gardens are the town's main park, with floral displays, open spaces and a small cafe. Many of the historic town springs emerge in this area, though they're nowadays mostly capped off or bottled. Daytime it's a genteel area to stroll, and the obvious walking route to Harlow Carr Gardens. After dark it's poorly lit and can attract sleazy denizens.
• Royal Pump Room Museum, Crown Place HG1 2RY (Foot of town opposite Valley Gardens. April-Oct Mo-Sa 10:30-17:00, Su 14:00-17:00; Nov-Mar to 16:00. This celebrates the town's spa heyday. The original "Spa" is in Belgium: Harrogate's natural spring waters were discovered circa 1571 to have similar composition. Add in a Regency / Victorian social scene, the invention of railways and leisure travel, and oodles of publicity, and here you are. The mineral-rich springs are variously of "chalybeate" (iron) and of sulphur. Do taste some: it's the sulphur that you're long going to remember. Adult £4.
• RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, Crag Lane HG3 1QB (3 miles south of town, a long walk or a short car trip. Daily Mar-Oct 09:30-18:00, Nov-Feb to 16:00. Some of the best blooms in the North of England. It has its own branch of Betty's Tea Rooms. Adult £12.65.

Further out:

• Knaresborough is a charming market town 4 miles east, perched on the gorge of the River Nidd.
• The underlying millstone grit crops up here and there in striking rock formations. The best of these are at Brimham Rocks, 10 miles north off the B6165 beyond Summerbridge (HG3 4DW). Free, open all daylight hours. Smaller outcrops include Almscliff Crag off the A658 to Bradford and the airport, and Plumpton Rocks off the A661 to Wetherby and the A1.
• Harewood House is a palatial 18th C mansion built by Carr & Adam with extensive grounds by "Capability" Brown and an exotic bird garden. 7 miles south of Harrogate on the A61 main road to Leeds, frequent bus # 36. Open April-September.

Betty's Tea Rooms, 1 Parliament Street HG1 2QU. Daily 09:00-21:00. Famous, so there will be long queues to eat in at weekends, even if the Queen isn't visiting. Still, you could get everything for a picnic from the onsite bakery, then head into one of the green spaces to enjoy: in all but the dead of winter there are excellent floral displays.

The Valley Gardens are the town's main park, with floral displays, open spaces and a small cafe. Many of the historic town springs emerge in this area, though they're nowadays mostly capped off or bottled. Daytime it's a genteel area to stroll, and the obvious walking route to Harlow Carr Gardens. After dark it's poorly lit and can attract sleazy denizens.

Royal Pump Room Museum, Crown Place HG1 2RY (Foot of town opposite Valley Gardens. April-Oct Mo-Sa 10:30-17:00, Su 14:00-17:00; Nov-Mar to 16:00. This celebrates the town's spa heyday. The original "Spa" is in Belgium: Harrogate's natural spring waters were discovered circa 1571 to have similar composition. Add in a Regency / Victorian social scene, the invention of railways and leisure travel, and oodles of publicity, and here you are. The mineral-rich springs are variously of "chalybeate" (iron) and of sulphur. Do taste some: it's the sulphur that you're long going to remember. Adult £4.

RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, Crag Lane HG3 1QB (3 miles south of town, a long walk or a short car trip. Daily Mar-Oct 09:30-18:00, Nov-Feb to 16:00. Some of the best blooms in the North of England. It has its own branch of Betty's Tea Rooms. Adult £12.65.

[[Knaresborough]] is a charming market town 4 miles east, perched on the gorge of the River Nidd.

The underlying millstone grit crops up here and there in striking rock formations. The best of these are at Brimham Rocks, 10 miles north off the B6165 beyond Summerbridge (HG3 4DW). Free, open all daylight hours. Smaller outcrops include Almscliff Crag off the A658 to Bradford and the airport, and Plumpton Rocks off the A661 to Wetherby and the A1.

Harewood House is a palatial 18th C mansion built by Carr & Adam with extensive grounds by "Capability" Brown and an exotic bird garden. 7 miles south of Harrogate on the A61 main road to Leeds, frequent bus # 36. Open April-September.

• Turkish Baths, Parliament Street HG1 2WH, +44 1423 556746. Closed for re-building until 13 Aug 2018. Thereafter daily 08:00-22:30, see website for session times, some sessions are ladies only. These offer a splendid Moorish-style sauna and soak. Guided tours midweek at 09:00 (£3.75). Sessions M-Th £18, F £21, Sa Su £30.
• The Great Yorkshire Show is an agricultural show held over three days in July. The next event is Tu 9 - Th 11 July 2019. The showground is two miles east of city centre on A661 towards Wetherby. A free Transdev shuttle bus runs between the bus station and showground. This is in addition to regular Transdev buses 770 and 771 from Leeds and Wetherby towards Harrogate, which stop outside the showground. Driving, please follow signs and not Satnav, as access roads will have a temporary one-way system.

Turkish Baths, Parliament Street HG1 2WH, +44 1423 556746. Closed for re-building until 13 Aug 2018. Thereafter daily 08:00-22:30, see website for session times, some sessions are ladies only. These offer a splendid Moorish-style sauna and soak. Guided tours midweek at 09:00 (£3.75). Sessions M-Th £18, F £21, Sa Su £30.

The Great Yorkshire Show is an agricultural show held over three days in July. The next event is Tu 9 - Th 11 July 2019. The showground is two miles east of city centre on A661 towards Wetherby. A free Transdev shuttle bus runs between the bus station and showground. This is in addition to regular Transdev buses 770 and 771 from Leeds and Wetherby towards Harrogate, which stop outside the showground. Driving, please follow signs and not Satnav, as access roads will have a temporary one-way system.

It's where not what you buy: be sure to visit the Victoria Shopping Centre, a splendid arcade facing the railway station (parking available). The familiar chains and a good few independents are here. Continue through the pedestrianised Montpelier quarter until your arms can carry no more.

• Drum & Monkey, 5 Montpelier Gardens HG1 2TF, +44 1423 502650. Mo-Sa 12:00-14:00 & 17:30-21:00 (F Sa to 21:30). Seafood with French influence. M-Th early bird £18 two courses, three £22.
• Harrogate Brasserie, 30 Cheltenham Parade HG1 1DB, +44 1423 505041. M-Th 12:00-14:30 & 17:00-21:30, F-Su 12:00-21:30. Different menus or a la carte at different hours, check website. It's also a hotel.
• William & Victoria, 6 Cold Bath Road HG2 0NA, +44 1423 521510. Mo-Sa 12:00-23:30, Su 12:00-17:00. British classics.

Drum & Monkey, 5 Montpelier Gardens HG1 2TF, +44 1423 502650. Mo-Sa 12:00-14:00 & 17:30-21:00 (F Sa to 21:30). Seafood with French influence. M-Th early bird £18 two courses, three £22.

Harrogate Brasserie, 30 Cheltenham Parade HG1 1DB, +44 1423 505041. M-Th 12:00-14:30 & 17:00-21:30, F-Su 12:00-21:30. Different menus or a la carte at different hours, check website. It's also a hotel.

William & Victoria, 6 Cold Bath Road HG2 0NA, +44 1423 521510. Mo-Sa 12:00-23:30, Su 12:00-17:00. British classics.

Harrogate Spring Water is a very drinkable commercial brand of local spring water, low in minerals, and not to be mistaken for the concussion inflicted by high-mineral Harrogate spa water.

Good Wi-Fi connectivity in the town centre, but some of the surrounding countryside is patchy or altogether dead.

Harrogate is mostly a very safe town. Even at night, drunken anti-social behaviour isn't common. Stay away from Valley Gardens at night, where the low lighting occasionally attracts dubious characters.

• Ripon is the site of must-see Fountains Abbey.
• Ripley Castle in the village of Ripley is a 15th-century castle and stately home of the Ingilby family.
• The Yorkshire Dales and North Yorks Moors are scenic national parks easily reached by car.
• Veterinary practice in Thirsk inspired the tales of James Heriot, and his house there is now a museum. Learn more about his profession at Yorkshire Farming Museum outside York.
• York is a charming walled city. Within the Yorkshire Museum there is the "Harrogate Hoard", a collection of almost 700 Viking coins, discovered locally in 2007.

[[Ripon]] is the site of must-see Fountains Abbey.

Ripley Castle in the village of Ripley is a 15th-century castle and stately home of the Ingilby family.

The Yorkshire Dales and North Yorks Moors are scenic national parks easily reached by car.

Veterinary practice in [[Thirsk]] inspired the tales of James Heriot, and his house there is now a museum. Learn more about his profession at Yorkshire Farming Museum outside York.