Harrogate Trail
Harrogate is a spa town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which developed significantly from the sixteenth century due to the discovery of its chalybeate and sulphur-rich spring waters, which resulted in it attracting many visitors (for anyone wondering chalybeate waters are waters containing iron salts). In medieval times, it comprised the separate villages of High and Low Harrogate, although the area between these was developed during the nineteenth century. Today, the town is popular with tourists and whilst it’s spa heyday may be a thing of the past, visitors can still enjoy the Victorian Turkish Baths, whilst also visiting the now iconic local tearooms, all within and surrounded by historic Grade II and Grade II*-listed buildings.
Harrogate Railway Station however is one of the town’s least historic buildings: it originally opened in 1862, but was completely rebuilt in 1964-1965 and the original station buildings were demolished and replaced with the current concrete edifice. Still, it is at least well equipped, with a waiting room toilets and café. It has three platforms, although only two of these are now in use. From the station, we cross directly over Station Parade, then turn left and walk through Station Square, passing the Jubilee Memorial and then crossing James Street. Cross back over Station Parade, then turn left and follow Station Bridge to a roundabout. Bear right and follow North Park Road, passing Harrogate Baptist Church on the right, and follow the road until it ends at Queen Parade; look left here to see Harrogate Masonic Hall on the parallel Station Avenue.
Cross Queen Parade and bear slightly right to follow a public footpath to Park Parade. Turn left and follow the road past the former Queen Hotel on the left to reach North Park Road, then turn right and then left to follow Coach Road. When Christ Church appears on the right, follow the drive leading to this, and continue as it bends left past the church to reach Church Square. Christ Church is Grade II-listed and dates from 1831, with a chancel added in 1861. Turn right and then take the second right, before following a path on the left diagonally to reach Skipton Road, looking out for the Empress public house nearby on Church Square.
Cross Skipton Road and follow a road leading to Granby Road; the former Granby Hotel (now a residential home) is directly opposite. Turn right and follow Granby Road to Knaresborough Road, then cross this and follow a track (Willaston Road) alongside a grassy open space called the Stray on the right. The Stray is a large area of common land which has remained public space since the Enclosure Act of 1770. At the next road (Wetherby Road) take a detour to the left to view St John’s Well (a chalybeate spring, with a Grade II*-listed well-cover dating from c.1842); otherwise, cross over and continue straight ahead next to the Stray along Slingsby Walk.
St John’s Well.
When Slingsby Walk reaches Oatlands Drive, cross over and continue straight ahead next to the Stray, next crossing Stray Rein, followed by a footbridge over the railway line. Turn left and walk along Cherry Tree Walk to the Tewit Well, the earliest of the Harrogate chalybeate springs, discovered in 1571; the existing Grade II*-listed well-cover was originally on the site of the Old Sulphur Well and was relocated to its current location in c.1842.
From the well, we turn right and follow a tree-lined path to Leeds Road, taking our leave of the Stray when we reach it. Turn right along the road, walk to a roundabout, then cross over Leeds Road and bear left along a path to Trinity Road; Trinity Methodist Church is directly opposite. Turn right and walk to Otley Road, cross over and follow a path across West Park to Beech Grove, then cross over and follow Lancaster Road straight ahead until it ends at Queen’s Road. Turn right and walk to the junction with Cold Bath Road, then turn right again. Take the fourth left turn along Valley Drive to reach a roundabout, then continue straight ahead to enter Valley Gardens. This 17 acres Grade II-listed park was laid out in 1887 to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Turn right and follow a path through the gardens to a cherub statue, then follow paths as they curve left to reach the Old Magnesia Well Pump Room. Walk past this, then turn right and follow a path to exit the park, passing the former Royal Bath Hospital on the left. This opened in 1826 and provided spa treatments to the public, and was later integrated into the National Health Service, which it remained part of until it closed in 1994. On reaching Cornwall Road, turn right and follow it past the Sun Pavilion on the right and the former Grand Hotel on the left, then turn left along Clarence Drive and follow it a crossroads. Turn right along York Road and follow this to Swan Road, passing the impressive Old Swan Hotel on the left.
Turn left and follow Swan Road to Ripon Road, then turn left again. Turn right into Springfield Road; just past this, slightly further up Ripon Road, the former Cairn Hydro (now the Cairn Hotel) can be seen. Follow Springfield Avenue, passing the huge former Hotel Majestic (now the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa) to reach King’s Road. Turn right and follow this to a crossroads, turning right along Ripon Road to see the Royal Hall on the right; this is the only surviving Kursaal (entertainment hall in a spa) in Britain. Cross over and turn left along Montpellier Road, passing the St George Hotel, then follow Crescent Gardens past the former New Victoria Baths. Turn right and walk through Crescent Gardens to reach Crescent Road, then turn right.
Follow the road to a junction, then turn left and left again, passing the Grade II*-listed Royal Pump Room Museum on the corner. Originally built in 1842, the Pump Room now houses the town’s museum. Follow Royal Parade to a roundabout; to the right, the White Hart Hotel can be seen on the corner of Cold Bath Road. Describe a loop round the roundabout, then follow Montpelier Road past the Crown Hotel. When the road ends at Crescent Road, turn right past the huge Royal Baths building, which is Grade II-listed, dates from 1894-1897, and houses the Turkish Baths mentioned above.
The Royal Baths.
Turn right along Parliament Street, then left along Cambridge Crescent, passing the Cenotaph on the right. The Church of St. Peter can be seen to the left and is a Grade II-listed church dating from 1871-1876. Turn right Cambridge Road, then immediately left along James Street. Take the second left turn along Cross James Street to reach Market Place, then turn right down the side of Victoria Shopping Centre to reach to Station Square. Finally, cross over Station Parade to return to the railway station.
Harrogate is undoubtedly one of the West Riding's most attractive towns, and has enough of interest to more than justify a longer stay to explore it more thoroughly. But for now we proceed further along the Harrogate Line, albeit not entirely out of the town as our next stop is still within its suburbs.
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