On The Road Again – An Autumn Weekend in Harrogate

Harrogate is a fashionable Victorian spa town in North Yorkshire boasting an eclectic mix of independent shops brushing shoulders with well-known high street names along with an envious collection of bars, cafes & restaurants catering for all tastes.

Parking: There are several car parks and electric charging stations in the town. There is a smart parking system called Appyparking, if you download the app, you will be able to see vacant spaces available in real time.
Blue Badge holders and motorcyclists have access to free parking in the town.
The railway station is also centrally located.

Where to Stay in Harrogate:
There is a wide range of choice when it comes to accommodation ranging from B&B, self-catering and budget to luxury hotels.
We stayed at the Crown Plaza on Kings Road, next door to the Conference Centre, close to many bars, cafes & restaurants and a short walk to the shops.

What to do in Harrogate:
Architecture – Part of Harrogate’s charm are all the splendid Victorian buildings that have survived and been maintained for everyone to enjoy: The Royal Pumps Rooms, Turkish Baths, Royal Baths, Betty’s Tea Rooms to name but a few that are worth a visit. Betty’s Tearooms are an iconic tradition synonymous with Harrogate, visitors come to the town just to take afternoon tea there! If you want to follow suit you would be wise to book online, as it is always busy, when we walked by the queue for the café stretched along the street and around the corner!
The Old Swan Hotel on Swan Street predates the Victorian era having been built in the 18th century, Agatha Christie fans may be aware that this is where the author was found safe and well after her eleven-day mysterious ‘disappearance’.
Walking Tours – There are a choice of walking tours designed to explore this historic city whether it be history, food or pub based! A free walking tour leaves from opposite Bettys Tearooms in the centre of town from Friday – Sunday at 10am & 12.00.

Shopping – Whether it be niche independent shops along cobbled streets & alleyways or high street names on more modern thoroughfares, Harrogate has something for everyone. Shops are spread over a wide area making it fun to explore not knowing where the next lane is going to lead!

Outside spaces – Harrogate has many green spaces ranging from the 17 acres of Valley Gardens (between Valley Drive & Cornwall Road) to the 58 acres of the RHS Garden Harlow Carr (on Crag Lane) to the 200 acres of open parkland known as the Stray.

Eating out in Harrogate – You would find it difficult to walk down a street, alleyway or road in Harrogate without encountering a bar, café or restaurant, the choice of cuisine is varied and plentiful!

Our Weekend in Harrogate:

Friday – we arrived late morning by train from Leeds, a journey of around 30 minutes. Our hotel, the Crown Plaza on King Street was a 10-minute walk from the station but there are taxis available outside if you prefer which would cost under £5 (Oct 2022)
Time was spent generally getting our bearings and exploring the towns cobbled streets, ginnels and historical buildings. Late lunch at Cosy Club followed by a little shopping.
Dinner was at Lucia’s on Ripon Road which was absolutely delicious!

Saturday – unfortunately, the rain fell all day, sometimes quite heavy! We found lots of small independent niche shops, some of them have been in the town for generations, they provided interesting browsing and shopping.
Having enjoyed the Cosy Club the previous day we took a break from our shopping & returned there for lunch. In the evening we ate at Vivado on Cheltenham Crescent which was just a short walk from our hotel.

Sunday – finally the rain had stopped, and we set out to explore Valley Gardens which was about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. Despite it being a grey, cold & breezy day there were plenty of dog walkers and families enjoying the park.
The entire park was a delight but I especially enjoyed the tranquillity of the Japanese Garden which was restored in 2018.
The park is home to a huge variety of trees which were just glorious in all their autumn colours.

There is lots to see and do in the park:
New Zealand Garden
Old Magnesia Well Pump Room (1858)
Sun Pavilion and Colonnade (1933)
Café (1895)
Bandstand – concerts are held on Sunday afternoons from June to August
Activities – tennis courts, crazy golf, pitch & putt, children’s play area with paddling pool, model boating pond are just some of the seasonal activities available in the park.

Most of the paths around the park are fully accessible.
It was a most enjoyable way to spend a morning, if you ever find yourself in Harrogate the park is a must do!
I will be returning to Harrogate next year when I look forward to seeing the full floral beauty of the park in the spring sunshine.

After a late lunch at Cote restaurant on Albert Street, which is just opposite the station, it was time to catch our train and leave the enchanting town of Harrogate behind.

If you enjoy exploring the streets of an old town, learning about its history, walks in green spaces, iconic tearooms, niche shopping in unique establishments, both local and international cuisine then Harrogate is for you.

You can read lots more about where we ate and the meals we enjoyed during our stay by following the link below:

Gluten Free Dining in Harrogate.

Places you can visit from Harrogate:
Fountains Abbey – 11 miles
Leeds – 16 miles (30 minutes by train)
Skipton – 21 miles (market town & Gateway to the Dales)
Knaresborough – 5 miles (10 minutes by train)
York – 24 miles (40 minutes by train)