Harrogate has been attracting visitors for centuries. In the decades before the First World War, the elegant spa town had become a fashionable resort for the wealthy middle-classes escaping city smog. But Charles Dickens wasn’t a fan. After visiting he wrote that, ‘Harrogate is the queerest place with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper reading and dining.’ When they weren’t drinking the curative waters, or submitting to treatments such as hot peat baths or hydrotherapy, visitors could take a charabanc ride to nearby Fountains Abbey or the unusual geological formations at Brimham Rocks. Visitors also took bracing walks on the Stray – 200 acres of open parkland that surrounds the town centre – much as they do today. Although the Turkish Baths are all that remain of the city’s therapeutic offerings, its heyday is well-documented at the Royal Pump Room Museum.
Just three miles away, medieval Knaresborough, with its timber-framed houses and cobbled streets, has a completely different atmosphere. In the 13th century Knaresborough Castle was one of King John’s northern strongholds, but during the English Civil War it was besieged and virtually destroyed. Today the castle makes a picturesque ruin that towers over the River Nidd. Arrive by train from Harrogate, and you’re met with breathtaking views as you cross the viaduct, a scene made famous by early 20th-century railway posters.
Shopping
Cathy’s beautifully presented shop is in a league of its own. The emphasis is on quality and rarity: a 1920s celluloid sautoir is displayed with an exquisitely beaded flapper dress; a 1930s silk kimono hangs alongside a glittering 1960s Christian Dior evening gown. A glimpse of glamour from a bygone age, this shop is pure escapism.
John Atkinson Fine & Rare Books
John takes a fresh approach to rare book-selling. In his brightly lit, newly opened premises, the books are presented cover forwards, like mini works of art. John specialises in first editions of literary greats from the 19th and 20th centuries – the selection of classic children’s books is particularly appealing. John and his friendly team excel at recommending gifts.
Claud Lee
This tiny shop, set within the Montpellier Mews antiques centre, is a treasure trove. The beautiful silver photo frames, pill boxes, desk blotters, inkwells, sugar tongs, decanter labels and all manner of small antique silverware offer a wealth of choice to enthusiasts and novices alike.
Castleforge Antiques
Four Lane Ends Farm, Harrogate
Just outside Harrogate, barn-based Castleforge Antiques offers a huge selection of carefully restored brown furniture. Surveying the handsome chests of drawers, tables and cabinets, you wonder how such beautiful brown furniture ever became unfashionable. The double and triple wardrobes are particularly impressive, and represent excellent value.
01423 561334;castleforgeantiques.co.uk
Chris Holmes Antiques
22–24 Finkle Street, Knaresborough
Chris is passionate about the rare and beautiful, and wants to amaze his customers with remarkable objects they’ve never seen before: a life-size Renaissance St Michael; a three-tier fountain with
swan-neck base; and a naively carved 18th-century Spanish crucifix. Complemented perfectly by artist Chloë Holt’s textural oil paintings, Chris’s awe-inspiring collection of antiques is world-class.
07771 962494;chrisholmesantiques.co.uk
Donkeys Years Antiques
9 Silver Street, Knaresborough
With 80 cabinets, this high-quality centre covers the full gamut of portable antiques and collectables. It’s clear why Donkeys Years is equally popular with dealers and the general public – there is an excellent range, irresistibly priced. On a recent visit we snapped up a Limoges plate (£4), a tiny Victorian egg timer (£22) and a ceramic apothecary jar (£55). If your energy starts to flag, pop next door to Drake’s
for fish and chips.
01423 869564;instagram.com/donkeysyearsantiques
Visiting
Royal Pump Room Museum
Crown Place, Harrogate
Providing a capsule history of Harrogate’s transformation into a stylish resort, this local museum is housed in the 1842 building that originally gave shelter to visitors taking the famous waters. You can no longer partake of Europe’s strongest sulphur well (health and safety!) but, after smelling the waters, you won’t want to.
01423 556188
Turkish Baths
Parliament Street, Harrogate
Steam your troubles away in this remarkably intact 19th-century Turkish bath. The Moorish design here features colourful glazed brickwork, painted ceilings and terrazzo floors. In their heyday, the baths were a favourite of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters and visiting members of the Russian royal family. Guided tours are also available.
01423 556746;
turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk
Eating
The Drum and Monkey
5 Montpellier Gardens, Harrogate
At this traditional seafood restaurant, popular with
locals, you can live it up with champagne and oysters, or comfort eat mash-topped fish pie. Make sure you plan your afternoon’s antiques shopping for the bottom of the hill because, after lunch, you won’t make it up again.
01423 502650;
drumandmonkey.co.uk
Bettys Café Tea Rooms
1 Parliament Street, Harrogate
No visit to Harrogate is complete without a stop at
the legendary Bettys. To avoid the queues, come for breakfast (kedgeree?) or an early supper (bacon rösti and a brown
bread ice-cream sundae, perhaps). The sumptuous seasonal window displays are also unmissable.
01423 814070; bettys.co.uk
Staying
The Chapel HG1
Grove Road, Harrogate
After a painstaking three-year restoration, this Grade II-listed Wesleyan chapel opened as a luxury B&B. The antithesis
of bland corporate hotel
design, flamboyant art collector
Mark’s passion for the unusual and theatrical shines through. Sleep in a suite themed as a Chinese opium den or a Napoleonic boudoir.
07790 902603;
thechapelhg1.com
Goldsborough Hall
Church Street, Goldsborough
Located just outside Knaresborough, Goldsborough Hall offers five-star luxury accommodation in the former private home of Princess Mary. Breakfast by the dramatic early 17th-century fireplace, then take a stroll in Lime Tree Walk, planted by honoured guests, including King George V.
01423 867321;goldsboroughhall.com