Harrogate, North Yorkshire

I decided on a little pre-Christmas break to Harrogate, which is a town in North Yorkshire, east of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This was somewhere I hadn’t visited since childhood and was therefore keen to go back and see if I could remember anything. I particularly remember spending a lot of time in the Yorkshire Dales with my family and our pet Collie dog, Ricky.

I set off for Harrogate on the train, which wasn’t a bad journey at all for me, as it only involved a couple of changes at Manchester and Leeds. I stayed at the lovely White Hart Hotel that was literally a 10-minute walk from Harrogate train station. The hotel is perfectly located in the stylish Montpellier Quarter and has lots of character and lovely rooms; as well as the Fat Badger restaurant and pub that serves delicious food. I arrived just in time for all the Christmas decorations going up in the hotel and the town centre.

The centre of Harrogate has retained plenty of its old charm and has a multitude of great places to eat and drink, health and beauty salons, and shops. The small Royal Pump Room Museum is still standing and is a strong reminder of the town’s spa heritage, as is the Turkish Baths and Health Spa. I decided, as my first day here was a sunny one, to take a lovely 3-mile round trip walk that went through the Valley Gardens and ended up at the RHS Garden Centre at Harlow Carr. This garden centre also houses one of the famous Betty’s Tearooms – the other being in the centre of Harrogate. I decided to sample one of the tearoom’s delicious Rascal scones served with warm butter and jam. Apparently, they have been making these famous scones for over 30 years! They also have a great selection of teas that are served in beautiful teapots with china cups and saucers – an experience not to be missed here.

This was a great short trip, and I enjoyed all the Christmas cheer it provided – it definitely helped to get me into the Christmas spirit. I think the place would be even more enjoyable on a hot summer’s day when you could enjoy sitting outdoors. I will return!