I have a knack for turning the weather in Harrogate. No matter how beautiful it is when I leave my house, by the time I get to Harrogate (about 9 miles) it's white-cloud and grey skies.
This time was different- although Paul was with me, so he may be the charm!
We always park in the free parking. Around the edges of town centre there is "disc parking." Basically, you use a little disc to mark the time you parked, and, based on the area, you have 1/2-3 hours of free parking. It means a little bit of a walk to the shops (really, about 5-10 minutes), but it's worth the free parking.
The wind we had recently (ha! It's never-ending) ravaged the cherry trees right after they bloomed.
Oh well. It left the ground pretty!
Harrogate is a Victorian spa town; a baby town for England. This means there aren't a lot of sites, no cathedral, no castle- just a whole lot of great Victorian architecture and shopping.
Tulips in town centre- they're gorgeous, and have helped Harrogate win years of "Britain in Bloom" awards, but they've still got nothing on Keukenhof!
Betty's Tea Room is easily Harrogate's landmark site to see (and eat at!). It's a delicious tea room with its own blends (Taylors of Harrogate) and an amazing bakery.
The window is always decorated with seasonal treats- everything's about the Queen's Jubilee now!
Westminster Arcade is a small shopping centre with clever little boutiques and shops.
Harrogate's Royal Baths. Now a Chinese restaurant along with a renovated Turkish bath/spa, it still welcomes people to the bottom of city centre.
The Crown Hotel on the left; shops on the right.
(I'll tell you about Harrogate's original hotels and their feuds in a later post- promise!)
Aga Shop!!
Royal Pump Room.
The Mercer Gallery, Harrogate's fantastic art gallery. Generally showcasing Yorkshire artists both old and new, we try to stop in at least once a month.
The Old Swan Hotel- another of Harrogate's originals, and its got lots of stories!
(Promise, promise, promise!)
Harrogate is known as a posh spa town, best for shopping and relaxing- but I think it's a great town to live in/near- or visit!
That tea shop looks wonderful. I wish I had one like that near me!
ReplyDeleteVery nice...I would love to spend a weekend there. Blossoms on the trees are beautiful in general but the way you show the blossoms on the grass is even more beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are always incredible, and I know that my husband is right when he says, "once we go to Europe, you'll never want to come back." It's so awesome to see the life that you get to call yours!
ReplyDeleteHarrogate is a great town -- and, I love Betty's! Fab photos!
ReplyDeleteNothing quite like a good cup of Yorkshire tea at Betty's :-)
ReplyDeleteBecky- Harrogate is fantastic, I feel lucky to live here! I'm just glad the sky finally cooperated with me for once, so I could show Harrogate off a little on the blog! Betty's- YES, please!!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed readinng this
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