In the 17th century, Harrogate grew out of two smaller settlements, High Harrogate and Low Harrogate. For three consecutive years (2013–2015), polls voted the town as "the happiest place to live" in Britain.[2][3][4] Harrogate spa water containsiron,sulphur, and commonsalt (NaCl). The town became known as 'The English Spa' in theGeorgian era, after its waters were discovered in the 16th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries its 'chalybeate' waters (containing iron) were a popular health treatment, and the influx of wealthy but sickly visitors contributed significantly to the wealth of the town.
Harrogate railway station andHarrogate bus station in the town centre provide transport connections.Leeds Bradford Airport is 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Harrogate. The main roads through the town are theA61, connecting Harrogate toLeeds andRipon, and theA59, connecting the town toYork andSkipton. Harrogate is also connected toWetherby and theA1(M) by theA661, while the A658 fromBradford forms a bypass around the south of the town. Harrogate had a population of 73,576 at the2011 UK census;[5][6] the built-up area comprising Harrogate and nearbyKnaresborough had a population of 89,060,[5] while the figure for the much widerBorough of Harrogate, comprising Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, as well as a number of smaller settlements and a large rural area, was 157,869.[7]
The town motto isArx celebris fontibus, which means "a citadel famous for its springs".[8]
The nameHarrogate is first attested in the 1330s asHarwegate,Harougat andHarrowgate.[9] The origin of the name is uncertain. It may derive from Old Norsehǫrgr 'a heap of stones, cairn' +gata 'street', in which case the name presumably meant 'road to the cairn'.[10] Another possibility is that the name means "the way to Harlow". The formHarlowgate is known from 1518,[11] and apparently in the court rolls ofEdward II.[12]
Opened in 1897, The Winter Gardens Baths are historically one of the town's most famous landmarks. The building still stands and is now owned byNorth Yorkshire Council, however the premises are leased toJD Weatherspoon.The Royal Pump Room
In medieval times Harrogate was a place on the boundary of thetownship ofBilton with Harrogate in the ancient parish ofKnaresborough, and the parish ofPannal, also known as Beckwith with Rossett. The part within the township of Bilton developed into the community of Low Harrogate, and the part within Pannal developed into the community of High Harrogate. Both communities were within theRoyal Forest of Knaresborough. In 1372King Edward III granted the Royal Forest to his sonJohn, Duke of Lancaster (also known as John of Gaunt), and theDuchy of Lancaster became the principal landowner in Harrogate.[13]
Harrogate's development is owed to the discovery of itschalybeate- andsulphur-rich spring water from the 16th century. The firstmineral spring was discovered in 1571 by William Slingsby, who found that water from theTewit Well in High Harrogate possessed similar properties to that from springs in the Belgian town ofSpa, which gave its name tospa towns.[14] The medicinal properties of the waters were publicised byEdmund Deane; his book,Spadacrene Anglica, or the English Spa Fountain was published in 1626.[15]
The Royal Bath House
In the 17th and 18th centuries further chalybeate springs were discovered in High Harrogate, and both chalybeate and sulphur springs were found in Low Harrogate. The two communities attracted many visitors. A number of inns were opened for visitors in High Harrogate in the 17th century (theQueen's Head, theGranby, the Dragon and theWorld's End). In Low Harrogate, theCrown Hotel was open by the mid-18th century, and possibly earlier.[16][17]
Victoria Shopping Centre
In accordance with theForest of Knaresborough Inclosure Act 1770 (10 Geo. 3. c.94Pr.), promoted by the Duchy of Lancaster, the Royal Forest of Knaresborough was enclosed.[18] The enclosure award of 1778 clarified ownership of land in the Harrogate area. Under the award, 200 acres (81 ha) of land, which included the springs known at that time, were reserved as a public common,The Stray, which has remained public open space.[19] The Enclosure Award facilitated development around the Stray. During the 19th century, the area between High Harrogate and Low Harrogate, which until then had remained separate communities a mile apart, was developed, and what is now the central area of Harrogate was built on high ground overlooking Low Harrogate.[20] An area to the north of the developing town was reserved to the Duchy of Lancaster, and was developed for residential building. To provide entertainment for the increasing numbers of visitors the Georgian Theatre was built in 1788.[18] Bath Hospital (later the Royal Bath Hospital) was built in 1826. TheRoyal Pump Room was built in 1842. The site of Tewit Well is marked by a dome on the Stray. Other wells can be found in the Valley Gardens and Royal Pump Room museum.[21][22]
In 1870, engineering inventorSamson Fox perfected the process of creatingwater gas, in the basement laboratory ofGrove House. After constructing a trial plant at his home on Skipton Road, making it the first house in Yorkshire to have gas lighting and heating; he built a plant of suitable size to supply the whole town. When Parliament Street became the world's first route to be lit by water-gas, newspapers commented: "Samson Fox has captured the sunlight for Harrogate." After donating the town's first fire engine, and building the town's theatre, he was elected mayor for three successive years (1890–92), a record never equalled since.[23][24][25]
In 1893 Harrogate doctorGeorge Oliver was the first to observe the effect ofadrenaline on the circulation.
Like many spa town all over Europe, Harrogate's popularity declined after theFirst World War.[26] During theSecond World War, Harrogate's large hotels accommodated government offices evacuated from London, paving the way for the town to become a commercial, conference, and exhibition centre.[14]
In 2007, twometal detectorists found theHarrogate hoard, a 10th-centuryViking treasurehoard, near Harrogate. The hoard contains almost 700 coins and other items from as far away asAfghanistan. The hoard was described by theBritish Museum as the most important find of its type in Britain for 150 years.[27]
In 1884 theMunicipal Borough of Harrogate was created, taking High Harrogate from the civil parish of Bilton with Harrogate and Low Harrogate from the civil parish of Pannal, from 1894 the district contained only the parish of Harrogate.[28] The borough absorbed neighbouring areas in subsequent years, including the whole of the civil parishes of Bilton and Starbeck, and a large part of the civil parish of Pannal, including the village of Pannal, in 1938. The municipal borough and parish were abolished on 1 April 1974, when Harrogate was transferred from theWest Riding to North Yorkshire and became part of the widernon-metropolitan district ofHarrogate. Nosuccessor parish was formed so it became anunparished area, with no local government of its own.[29]
On 1 April 2016 a new civil parish was formed in the south of the unparished area forPannal and the neighbouring village ofBurn Bridge, known as Pannal and Burn Bridge.[30]
The remaining unparished area of Harrogate was subsequentlyreparished, on 1 April 2025[34] with atown council with the charter trustees moved to the town council,[35], which was elected on 1 May 2025[36] with aLiberal Democrat majority and met for the first time on 15 May.[37] In June 2025 the town council resolved to apply for the transfer of thearmorial bearings of the Municipal Borough of Harrogate granted in 1884 and which been out of use since 1974. In November 2025 the town council was granted a royal licence to use the 1884 arms.[38][39]
The town has good commuter services for people who work in theCity of Leeds,City of Bradford,York andNorth Yorkshire in general.[41][42] Harrogate is prosperous and has some of the highest property prices in England, with many properties in the town and surrounding villages valued at£1 million or more, it is generally considered the most expensive place to live in the North of England.[43]Fulwith Mill Lane in Harrogate is the most expensive street in Yorkshire.[44]
Harrogate is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, with theVale of York to the east and the upland Yorkshire Dales to the west and north-west. It has a dry and mild climate, typical of places in therain shadow of thePennines. It is on the A59 from Skipton to York. At an altitude of between 100 and 200 metres (330 and 660 ft), Harrogate is higher than many English settlements. It has an average minimum temperature in January of slightly below 1 °C (34 °F) and an average maximum in July and August of 21 °C (70 °F).[45]
Harrogate's climate is classified as warm and temperate. There is significant rainfall throughout the year in Harrogate. Even the driest month still has a lot of rainfall. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Cfb. The average annual temperature in Harrogate is 9.7 °C (49.5 °F). In a year, the average rainfall is 671 millimetres (26.4 in).[46]
The highest temperature on record between 1959 and 2003 in Harrogate was 33.1 °C (91.6 °F) on 2 August 1990 and the lowest was −16.9 °C (1.6 °F) on 18 December 1981.[47]
Climate data for Harrogate (1991-2020, extremes 1959-2003)
Cambridge StreetApartment block on West ParkFulwith Mill LaneHarcourt Drive
Central Harrogate is bounded by 'the Stray' or 'Two Hundred acres' to the south and west, and borders High Harrogate and the Duchy estate to the east and north respectively. It is a district centre for retail and theVictoria Shopping Centre houses a number of major chains. Pedestrianised Cambridge Street and Oxford Street are the main high streets, and Harrogate Theatre is on Oxford Street. Parliament Street, Montpellier and James Street offer designer shopping and upmarket department stores. AnOdeon cinema is located on the edge of central Harrogate, as are Asda and Waitrose supermarkets. Marks and Spencer has a large food hall in its store on Oxford Street. A number of bars and restaurants can be found on Cheltenham Crescent and John Street, while theRoyal Baths and Parliament Street are at the centre of the town's nightlife. The southern end of central Harrogate consists largely of detached houses that have been converted to offices, although Harrogate Magistrates' Court and Harrogate Central Library can be found on Victoria Avenue. Some upmarket boutiques are situated along the Stray in central southern Harrogate.
Oatlands is a wealthy area in the south of Harrogate. It includes two schools, Oatlands Junior School and Oatlands Infant School, and some allotments.
Woodlands is a large area in south-east Harrogate which adjoins Starbeck/Knaresborough Road. It is home toHarrogate Town F.C., Willow Tree Primary School, Morrisons and Sainsbury's supermarkets as well as theWoodlands pub.
King Edward's Drive, Bilton
Bilton is a large area of Harrogate with many churches, stores and schools. It has several schools, Richard Taylor School, Woodfield and Bilton Grange. Poets' Corner is known for its 'poetic' street names and expensive housing. On the first May bank holiday each year theBilton Gala takes place. The first gala was held in 1977 and the event raises money for local groups and organisations.
Jennyfields is a large, modern area in the north west of Harrogate, it has two schools, Saltergate Infant School and Saltergate Primary School. The town's main public swimming pool is located on the edge of Jennyfield.
TheDuchy estate is an area close to central Harrogate where most houses are large detached homes or large detached homes converted into flats. There are several private schools, notablyHarrogate Ladies' College. There is a golf club and open countryside for walking.
Starbeck is a large area to the east of Harrogate with a railway station with trains to elsewhere in Harrogate on to Leeds, Knaresborough andYork. A frequent bus service links Starbeck to Harrogate and Knaresborough. A number of schools, churches and shops are situated in Starbeck.
Pannal is to the south of Harrogate, off theA61 road. It retains much of its village character.Pannal railway station links it to Leeds and to Harrogate, Knaresborough and York.
High Harrogate is an inner section to the east of the town centre. It is focused on Westmoreland Street and the A59 Skipton Road, where a number of shops and cafés are located. Expensive terraced houses line the Stray, which stops in High Harrogate.
Low Harrogate is an inner section to the west of the town centre. It is the focus of most tourist activity in the town, with the Royal Pump Room,Mercer Art Gallery and the Valley Gardens.
Harlow Hill is a district to the west of the town, accessed by Otley Road. It has a number of new developments and an office park. It is known for RHS Harlow Carr Gardens.Harrogate Spring Water bottling plant is on Harlow Hill, as is a water treatment centre.
Chatsworth Grove, New Park
New Park is a small area to the north of Harrogate with a primary school. There are a number of terraced houses and some light industrial and commercial premises.
Wheatlands is a wealthy district south of the Stray. It is residential and has two high schools, St Aidan's and St John Fisher's.
Wheatlands Road, Harrogate
Knox, north of the town, is separated from Bilton by greenbelt. It straddlesOak Beck, which vehicles used to be able to cross via a ford. This route was blocked in the 1980s and the beck can now be crossed only by pedestrians and cyclists using the adjacent Spruisty packhorse bridge. Cars must go via the A61 (Ripon) road.
Hornbeam Park is a small, recently developed area accessed only by Hookstone Road. It was developed as an office park and retains many offices, and is also home toHarrogate College (formerly part ofHull College Group, but part ofLuminate Education Group, previously known asLeeds City College, since 1 August 2019), aNuffield fitness and wellbeing centre, Travel Inn and restaurant, hospice and some small warehouses. It is served byHornbeam Park railway station with trains to Harrogate and Leeds.
In 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023,Fulwith Mill Lane was labelled the most expensive road in Yorkshire. It is located within theGolden Triangle on the south side of Harrogate and the average house price on Fulwith Mill Lane is£1.9 million, with some properties worth in excess of £3 million.[50][51][52]
Harrogate has a strong and varied economy. The town's main shopping district is focused on Cambridge Street, Oxford Street, Beulah Street and James Street where most of the high street shops can be found. There is a wide range of boutique and designer shopping on Parliament Street and in the Montpellier Quarter, as well as independent shopping around Commercial Street.
Eating out is popular in Harrogate, and the town is well served by restaurants. Parliament Street and Cheltenham Parade are lined with many independent and chain restaurants, while there is a concentration of chain restaurants on John Street and Albert Street.
The conference and exhibition industry is the focus of the town's business, withHarrogate International Centre[53] the third largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe.[54] Harrogate draws numerous visitors because of its conference facilities. In 2016 such events alone attracted 300,000 visitors to Harrogate.[55] The convention centre was developed in 2020 to be used as aNightingale Hospital. However, whilst it has been used in an NHS capacity, it has not treated any Coronavirus patients (as of late January 2021) because the conventional hospitals had not run out of capacity.[56]
Hotels such as theMajestic now serve Harrogate's conference industry.
It brings in over £150 million to the local economy every year and attracts in excess of 350,000 business visitors annually.[57] The town is home to the Great YorkshireShowground and Pavilions of Harrogate, which are major conference destinations.[58] The Great Yorkshire Showground is the hub of the regional agricultural industry, hosted by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. TheGreat Yorkshire Show,Countryside Live and the twice yearly Harrogate Flower Shows take place there annually. The many business visitors to Harrogate sustain a number of large hotels, some originally built for visitors to the Spa.
An imposing cenotaph is an important landmark in the centre of the town. Bettys are tea rooms established in 1919 owned byBettys and Taylors of Harrogate – the same company that marketsYorkshire Tea. Bettys has a second tea room at the RHS Harlow Carr Gardens.[65]
Crescent Gardens is a small open area in central Harrogate surrounded by some of the town's main tourist attractions including the Royal Pump Room, Royal Baths, Royal Hall and theHarrogate Council Offices; Hall M of the Harrogate International Centre fronts onto Crescent Gardens.
TheRoyal Hall theatre, a Grade IIlisted building designed byFrank Matcham.[68] As the only survivingKursaal in Britain, the Royal Hall is an important national heritage building.[69] Restoration work was completed in 2007, and the hall was reopened on 22 January 2008, by thePrince of Wales.[70]
TheRoyal Pump Room, just off the gardens, houses Europe's strongest sulphur well;[71] it is now a museum showcasing the town's spa history.
TheValley Gardens, in Low Harrogate, is the town's main park and covers much of the area originally known as 'Bogs Field', where a number of springs were discovered. The Valley Gardens (locals use the definite article) has an ice-cream parlour, children's play area with outdoor paddling pool, a skate park, frisbee golf, crazy golf and mini golf. TheSun Pavilion at the northern edge of the park can be privately hired for weddings. Tennis courts and a bowling green are in the west of the park. The Friends of Valley Gardens group was formed in 2009 to support the park. It works in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council to guide the park's development.
The Stray is an area of open parkland in the centre of the town. It was created in 1778 to link most of Harrogate's springs in one protected area by anact of Parliament which fixed its area as 200 acres (81 ha), and even now when part is removed, e.g. due to road widening, it must be replaced elsewhere. During the Victorian period, there was a racecourse for horses there.
The town has several smaller parks and gardens, including The Softpot Garden at Grove House, the Jubilee Gardens and Victoria Gardens on the eastern side of central Harrogate.
On 11 January 1900, Harrogate Grand Opera House, now Harrogate Theatre, opened with a charity gala in aid of British soldiers fighting theBoer War in South Africa; this was followed, on 13 January 1900, by J Tully'spantomimeDick Whittington.
In 1966, the Harrogate Festival of Arts & Science was established, now known as theHarrogate International Festivals, and is recognised as the North of England's leading arts festival;[73] it incorporates a number of festivals within the portfolio including the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival &Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, Harrogate Music Festival and a number of year-round events.
Harrogate won the 2003 and 2016Britain in Bloom in the category of 'Large Town' and the EuropeanEntente Florale in 2004, reprising its win in the first Entente Florale in 1977. Harrogate was a gold medal winner ofEurope in Bloom in 2004. In 2005, aChannel 4 TV show listed Harrogate as the UK's third best place to live; in 2006, it came fourth in the same league, where the programme claimed that it placed lower due to "a slight dip in exam results", although presenterPhil Spencer noted that it was his personal favourite.[75]
Harrogate has two orchestras: Harrogate Symphony Orchestra[76] and Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra.[77]
On 5 July 2014, Harrogate served as the finish line of the first stage[80] of theTour de France. The event attracted record crowds to the town centre and was televised to a global audience. British cyclistMark Cavendish was forced to drop out of the race, when he crashed a few metres from the finish line and suffered a dislocated shoulder.[81] The town has since been the focal point for finishing stages of theTour de Yorkshire in 2017.[82] Each event of the2019 UCI Road World Championships finished in the town, although the entire historic county of Yorkshire was the official host.
Harrogate RUFC is aNorth Premier team and formerly based at The County Ground, on Claro Road, but relocated to Rudding Lane on the south side of the town.
Harrogate Cricket Club is to be the home ofYorkshire Women cricket team. Until 1995, the town hosted one Yorkshire county game per year at St George's Road cricket ground. Since 2022, the ground has been sponsored by Kirbys Solicitors. In 2008, a fire destroyed the historic old pavilion at the ground, but it has since been re-built with a modern pavilion, bar, function room and changing rooms.
Harrogate Cricket Club has 4 Saturday teams:
1st XI play in theYorkshire Premier League North; they were the league's inaugural champions in 2016 and is one of the teams eligible to play in the Yorkshire championship whenever the team wins the league. The team formerly played in theYorkshire ECB County Premier League until 2016.
2nd XI play in York Senior League – Division 2
3rd XI (also known asHarrogate Strays) play in Nidderdale League Division 1
4th XI (also known asHarrogate Devs) play in Nidderdale League Division 5[when?]
Bilton Cricket Club, off Bilton Lane, provides opportunities for players of all ages to play in local league cricket; they beat Harrogate Cricket Club at St George's Road in theBlack Sheep Trophy of 2006.
Harrogate Harriers run from Harrogate Squash & Fitness Centre on Hookstone Drive and Nidd Valley Road Runners share their premises with Harrogate Hockey Club. Harrogate District Swimming Club is at amateur level and has had teams compete at national level.Rock climbing is a sport in and around Harrogate, indoors at the Harrogate Climbing Centre and atAlmscliffe Crag andBrimham Rocks.
The Ripon line was closed to passengers on 6 March 1967 and to freight on 5 September 1969 as part of the widerBeeching Axe, despite a vigorous campaign by local campaigners, including the city's MP.[91]
Today, much of the route of the line through the city is now a relief road; however, the former station still stands and it is now surrounded by a new housing development. The issue remains a significant one in local politics and there are movements to restore the line.[91] Reports suggest the reopening of a line betweenRipon and Harrogate would be economically viable, costing £40 million and could initially attract 1,200 passengers a day, rising to 2,700.[91][92] Campaigners renewed their calls onMPs to restore the railway link in 2015.[93]
Harrogate bus station is sited in the town centre. It is managed by The Harrogate Bus Company;[95] the 13 stands are also used by other local operators,Flyer andNational Express.[96][97]
An electric bus charging at Harrogate bus station in April 2019
In 2018, all bus routes to local housing suburbs within Harrogate became operated by electric buses. These buses charge on stands 1–3 at Harrogate bus station; the scheme is part funded by the government's Low Emission Bus Scheme.[98]
Road transport to Leeds is via theA61 (north and central Leeds), A658 (north-west Leeds/Leeds Bradford Airport) andA661 (for north-east Leeds). The A61 continues northwards to Ripon, while the A658 connects to Bradford after passing through north-west Leeds. The A658 also forms the Harrogate by-pass that skirts the south and east of the town, joining the A59 linking York and theA1(M) to the east and Skipton to the west with Harrogate.
The town's main printed news source is theHarrogate Advertiser, formerly part of Ackrill Media Group, now part ofNational World. The newspaper was first printed in 1836.
TheStray Ferret is the main online news service for the Harrogate district.[101]
The Harrogate Informer publishes news online throughout the district.[102]
In 2012, Harrogate had the highest concentration of drink-drivers in the UK.[103] A March 2013 survey from the British property websiteRightmove ranked Harrogate as the "happiest place" to live in the United Kingdom; the same result was seen in 2014 and 2015.[104] In 2014, Harrogate District Hospital had the best cancer care of any hospital in England.[105]
Kathleen Rutherford (1896–1975). Physician, philanthropist, humanitarian aid worker, peace campaigner.[139]
Arnold Shaw (1896–1972), British Army officer and cricketer
David Simpson (1860–1931), former freeman and four times mayor of Harrogate, and contractor who built the Grand Hotel in the town.[140][141]: 519–520
John Smith (1797–1866), philanthropist, partner in Beckett's Bank, and founder of the Harrogate mansion "Belvedere", where he lived in retirement.[141]: 134–135 [142]
^The population of the Harrogate Unparished Area is derived from the totals for Bilton; Granby; Harlow Moor; High Harrogate; Hookstone; Low Harrogate; New Park; Pannal; Rossett; Saltergate; Starbeck; Stray; and Woodfield wards then subtracting that part of Killinghall Civil Parish within Saltergate Ward. The population for the portion of Killinghall Civil Parish is derived from subtracting the populations of Nidd and Ripley Civil Parishes from the total for Killinghall ward. This gives the portion of Killinghall Civil Parish in Killinghall Ward; this is then subtracted from the total for Killinghall Civil Parish to give the total for the portion of Killinghall Civil Parish in Saltergate Ward.
^Victor Watts (ed.),The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), s.v.HARROGATE.
^Smith, A. H. (1961).The Place-names of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Vol. 5. Cambridge University Press. p. 108.
^Neesam, Malcolm (2005).Harrogate Great Chronicle 1332–1841. Carnegie. p. 9.ISBN978-1-85936-145-0.
^Escott, Beryl E. (1989).Women in air force blue : the story of women in the Royal Air Force from 1918 to the present day. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens Ltd. pp. 122–131.ISBN1-85260-066-7.
^Pevsner, Nikolaus (1967).The Buildings of England. Yorkshire: The West Riding (2nd ed.). London: Penguin Books. p. 248.ISBN0-14-071017-5.
^ab"Flyer A2 Bus Timetable"(PDF).Passenger-line-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com.Archived(PDF) from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved22 January 2022.
^"Jenny on the up".The Northern Echo. 23 April 2003.Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved20 February 2021.
^"Edgecombe, Wilfred (1871 - 1963)".Lancet.1: 895. 1963. Retrieved20 July 2025 – via Royal College of Surgeons of England.Also in British Medical Journal 1963, page 1350.
^abNeesam, Malcolm G. (2022).Wells & Swells, the golden age of Harrogate Spa, 1842-1923 (1 ed.). Lancaster, England: Carnegie Publishing.ISBN9781859362389.
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