Set in the heart of Yorkshire, Harrogate made its name as a spa town from the 18th century, when fashionable society flocked to take the spa waters. We share some of the top things to do in Harrogate, as well as some seasonal treats that we enjoyed on our winter break.
The elegant buildings and feeling of prosperity remain, with excellent restaurants, stylish shops and cultural possibilities. Nor do you need to go far to enjoy the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, the rolling hills and valleys that provide a breath of fresh air and idyllic scenery.
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1. Things to do in Harrogate at Christmas
Visiting Harrogate at Christmas is a magical experience, with sparkling lights, Christmas events and shop windows dressed up to the nines. We really enjoyed our pre-Christmas break in Harrogate and here’s what to expect if you visit during the festive season.
Harrogate Christmas Fayre
The Harrogate Christmas Fayre provided a busy, vibrant atmosphere, with food and gift stalls around the town centre. There’s also old fashioned carousels and helter skelters for family festive fun.
Christmas lights are strung around the town centre, especially the pedestrianised shopping streets of Oxford Street and Cambridge Street. The Christmas shop windows put us in a jolly mood. Cafes stay open to enjoy a festive afternoon tea, spicy latte or Christmas drink in the pubs and bars.
For sweet treats, visit the Betty’s Harrogate shops in the centre of Harrogate. And at the RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr, you can stock up on mince pies and foodie gifts such as chocolates or tinned biscuits.
In the Valley Gardens the tree lined avenue looked very pretty strung with lights. We wandered through the artisan market that was being held the weekend we visited.
Family entertainment in Harrogate
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a traditional Pantomime. The cast of Cinderella at Harrogate Theatre had us laughing at the local jokes, marvelling at those outrageous ugly sisters and singing along for plenty of audience participation.
Stockeld Park, just outside Harrogate is a great place to get outdoors with the family for ice skating, nordic ski or walks through the woods. As dusk falls the winter illuminations light up the Enchanted forest in a colourful glow.
You can pop into St Peter’s Church in the centre of Harrogate for private reflection or one of their services. We enjoyed the Christmas Tree festival in the church, with Christmas trees individually decorated by different charity and community groups
At Fountains Abbey it’s worth timing your visit for the afternoon. As dusk falls, the ruins of the Medieval Abbey are bathed in coloured lights and carol music fills the air. Check the website for other events such as the free musical events held on certain days during the festive period.
2. Shopping in Harrogate
If you are looking for unusual gifts, Harrogate offers plenty of shopping opportunities, with interesting independent boutiques and upscale high street stores.
For something unique, head to the Montpelier Quarter, around Montpelier Road, Montpelier Parade and Montpelier Street. It’s home to over 50 independent cafes, shops and galleries. There’s a handy information board and map of the Montpelier Quarter by Betty’s Tea room on the corner of Montpelier Parade.
Montpelier Street is a good place to hunt for jewellery and antiques in the Montpelier Mews Antique Market. Look out for delectable bespoke jewellery at India Mahon. Lovers of luxury fashion can shop for designer brands at Morgan Clare or check out the flowing bohemian dresses at Rose Velvet.
Where to eat and drink in Harrogate
There are plenty of cafes, restaurants and pubs and we enjoyed a drink at The Old Bell Tavern, with contemporary style and excellent beer. Hale’s Bar is the oldest pub in Harrogate, where we found atmospheric wood panelling and the original gas lights.
For foodie gifts that encapsulate the spirit of Harrogate, pop into the Farrah’s sweet shop. This emporium of traditional candies includes their famous Harrogate toffee.
Looking for something a little stronger? The Spirit of Harrogate shop sells their own range of Slingsby Gin and offers a personalised gin distilling experience.
Fashion stores in Harrogate
Harrogate also offers plenty of top fashion brands. I found lots of my favourite upscale shops on James Street, including The White Company, Jigsaw, Russell and Bromley, Whistles and Hooper’s Department Store.
You’ll find all the mainstream shops in the pedestrianised areas of Oxford Street and Cambridge Street, as well as the Victoria Shopping Centre in the heart of the town.
For more winter getaways, discover all the things to do in the Cotswolds on a winter break
3. Delve into Harrogate’s Spa history
The medicinal properties of the spring water in Harrogate had become well known by the 16th century. But it was through the Georgian and Victorian periods that the town became a popular spa.
During the social season from May to September, it was fashionable for the wealthy and famous to visit the town. Many would take the waters as well as to socialise, shop and attend public balls.
Royal Pump Room Museum
From the early 19th century, numerous elegant buildings were constructed to cater for spa visitors. The Royal Pump Room, an octagonal building, was built over the Old Sulphur Well. This is now the Royal Pump Room Museum, with a counter where the sulphur tasting waters were sold and the original well under the glass in the floor.
The small museum also has some interesting displays from the history of Harrogate as a spa town. We enjoyed the current “Make do and mend” exhibition of clothing and other daily objects, about how fashion was affected by austerity during the Second World War.
There are numerous other buildings around this part of Harrogate that hark back to the town’s spa heyday. To experience a little of the spa town elegance, visit the nearby Winter Gardens, now a Wetherspoons pub. The old Town Hall is now the Mercer Art Gallery and the Royal Baths are still partly used as the Turkish Baths.
Stay at the grand and elegant Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa
4. Enjoy afternoon tea in Harrogate
Afternoon tea is a treat that seems to echo Harrogate’s heritage as an elegant spa town, where the fashionable would gather to take the waters and socialise. If you are an aficionado of the English Afternoon Tea, you’ll know that this is more of a ritual than just a cake and a cuppa!
Afternoon tea is a meal in itself, with several ‘courses’ such as delicate sandwiches, tasty savouries and scones with clotted cream and jam. Finally you’ll have some sweet treats and pretty cakes. When planning an afternoon tea, you’ll want to miss either lunch or dinner as it’s unlikely you could do them justice as well!
We ordered afternoon tea in Harrogate at The Majestic Hotel, where it is served under the sparkling chandeliers of the Carter’s Champagne Bar and Grill. The glass of fizz that came with our tea certainly added extra sparkle to the occasion!
I love it when afternoon teas pick out the local specialties and our silver cake stand was topped with some dark and gooey Yorkshire gingerbread cake.
Other places that you might try a traditional afternoon tea in Harrogate are Betty’s tea rooms or Mama Doreen’s Emporium and probably many other places.
For more English weekend breaks, check out my 48-hour itinerary for a weekend in Oxford
5. Betty’s Cafe Tea rooms – for sweet treats
No visit to Harrogate seems to be complete without a visit to Betty’s tea room and cafe, which is something of a local institution. The original Betty’s cafe in Harrogate was opened in 1919 by a young Swiss baker and confectioner who settled in Yorkshire and married a local girl.
The business has since expanded with a second branch in Harrogate at the RHS gardens at Harlow Carr. There are several other locations around Yorkshire.
Betty’s specialises in delectable cakes, chocolates and sweet gifts and the ideal place to buy prettily packaged biscuits or chocolates as a souvenir of your time in Harrogate.
One of their most famous products is the Betty’s Fat Rascal. This large sweet scone is decorated with a cheeky grin of almonds and eyes of glacé cherries. We couldn’t resist buying a couple to eat as a snack as well as a box of their pretty fondant fancies to take home.
Enjoying afternoon tea at Betty’s Cafe is one of the traditional things to do in Harrogate, but they also include brunch and lunch dishes on their menu.
The cafe doesn’t normally take bookings, except for afternoon tea in their Imperial Room upstairs, so you may have to wait in line at busy times. Unfortunately the queue was rather long when we visited, so we decided to buy our treats to take away from the shop instead.
Stay at the grand and elegant Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa
6. Harrogate Theatre – watch a show or the pantomime at Christmas
When planning your short break in Harrogate it’s always worth checking what’s on at the Harrogate Theatres. There are several venues run under the Harrogate Theatres umbrella.
They are housed in beautiful buildings such as the Harrogate Theatre built in 1900, with Victorian red plush and gilding. There’s also the Grade II listed Edwardian Royal Hall which has gone through an £8 million restoration. Larger events take place in the Harrogate Convention Centre, while the Studio theatre hosts experimental and new work.
Between them the theatres put on a wide range of musical events, plays and seasonal productions. We enjoyed the Cinderella Pantomime while we were in Harrogate.
At the matinee performance in the Harrogate Theatre we were surrounded by families enjoying some good old fashioned Christmas fun. With over the top costumes, local jokes and slapstick comedy, the cast entertained us and certainly put us in a festive mood!
For more weekend break ideas, you may enjoy 20 things to do in Aberdeen on a weekend break
7. Harrogate Turkish Baths – relax and unwind
A wonderful way to relax and unwind in Harrogate is to visit the Turkish Baths. Opened in 1897 they are beautifully tiled in colourful Moorish designs, in the original style of baths that were popular back in Victorian times.
Very few baths like this remain and our visit felt like stepping back time, dipping a toe into Harrogate’s illustrious spa history. These Turkish Baths once formed part of the larger Royal Baths, which used the mineral water from different springs to treat ailments such as rheumatism and arthritis.
I was surprised at how many of the original fittings, such as the wooden changing cubicles and Thomas Crapper toilets had been retained. The Turkish Baths were restored to their full glory in 2002.
Visiting the Harrogate Turkish Baths
Visits are pre-booked for a timed 2.5 hour slot, with different sessions for men only, ladies only or mixed, ideal for couples like ourselves. If you’re not quite sure what happens in a Turkish Baths, don’t worry as at the beginning of the session you’ll be offered a tour of the baths to show you all the different areas.
There are three different warm rooms that run into one another, each increasing in temperature. It works up to the hottest and smallest room, where you can barely sit on the tiled bench without a towel. In the steam room, the scent of eucalyptus perfumes the air and your body can relax as the heat opens pores and sweats out toxins.
In between, there are old fashioned hot and cold showers and a plunge pool of cold water. That chilly frisson leaves you with an exhilarating buzz as you hurry back to the steam room.
Since no phones are allowed the whole experience feels truly relaxing, a real detox from the stresses outside. Finally, the spacious frigidarium is the place to relax on one of the lounge beds to cool down and unwind.
When done you take your things out of the lockers and get changed in the wooden cubicles. Treatments are also available and beauty products are on sale in the lobby.
8. Valley Gardens in Harrogate – stroll in the park
For a beautiful place to stroll at any time of year, head to the Valley Gardens. This 17 acre public park has a main gate close to the Montpelier Quarter and Royal Baths.
Opened in the 1880s, the bog field within the park was the location of many of Harrogate’s springs. It was developed into a water garden where visitors could promenade and take the waters at the Magnesia Well Pump Room.
In its heyday it was a popular spa resort and walking through the Valley Gardens in Harrogate was considered a healthy way to pass the time and socialise in between drinking the waters.
Walking through the Valley Gardens you’ll pass many of original buildings from its Victorian heyday. The Sun colonnade leads to the Sun pavilion which is used as a wedding venue and the New Magnesia Well Pump Room, now an ice cream cafe. Further on there’s a small boating lake and a children’s playground with paddling pool for summer fun.
Continue walking at the end of the park, you’ll pass through the Pinewoods with paths. These eventually take you to the RHS Gardens of Harlow Carr, a pleasant way to arrive there when the weather’s good. During our pre-Christmas visit, the gardens were looking pretty with lights in the trees and an Artisan craft market held in the Sun colonnade.
9. RHS Gardens Harlow Carr – for year round colour
If you think that there’s not much to see in a garden during the winter months, you’ll be proved wrong at the RHS Gardens Harlow Carr, on the edge of Harrogate. We visited in December when the Winter Walk was looking its very best. The pink heathers, conifers and jewel like stems of dogwood and willow gleamed bright red and yellow. against the grey skies.
Four Seasons sculptures at Harlow Carr gardens
Also a highlight were the ‘Four Seasons sculptures’ by American artist Philip Haas, which were dotted around the garden. They were inspired by the surreal Renaissance paintings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo which construct a portrait of a man from fruit and vegetables.
From the Streamside Walk we sheltered from the showers inside the cosy Brammall library. It’s full of gardening books and a stunning display of embroidered artwork based on photos of the garden in autumn and winter.
In search of the “Winter” and “Autumn” Four Seasons sculptures we meandered through the woodland area, ending at The Old Bath House with a shop selling gifts and artworks from local makers.
Betty’s tea room at Harlow Carr
It was in this part of the garden that the sulphur spring water was once drawn from nearby wells. Beside the lake Betty’s tea house provided hot drinks and cakes to take away or eat outdoors. We returned via the formal kitchen garden and Alpine greenhouse.
If you haven’t managed to visit Betty’s tea rooms in the centre of Harrogate, it’s worth knowing that there’s a second branch at the gardens. There’s also a Betty’s shop to buy cakes and sweet souvenirs.
In warmer months, you can reach the RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr from Harrogate by walking through the Valley Gardens and continuing on the Pinewood trail.
Stay at the grand and elegant Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa
10. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens
Also worth a visit just outside Harrogate is Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens. These two adjoining estates were combined in the 18th century and are now run by the National Trust.
Wander through the atmospheric ruins of the 13th century Fountains Abbey, built by Cistercian monks in a narrow valley, but there’s lots more to see besides.
The Porter’s Lodge was once the main entrance to the Abbey and is now used as an exhibition space. It offers a model of the Abbey showing how it looked in the 16th century before the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Swanley Grange was part of the farm owned by the monastery and worked by Lay Brothers. This provided the monks with an income and allowed them time to pray and study. The restored barns have displays of the wool that once made the monastery rich, dyed in many different colours to show the plant based colours available.
Fountains Hall and Studley Royal Water Garden
Also open to visitors is the ground floor of Fountains Hall. This was set up by the estate owners in the 1930s as a training scheme to employ young men who worked on the Fountains Estate during the Great Depression.
The adjoining Studley Royal Estate was owned by the Aislabie family, who developed the Studley Royal Water Gardens over three generations during the 18th century.
The water gardens, which are a 10 minute walk along the valley from the Abbey are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are one of the few surviving Georgian water gardens on this scale.
The formal canals and cascades, with their flat lawns and banks of laurel hedging would have taken an army of gardeners to maintain in the days before lawnmowers. These were a rich man’s indulgence to impress his guests and a real symbol of wealth and privilege.
Continue on the circular walk that skirts the wooded hillside where you can see the ornamental follies of the Octagon Tower, Temple of Piety and Temple of Fame.
We enjoyed one of the free walking tours to learn more about the water gardens and there are many events held at Fountains Abbey throughout the year. During the Christmas season, coloured lights bathe the old stone arches of the Abbey with a festive atmosphere and carol music fills the air.
11. Brimham Rocks – a breath of fresh air
For a breath of fresh air, take a short drive out of Harrogate to Brimham Rocks. This area of dramatic moorland rock formations is managed by the National Trust.
The sandstone rocks were eroded by wind and weather into strange shapes that have been given names such as the Dancing Bear, the Gorilla or the Eagle.
It’s not so much a place for a brisk walk as a meander along the paths that thread between the rocks. Some paths open out for amazing views across the Dales below.
From the car park managed by the National Trust (parking charge), the paths eventually bring you to the refreshment kiosk and visitor centre at the top of the site. On a fine day this would be a fun place to bring a picnic. Photographers will be kept happy for hours trying to capture the strange rock formations from every angle!
Where to stay in Harrogate
There’s a wide range of accommodation available in Harrogate for your short break. You’ll find everything from contemporary town apartments and self catering cottages in the Yorkshire Dales, to welcoming guest houses and elegant hotels in town, like The Majestic Hotel where we stayed.
The Majestic Hotel Harrogate
Staying at the Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa, we experienced the grandeur of Harrogate’s time as a fashionable spa town.
The Majestic Hotel was built in 1900 when hotels were built like stately homes, with ballrooms and salons to host high society. The hotel had a £15 million renovation a few years ago, bringing it up to date in elegant, contemporary style.
With 184 guest rooms, this is a busy hotel that is often used for meetings, weddings and events in the large ballroom and event spaces. We loved the public spaces with their sparkling chandeliers, decorative plasterwork, charming original murals and marble columns. There are cosy sofas and chairs to grab a coffee, drink or light meal in the Frederick’s Piano Bar.
Carters Champagne Bar and Grill
Dinner and afternoon tea is served in the Carters champagne bar and grill, which recreates the elegant Edwardian era of past years. This is where we had breakfast with an excellent spread from the buffet and hot dishes served by the chefs.
The decor throughout the hotel is elegant and restful in muted neutral shades with furnishings that marry the contemporary and the classic.
Our spacious bedroom and bathroom of our 5th floor room was a pleasure to use with both free standing bath and walk in shower. We had a good night’s sleep on the very comfortable bed. The hotel’s spa includes a large swimming pool, six treatment rooms and thermal experiences such as a Himalayan salt sauna, steam room and ice fountain.
The spa is open for non-residents and you’ll need to book a spa package to use it, but hotel residents may use the pool at certain times for a small charge. If you’re visiting Harrogate for a short break, the hotel is conveniently located just a short stroll from the town centre.
Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa | Address: Ripon Road, Harrogate, HG1 2HU
Plan your visit to Harrogate
To plan your visit to Harrogate, find more inspiration and things to do on the Visit Harrogate website
Stay at the grand and elegant Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa
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To explore Edinburgh in the winter, read my article on 15 things to do in Edinburgh for culture lovers
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Our Christmas break in Harrogate was sponsored* by Visit Harrogate who arranged our accommodation and some of the experiences mentioned.
* More info on my policies page
This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com
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