Harrogate: 5 Things to See in an Afternoon

Harrogate's a lovely little town, full of beautiful old buildings and sprawling green parks. I took a trip over there with my sister recently and here's my 5 things to check out in an afternoon (or day, your choice).

1. Cafe Culture

I say cafe culture... there's a real pavement cafe vibe around the town centre, especially around the Montpellier Quarter. Jewel in the crown of these little gems is, for me at least, Bettys Tea Room. Bettys is locally famous and having visited their York tea room several times it made sense to check out the Harrogate original.

I wasn't disappointed. Great menu with a selection of snacks and light bites in the Cafe Bar and even more selection in the more traditional Tea Room. Just be prepared to queue - Bettys is insanely popular and if you're in a hurry, opt for the Cafe Bar which is less busy.

2. Green Spaces

Harrogate seems to be full of parks. It's such a green place. The biggest of these is the Stray, an enormous stretch of parkland to the south of the town centre. For more history, head north of the centre to Valley Gardens, which is home to a number of springs from which the town got the "medicinal" waters which turned it into a thriving spa resort.

3. Shopping

I'm not really into shopping, but there are a whole load of lovely little shops in the town, along with the high street brands. I'd recommend just wandering around the centre, especially around the Montpellier Quarter. Not much else to say on that - I'm really not big on shopping.

4. Royal Pump Room Museum

This is a lovely little museum housed in, as the name suggests, the old Royal Pump Room. I'd expected this to be mostly about Harrogate's spa history, but there's a whole assortment of little exhibits including some lovely little pieces from Egypt.

It's definitely worth taking the little tour to see the old well heads. The guide will give you lots more information about the history of the town and you get to go down below modern ground level to see where the old spa wells were. Be aware - they may smell strongly of rotten eggs.

Investigating the free spring water...

5. Architecture

OK, so it's not something you can visit as such, but it really is worth taking the time to admire the architecture. I don't know a thing about this, but I really love the old buildings in the town. It's probably just one of those nostalgia type things - take out the cars and and the electricity and you can almost imagine being in the town at the height of its glory years.

So there's my 5 things to see in Harrogate. What would you recommend? Have I missed a hidden gem you think people should know about?