Tour 9: Excursion around Harrogate
Heading west of York, this 35-mile (56km) one- or two-day tour takes you to the elegant spa town of Harrogate, then to the Dales and the stunning remains of Fountains Abbey
You can easily reach both Knaresborough and Harrogate by train from York and do part of this tour as a day trip. However, if you wish to take in other sights, like the pretty village of Ripley and the picturesque remains of Fountains Abbey, Britain’s largest monastic ruin, then you’ll need a car.
Knaresborough’s picturesque railway viaduct crosses the River Nidd.
iStockphoto
This part of Yorkshire has long been on the tourist trail, and is still extremely rewarding to visit, with a wealth of historic sights, picture-perfect scenery and traditional country pubs. A popular spa town since Georgian times, Harrogate has long attracted well-heeled visitors who have come to taste its healing waters. With its wide streets and spacious swathes of smooth grassland, it provides a pleasant contrast to York’s maze of ancient alleyways.
Heading west from York, take the A59, passing close to the site of the battle of Marston Moor, where in 1644 the Royalists were beaten by Parliamentary forces. Continue to the historic town of Knaresborough 1 [map], which sits on the River Nidd and is topped by the ruins of Knaresborough Castle (daily 11am–4pm Easter–Oct; charge).
Harrogate’s Pump Room.
APA William Shaw
Built by the Normans around 1100, the castle overlooks the river. It was used as a refuge by the murderers of Thomas Becket, after they had struck the clergyman down in Canterbury Cathedral, and was often visited by King John, who used the castle as a grand hunting lodge. After the Royalist defeat in the Civil War, the castle was largely destroyed – though the tower remains. Today, visitors can see the dungeons, one of the secret underground tunnels (which provided safe passage in times of siege) and an exhibition of life in a medieval castle.
Mother Shipton’s Cave
Knaresborough is also famed as the birthplace of Ursula Sontheil, better known as Mother Shipton, England’s most famous prophetess. She was said to have been born in 1488 in a cave by the Nidd and early in life became known for her prophecies. She is said to have predicted the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the deaths of Lady Jane Grey and Mary, Queen of Scots, the Spanish Armada and the Great Fire of London. Mother Shipton’s Cave (tel: 01423 864000; www.mothershipton.co.uk; Apr–Oct daily 10am–5.30pm, Mar daily 10am–4.30pm, Feb Sat–Sun 10am–5pm; charge) and the neighbouring Petrifying Well, where objects are turned to stone by the mineral-rich waters, are now visitor attractions. You can also follow a riverside walk along the Nidd.
From Knaresborough, pick up the road to Harrogate 2 [map], a short drive away. This is one of the most handsome towns in England, renowned for its spa heritage, its gardens, great shops and attractive Georgian and Victorian terraces.
The Royal Pump Room Museum (tel: 01423 556188; www.harrogate.gov.uk, Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 2–5pm, closes 4pm Nov–Mar, Sun noon–5pm Aug; charge) gives an insight into the gilded days when thousands of people swarmed on Harrogate to take the sulphurous spa waters reputed to have healing properties. The waters tasted so bad that they spawned a thriving industry in Harrogate toffee, consumed to take away the taste of their ‘cure’. You can still taste the waters today. The museum also has a permanent exhibition of ancient Egyptian treasures, which include a 5,000-year-old vase, and a sarcophagus.
Harlow Carr Garden.
APA William Shaw
For more contemporary spa treatments head to the restored Turkish Baths and Spa (Parliament Street; tel: 01423 556746; www.turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk) which offer spa treatments in a glorious setting.
The Mercer Art Gallery
Art-lovers should make for the Mercer Art Gallery (Swan Road; tel: 01423 556188; Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 2pm–5pm; free), which has around 2,000 works of art, mainly 19th- and 20th-century paintings and prints. A changing exhibition programme features works from the collection, by artists like William Powell Frith, Edward Burne-Jones and Alan Davie.
The town also has a couple of commercial art galleries. The Anstey Galleries (Swan Road; tel: 01423 500102; www.ansteygalleries.co.uk) exhibits works by contemporary artists and jewellers, while the Sutcliffe Galleries (Royal Parade, tel: 01423 562976, www.sutcliffegalleries.co.uk) specialises in 19th-century art.
Great gardens
Harrogate has some fine gardens and open spaces, including The Stray, a sweep of smooth grass on the edge of the city covered with golden daffodils in the spring. On the other side of the town, close to the Pump Room, are Valley Gardens – English Heritage-listed gardens with mineral springs, a pavilion and extensive woodlands.
William Powell Frith
William Powell Frith (1819–1909) was one of the most popular Victorian painters; his works attracted huge crowds when they were exhibited in his day. He is known for his panoramic scenes of Victorian life, like lively crowds at Derby Day or at Paddington Station. Born near Harrogate, one of his most famous works is in the Mercer Art Gallery: Many Happy Returns of the Day, depicting his daughter’s sixth birthday party.
Ripley Castle, family home of the Ingilbys for 28 generations.
Dreamstime
A short drive out of town, off the B6162, is Harlow Carr Garden (www.rhs.org.uk; daily 9.30am–6pm, Nov–Feb until 4pm; charge). This botanical garden opened in 1950 on ground that was once part of the Forest of Knaresborough. The gardens have something to offer at every time of year, though the herbaceous borders are at their best in summer. There is a popular branch of Bettys, the Yorkshire tea room, with a terrace overlooking the grounds.
From Harrogate, take the A61 north to Ripley 3 [map], a neat little village of cobbled squares and stone cottages reminiscent of Alsace-Lorraine, after the French region took the fancy of Sir William Amcotts Ingilby on his travels. The Ingilby family has lived in Ripley for 700 years and their home, Ripley Castle (tel: 01423 770152; www.ripleycastle.co.uk; castle: Easter–Oct daily 11am–3pm, Mar, Nov Tue, Thu, Sat–Sun 11am–3pm, Dec–Feb Sat–Sun 11am–3pm, guided tours only; gardens: daily 9am–4.30, 5pm; charge). Tours of the castle reveal suitably grand rooms, armour from the Civil War, and a ‘priest’s hole’ – the secret room where the Catholic priest Francis Ingilby hid during anti-Catholic raids in Elizabeth 1’s time. The Inglibys have a fascinating family history – they were, for example, related to many of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, while Jane Ingilby, a royalist, is said to have once held Oliver Cromwell hostage at pistol point in the castle’s library.
Family Fun
Ripley Castle hosts a variety of events throughout the year, providing great family entertainment. Past events have included falconry displays, carriage-driving trials and classic car rallies, as well as an annual agricultural show in August featuring local handicrafts and sheep dog trials. The gardens have also provided a spectacular backdrop to Shakespeare plays and summer evening concerts. Details on www.ripleycastle.co.uk.
The castle gardens are delightful, and include 4 acres (1.6 hectares) of Victorian walled gardens, as well as a kitchen garden filled with rare herbs and spices. The pleasure grounds burst into glorious displays of snowdrops in early spring, followed by buttery yellow daffodils and delicate primroses. You can wander down to the lakeside, where fallow deer graze, and children can let off steam on the play trail.
Do make time to stroll around the village of Ripley. The 15th-century church of All Saints features a grim series of marks on one wall, said to have been made by Cromwell’s troops as they executed Royalist soldiers following the battle of Marston Moor. The village also has a famous ice-cream shop.
FOUNTAINS ABBEY AND STUDLEY ROYAL
From Ripley, go north on the A61. Then either bear left on minor roads, or turn left in Ripon onto the B6265, off which is the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal 4 [map] (tel: 01765 608888; www.nationaltrust.org.uk; daily 10am–6pm; deer park: daily all year; charge).
Fountains Abbey
In 1132, 13 Benedictine monks split from the powerful community at St Mary’s Abbey in York, which they deemed not devout enough, and established a new monastery here, in the tranquil rural location they craved. A few years later they became Cistercian monks, an austere order demanding long periods of silence, a frugal regime and the wearing of harsh white robes. The Abbey grew rapidly, with the help of a large community of lay brothers, who carried out routine tasks on behalf of the monks and also tended the vast flocks of sheep – turning it into one of the richest religious houses in England.
Following Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, Fountains fell into rapid decline. Glass and lead were stripped from the building, and many of the stones used to create the Jacobean mansion of Fountains Hall, which has an impressive minstrel gallery open to the public (part of the Hall is now used to provide National Trust holiday apartments).
The Abbey passed through the hands of various owners until, in the 18th century, it was purchased by William Aislabie, who landscaped the ruins to provide a picturesque sight that could be viewed from the water garden of Studley Royal. Strolling round the Abbey ruins today gives you a sense of the scale of the original building. These are the largest monastic ruins in Britain and you can still see the cellarium, where the lay brothers ate and slept (now home to several protected species of bat), and the cloisters, where the monks would exercise and meditate.
Fountains Abbey.
iStockphoto
Nidderdale Museum
Visitors with children might enjoy a diversion to Pateley Bridge, west of Ripley, home to the Nidderdale Museum (tel: 01423 711225, www.nidderdalemuseum.com; Easter–Oct daily 1.30–4.30pm Nov–Easter, Sat–Sun 1.30–4.30pm; charge). It’s devoted to the rural life of the dales, with exhibits on everything from agriculture to clothing. There’s a recreated Victorian parlour, a schoolroom and a general store.
The beautifully laid-out Studley Royal Water Gardens.
Courtesy Studley Royal
Studley Royal
Studley Royal Water Gardens (same hours and prices as abbey) were created in the 18th century by John Aislabie, a wealthy but disgraced MP. He devoted himself to creating a spectacular water garden in the valley of the River Skell – with vast expanses of smooth water, geometric shapes and a smattering of statues and follies. As you stroll around the gardens you can see the neoclassical Temple of Piety, the Gothic Octagon Tower and the Temple of Fame – used as a picnic spot by the Georgians. There are also grottoes, cascades and a rustic bridge – made to look older. When John Aislabie died, his son William extended the landscaped area, adding the romantic feature of Fountains Abbey to the vistas.
St Mary’s Church
Also within the grounds is St Mary’s Church (noon–4pm Easter–Sept), commissioned in 1870 by the Marchioness of Ripon to commemorate her murdered brother. The church was designed by William Burges, and is a fine example of the High Victorian Gothic style. Its richly decorated interior has carved parrots above the choir stalls and an organ case designed to resemble a medieval house. The site is so large that it could easily make a full day’s outing, especially if you also take a stroll through the woodland or follow one of the marked trails. There’s a café and a visitor centre too.
RIPON
Leaving Fountains Abbey, pick up the B6265 east to Ripon 5 [map]. This pleasant market town has a cathedral (www.riponcathedral.org.uk; daily 8.30am–6pm; free) originating in the 7th century. Today’s building is the fourth church to stand on this site, but you can see the crypt of the first church, created by St Wilfrid in AD672. The cathedral also has an Art Nouveau pulpit and 15th-century carvings in the choir – the one depicting a griffin chasing a rabbit down a hole is thought to have inspired Lewis Carroll in his Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. His father was once the cathedral’s canon, and Carroll visited many times. The cathedral also has associations with the war poet Wilfred Owen, who visited it in 1918, before being sent back to France, where he was killed. Owen composed two poems in Ripon. From Ripon take the A61 back to Harrogate, and then York.
Eating Out
Harrogate
The Pine Marten
Otley Road; tel: 01423 709999; www.thepinemarten.com; food served daily noon–9.30pm, Sun until 8.30pm.
This popular contemporary country pub, just outside Harrogate on the road to Harlow Carr Garden, offers sharing plates of Mediterranean-influenced food, as well as pizzas, salads, pasta dishes and steaks. ££
The Tannin Level
5 Raglan Street; tel: 01423 560595; www.tanninlevel.co.uk; Mon–Thu noon–9pm, Fri–Sat until 9.30pm, Sun until 8pm.
This popular wine bar-bistro serves local produce in a relaxed atmosphere. It’s essentially modern British food with a Mediterranean twist. The menu changes regularly but includes dishes like salmon fish fingers with chips and maple-roasted belly pork. Desserts might include treacle tart with whisky-soaked prunes and a classic sticky toffee pudding. £££
Van Zeller
8 Montpellier Street; tel: 01423 508762; www.vanzellerrestaurants.co.uk; Tue–Sat noon–2pm, 6–10pm, Sun noon–2.30pm.
Boasting two AA rosettes, this restaurant in Harrogate’s chic Montpellier district offers fine food in minimal surroundings. Main courses include quail roasted with black pudding, wild trout with summer vegetables and wild turbot in a parmesan and hazelnut crust. And for dessert, there’s a chocolate delice and a strawberry and vanilla parfait. You can also opt for the 10-course tasting menu. £££
Ripley
The Boar’s Head
Ripley Village; tel: 01423 771888; www.boarsheadripley.co.uk; Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm, 7–9pm, Sun 9am–8pm.
This former coaching inn, part of the Ripley Castle estate, has a formal restaurant serving seasonal produce and a more informal Bistro. £££
Pateley Bridge
The Yorke Arms
Ramsgill-in-Nidderdale, nr Pateley Bridge; tel: 01423 755243; www.yorke-arms.co.uk; daily lunch and dinner.
This Michelin-starred, 18th-century coaching house grows many of its own ingredients and features local produce like Nidderdale lamb. Also on the menu are saddle of red deer with kidneys and slow-cooked shoulder of lamb. The Sunday lunch menu includes a traditional sirloin of beef served with Yorkshire pudding. Booking advisable. £££