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HARROGATE 2003 A TREAT IN STORE
Harrogate, this Jewel of the North, one of
England’s most attractive towns makes it a perfect venue for the 2003
conference.
Frequent winner of Britain in Bloom. It features acres of gardens
that offer an array of colour throughout the year with open spaces and broad
tree lined boulevards.
Its heritage as one of the Europe’s foremost spa towns is
still evident in the grandeur of its buildings. From the Royal Baths, which
incorporates the Turkish Baths, to the Royal Pump Room Museum home of the old
Sulphur Well and the old Mercer Art Gallery whose varied collection is housed in
Harrogate's first spa building. With the attraction of its formal gardens, its
numerous hotels, restaurants and eating houses offering a wide range of fine
cuisine from many parts of the world, and its abundance of elegant shops rank it
among one of the three leading British conference centres.
Harrogate originated
in the 17th century as a spa with chalybeate, sulphur and saline springs. It
originally consisted of two settlements of High Harrogate and Low Harrogate. In
the late 17th and early 18th centuries’ the therapeutic benefits of these waters
became more widely known and by the 19th century the town developed into one of
the country’s foremost spas with its reputation stretching into Europe and
attracting, in its heyday many foreign visitors. An Act of parliament
established the Stray or 200 Acres. Horseshoe open parkland surrounding the
town, opened to the public in 1778, bringing a unique feature to the resort. It
is still protected by statute and jealously guarded by its protection party.
From the famous Betty’s café, a stroll down Montpellier with its beautiful
terraced gardens bordered with delightful shops lead you to Montpellier Mews
displaying a fine collection antique shops and stalls. This is close to the
Royal Pump Room the Mercer Gallery and the entrance to the Valley Gardens.
An
amble through the Valley Gardens will be rewarded with an abundance of
magnificent floral displays in quiet peaceful surrounds. Continuing through the
pinewoods would take you to Harlow Car Botanical Gardens, but these are probably
best approached by a short drive. The RHS Garden at Harlow Car is an inspiration
for all seasons. For over fifty years it has been a showcase for northern
gardeners and has long been a Mecca for both amateur gardeners and professional
horticulturists alike. Set in 68 acres its wide diversity of flowers, trial
grounds and arboretum make it an inspiration to all. Restaurant and cafe bar are
available. Not only is Harrogate an attractive center in itself but also its
circumjacence offers a very wide range attractive and compelling visits to such
places as. Harewood House the ancestral home of Lord Harewood. Fountains Abbey
designated a World Heritage Site, the most complete Cistercian Abbey in the
country. The ruined Abbeys of Bolton, Jervaulx, Kirkstall. The tranquil and
rolling hills of the dales and the picturesque towns and villages of Ripley,
where its inhabited castle was the ancestral home of St. Francis Ingleby, one of
the 40 English Martyrs. Brimham Rocks (NT) with unique natural rock formations,
Knaresborough, which boasts a ruined Norman Castle, the oldest apothecary in
England and Mother Shipton’s petrifying caves. Masham, Pately Bridge, the chief
town in picturesque Nidderdale and nearby Bewerly with its almost hidden 14th
century chapel.
After the reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries the
faith was kept alive by the courage and fortitude of many covert groups. It was
rekindled in Harrogate in mass centers and the first formal church was opened in
1873, St. Robert’s, situated 250 yards from the railway station off Station
Parade. The church was named after Robert, a hermit Saint who lived near the
riverbank in Knaresborough.
The Golf courses at Pannal, Knaresborough, Oakdale,
Harrogate and Rudding, set in an ancestral estate making it one of the most
picturesque courses in the county, provide sport and recreation, while the
ladies savour there coffee in Betty’s or browse the many fine boutiques.
The
town blending both old and new with subtle charm and distinction combing the
surrounding dales countryside with its superb natural beauty offers visitors to
Harrogate a unique and unrivalled experience.
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