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Royal Pump Room Museum
Harrogate's museum in the 1842 pump room where visitors drank the sulphur water; run by North Yorkshire Council.
Directions Website Report a problem with Royal Pump Room Museum
A mini guide to
Harrogate & Knaresborough
Victorian spa town with gardens and baths, and the Nidd gorge at Knaresborough
Photos
1 / 7Welcome to the area
Victorian spa town with gardens and baths, and the Nidd gorge at Knaresborough
Harrogate grew as a spa after its mineral waters were found in the 16th century, and by the Georgian era it was known as 'The English Spa' for its sulphur and iron-rich springs. The 1842 Royal Pump Room is now the town museum, the Victorian Turkish baths still open in the Royal Baths, and 200 acres of open grass called the Stray wrap around the centre.
Knaresborough, three miles east, is a market town on the River Nidd. Its ruined castle looks down on the gorge and the railway viaduct, and along the river are Mother Shipton's Cave, the rock-cut Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag and St Robert's Cave.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Park
Valley Gardens
Grade II listed park of 17 acres, laid out in 1887 for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee.
Park
The Stray
About 200 acres of open grassland around the town centre, linking the old springs and wells.
Historic bath
Royal Baths and Turkish Baths
Hydrotherapy centre opened by the town in 1897; its Victorian Turkish baths are still in use.
Directions Report a problem with Royal Baths and Turkish Baths
Theatre
Royal Hall
Grade II* listed performance hall and theatre.
Gallery
Mercer Art Gallery
Council gallery in the Old Town Hall since 1991, with over 2,000 works, mainly from the 19th century onwards.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Harrogate & Knaresborough and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Pump Room and gardens together
The Royal Pump Room Museum stands opposite the Valley Gardens, so the two make an easy first stop.
2
Book the Turkish baths
The Victorian Turkish baths in the Royal Baths still operate; check sessions and booking with the operator.
3
Walk the Nidd gorge
In Knaresborough, Abbey Road runs beside the river past the Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag and St Robert's Cave.
4
Harlow Carr
RHS Garden Harlow Carr is on the western edge of Harrogate, one of the Royal Horticultural Society's five public gardens.
Tips from the Britlens editors
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Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Harrogate & Knaresborough (area photo): David Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Valley Gardens: DS Pugh, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Royal Baths and Turkish Baths: Photochrom Print Collection, Public domain, source
- Mercer Art Gallery: Storye book, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Harrogate Theatre: Spudgun67, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St Wilfrid's Church: Andrewrabbott (talk), Public domain, source
- Knaresborough Castle: Redvers, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mother Shipton's Cave: Chris Gorringe, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Knaresborough Viaduct: Steveriley39, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag: Redvers, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ripley Castle: Dposte46, Public domain, source
- North York Moors: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Yorkshire Dales: F. C. Franklin, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Whitby & Robin Hood's Bay: ianpudsey, CC BY 3.0, source
- Scarborough: derek dye, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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