Leeds is a huge city and the possibilities of things to do here is endless. But sometimes it can be overwhelming, especially if home to you is a small town. A reason that makes Leeds so wonderful is the fact that it’s so easy to escape its hectic-ness. Forget the saying, ‘it’s grim up north’, because whoever came up with that phrase has obviously never been to the beautiful spa-town of Harrogate. For anybody interested in the history of Harrogate, it was founded in the 17th Century as a spa-town that was a popular tourist destination. It’s still incredibly popular as it’s got the quaint ‘Yorkshire’ feel, with a sense of being unique and special. There’s heaps to do there and I recommend it to anybody wanting to escape the city for the day; here’s why…
1. Food and Drink
One of my favourite places in the whole of England is Bettys tea-rooms in Harrogate. True, it’s not one of your cheap student pubs like The Library, but sometimes it’s okay to splash out! Bettys is famous for its ‘fat rascal’ fruit biscuits and its vast range of coffee. You are served throughout your stay there by sweet ladies in pinafores and men in ties and waste-coats. With coffee costing around £3.20 and cakes being around £6.00, just think of it as a more extravagant costa coffee and go all out!
If Bettys is not your ‘cup of tea’, then Harrogate is definitely not lacking in other nice places to go. Le Jardin Café and Bistro is just as lovely with a nice chilled atmosphere and nice prices to go with it. To be honest, all you need to do is wander around the town centre and you’ll be sure to find something that will suit your appetite!
2. Shops
Harrogate is much smaller than Leeds but the shopping experience is just as good. They have the same high street shops with a couple of extra added gems that are well worth the visit. One of the reasons I tend to go to Harrogate a lot is for the charity shops. Harrogate does have a bit of a reputation as being known as a town full of rich old ladies. However, I personally only think this because of the lovely items I have managed to get my hands on in charity shops! The Oxfam just off the stray always has a great collection of second-hand things as well as a huge variety of their fair-trade goods.
The weekend market that goes down Cambridge Street is always quirky and interesting, so if you’re ever there on a Saturday be sure to have a look around. They sell items from hand-made bracelets, to hand dyed throws, to crazy hats and wooden sculptures. There are always tasty-looking food stalls there too, which sell different kinds of cuisines from all over the world.
3. Sight-seeing
Harrogate is a beautiful town so it’s definitely not lacking in sights. Obviously the spa and baths are what makes Harrogate the town that it is, so if you do have a couple of spare hours then go and check it out! They’re beautifully decorated in such extravagance that you can’t help but get lost in the moment. Again, it’s not overly cheap at around £15.00 entry, but as a student you deserve that relaxation after a stressful week of lectures and seminars!
The Stray is another lovely place to relax, with the bonus of NOT SPENDING A PENNY. I think the reason I appreciate it so much is because it’s just the kind of greenery that you never see in Leeds: luscious grass and full of flowers! The Stray is an open parkland of 200 acres; just perfect for a picnic or having a lazy wander about. It’s totally free so you have no excuse not to go!