113-701: Therme Manchester is a spa and water park resort under construction in Greater Manchester , England. As of 2024, it is scheduled to open in 2027, and is being built on the former site of the EventCity exhibition centre, adjacent to the Trafford Centre . Plans to realise a large-scale 'wellbeing resort' in TraffordCity were first announced in July 2019, with developers Therme Group inviting local residents to attend
226-566: A Royal Air Force supply depot and logistics centre on St George's Road in the south-west of the town, but this closed down in 1994. During the Second World War , RAF Harrogate was used as a training establishment for medical staff and recruit training for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force . There are many fine examples of architecture about the town. The only Grade I listed building in Harrogate
339-649: A chalybeate spring in Yorkshire . He built an enclosed well at what became known as Harrogate , the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters. In 1596, Timothy Bright, after discovering a second well, called the resort The English Spaw , beginning the use of the word Spa as a generic description. It is commonly claimed, in a commercial context, that the word is an acronym of various Latin phrases, such as salus per aquam or sanitas per aquam , meaning "health through water". The derivation does not appear before
452-399: A certain amount of individuality. The 19th-century bathing regimen at Karlsbad consisted of visitors arising at 6 am to drink the water and be serenaded by a band. Next came a light breakfast, bath, and lunch. The doctors at Karlsbad usually limited patients to certain foods for each meal. In the afternoon, visitors went sight-seeing or attended concerts. Nightly theatrical performances followed
565-427: A combination of bathing and drinking the water and exercising. Hot Springs, Virginia, specialized in digestive ailments and heart diseases, and White Sulphur Springs, Virginia, treated these ailments and skin diseases. Both resorts offered baths where the water would wash continuously over the patients as they lay in a shallow pool. Warm Springs, Georgia, gained a reputation for reportedly treating infantile paralysis by
678-428: A complex bathing procedure. Patients at Baden-Baden , which specialized in treating rheumatoid arthritis , were directed to see a doctor before taking the baths. Bathers then proceeded to the main bathhouse where they paid for their baths and stored their valuables before being assigned a booth for undressing. The bathhouse supplied bathers with towels, sheets, and slippers. The Baden-Baden bathing procedure began with
791-469: A consultation in the summer. Planning permission was subsequently granted to the project by Trafford Council in March 2020. In June 2023, a new design for the resort was revealed, with a revised planning application to be submitted to Trafford Council. The updated plans include waved glass domed pavilions, external water slides, a roof terrace, multi-storey car park, and landscaped boulevard. Original plans saw
904-452: A country spa into the social capital of England. Bath set the tone for other spas in Europe to follow. The upper class arrived there on a seasonal basis to bathe in and drink the water, and as a show of status. Social activities at Bath included dances, concerts, playing cards, lectures, and promenading down the street. A typical day at Bath consisted of an early morning communal bath followed by
1017-543: A famous health resort eventually grew and the term "spa" came to refer to any health resort located near natural springs. During this period, individual springs became associated with the specific ailment that they could allegedly benefit. Great bathhouses were built in Byzantine centers such as Constantinople and Antioch , and the popes allocated to the Romans bathing through diaconia , or private Lateran baths, or even
1130-459: A grand manner, with formal perpendicular axes, solid brick construction, and stone and concrete Roman-revival detailing. The spa was surrounded by a 1,200-acre (4.9 km ) natural park that had 18 miles (29 km) of bridle paths, "with measured walks at scientifically calculated gradients through its groves and vales, with spouting springs adding unexpected touches to its vistas, with the tumbling waters of Geyser Brook flowing beneath bridges of
1243-429: A large rural area, was 157,869. The town motto is Arx celebris fontibus , which means "a citadel famous for its springs". The name Harrogate is first attested in the 1330s as Harwegate , Harougat and Harrowgate . The origin of the name is uncertain. It may derive from Old Norse hǫrgr 'a heap of stones, cairn' + gata 'street', in which case the name presumably meant 'road to the cairn'. Another possibility
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#17331157675251356-455: A major resort for people from the large metropolitan areas of St. Louis and Chicago . The popularity of the spas continued into the 20th century. Some medical critics, however, posited that the thermal waters in such renowned resorts as Hot Springs, Virginia, and Saratoga Springs, New York, were no more beneficial to health than ordinary heated water. In response, various spa owners claimed to develop better hydrotherapy for their patients. At
1469-449: A massage, and resting. Each procedure required separated, purpose-built rooms. The segregation of the sexes and the additions of diversions not directly related to bathing also had direct impacts on the shape and form of bathhouses. The elaborate Roman bathing ritual and its resultant architecture served as precedents for later European and American bathing facilities. Formal garden spaces and opulent architectural arrangement equal to those of
1582-483: A myriad of monastic bath houses functioning in the eighth and ninth centuries. The Popes maintained baths in their residences, and bath houses known as " charity baths " as they served both the clerics and the poor incorporated into Christian Church buildings or those of monasteries. The Church also built public bathing facilities that were separate for both sexes near monasteries and pilgrimage sites. Popes situated baths within church basilicas and monasteries since
1695-406: A number of springs were discovered. The Valley Gardens (locals use the definite article) has an ice-cream parlour, children's play area with outdoor paddling pool, a skate park, frisbee golf, crazy golf and mini golf. The Sun Pavilion at the northern edge of the park can be privately hired for weddings. Tennis courts and a bowling green are in the west of the park. The Friends Of Valley Gardens group
1808-638: A prescribed diet, exercise, and water-drinking program. European spas provided various other diversions for guests after the bath, including gambling, horse racing, fishing, hunting, tennis, skating, dancing, golf, sight-seeing, theatrical performances, and horseback riding. Some European governments recognized the medical benefits of spa therapy and paid a portion of the patient's expenses. A number of these spas catered to those suffering from obesity and overindulgence in addition to various other medical complaints . In recent years , people still travel to natural hot springs for relaxation and health. In Germany,
1921-460: A private breakfast party. Afterwards, one either drank water at the Pump Room (a building constructed over the thermal water source) or attended a fashion show. Physicians encouraged health resort patrons to both bathe in and drink the waters. The next several hours of the day could be spent in shopping, visiting the lending library, attending concerts, or stopping at one of the coffeehouses. At 4:00 pm,
2034-575: A procedure of baths and exercise. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who earlier supported Saratoga, became a frequent visitor and promoter of this spa. By the late 1930s more than 2,000 hot- or cold-springs health resorts were operating in the United States. This number had diminished greatly by the 1950s and continued to decline in the following two decades. In the recent past, spas in the U.S. emphasized dietary, exercise, or recreational programs more than traditional bathing activities. Up until recently,
2147-458: A public common, The Stray , which has remained public open space. The Enclosure Award facilitated development around the Stray. During the 19th century, the area between High Harrogate and Low Harrogate, which until then had remained separate communities a mile apart, was developed, and what is now the central area of Harrogate was built on high ground overlooking Low Harrogate. An area to the north of
2260-400: A time of decline for public bathing. People continued to seek out a few select hot and cold springs, believed to be holy wells, to cure various ailments. In an age of religious fervor, the benefits of the water were attributed to God or one of the saints. In 1326, Collin le Loup, an ironmaster from Liège , Belgium , discovered the chalybeate springs of Spa, Belgium . Around these springs,
2373-402: A vapor room, and relaxing in a cooling room. In addition, doctors ordered that patients be douched with hot or cold water and given curative diets. Authors began writing guidebooks to the health resorts of Europe explaining the medical benefits and social amenities, inspiring rich Europeans and Americans to travel to these resorts. Each European spa began offering similar cures while maintaining
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#17331157675252486-430: A warm shower. The bathers next entered a room of circulating, 140 °F (60 °C) hot air for 20 minutes, spent another ten minutes in a room with 150 °F (66 °C) temperature, partook of a 154 °F (68 °C) vapor bath, then showered and received a soap massage. After the massage, the bathers swam in a pool heated approximately to body temperature. After the swim, the bathers rested for 15 to 20 minutes in
2599-461: Is St Wilfrid, Duchy Road , which was designed by the architect Temple Lushington Moore and is often considered to be his masterpiece. In Station Parade stands the Jubilee Memorial , commemorating Queen Victoria 's 1887 golden jubilee. An imposing cenotaph is an important landmark in the centre of the town. Bettys are tea rooms established in 1919 owned by Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate –
2712-511: Is a concentration of chain restaurants on John Street and Albert Street. The conference and exhibition industry is the focus of the town's business, with Harrogate International Centre the third largest fully integrated conference and exhibition centre in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe. Harrogate draws numerous visitors because of its conference facilities. In 2016 such events alone attracted 300,000 visitors to Harrogate. The convention centre
2825-713: Is a small open area in central Harrogate surrounded by some of the town's main tourist attractions including the Royal Pump Room, Royal Baths, Royal Hall and the Harrogate Council Offices ; Hall M of the Harrogate International Centre fronts onto Crescent Gardens. The Royal Hall theatre, a Grade II listed building designed by Frank Matcham . As the only surviving Kursaal in Britain, the Royal Hall
2938-449: Is also home to Bombed Out records, an independent record label, who has signed groups such as Fig 4.0 . On 5 July 2014, Harrogate served as the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France . The event attracted record crowds to the town centre and was televised to a global audience. British cyclist Mark Cavendish was forced to drop out of the race, when he crashed a few metres from
3051-537: Is an important national heritage building. Restoration work was completed in 2007, and the hall was reopened on 22 January 2008, by the Prince of Wales . The Royal Pump Room , just off the gardens, houses Europe's strongest sulphur well, it is now a museum showcasing the town's spa history. The Valley Gardens , in Low Harrogate, is the town's main park and covers much of the area originally known as 'Bogs Field', where
3164-547: Is an international association for spas and body wrap centers around the world. The main concern of the ISBWA is the regulation of the industry and the welfare of the consumers . Member organisations are to adhere to the ISBWA code of ethics. The Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code ( USPSHTC ) is a model code developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials ( IAPMO ) to govern
3277-413: Is classified as warm and temperate. There is significant rainfall throughout the year in Harrogate. Even the driest month still has a lot of rainfall. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Cfb. The average annual temperature in Harrogate is 8.9 °C (48 °F). In a year, the average rainfall is 29 inches (742 mm). Harrogate has a strong and varied economy. The town's main shopping district
3390-545: Is focused on Cambridge Street, Oxford Street, Beulah Street and James Street where most of the high street shops can be found. There is a wide range of boutique and designer shopping on Parliament Street and in the Montpellier Quarter, as well as independent shopping around Commercial Street. Eating out is popular in Harrogate, and the town is well served by restaurants. Parliament Street and Cheltenham Parade are lined with many independent and chain restaurants, while there
3503-618: Is prosperous and has some of the highest property prices in England, with many properties in the town and surrounding villages valued at £ 1 million or more, it is generally considered the most expensive place to live in the North of England. Fulwith Mill Lane in Harrogate is the most expensive street in Yorkshire. Harrogate is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, with the Vale of York to
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3616-610: Is recognised as the North of England's leading arts festival; it incorporates a number of festivals within the portfolio including the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival & Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award , Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, Harrogate Music Festival and a number of year-round events. The town hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1982 in
3729-401: Is that the name means "the way to Harlow". The form Harlowgate is known from 1518, and apparently in the court rolls of Edward II . In medieval times Harrogate was a place on the boundary of the township of Bilton with Harrogate in the ancient parish of Knaresborough , and the parish of Pannal , also known as Beckwith with Rossett. The part within the township of Bilton developed into
3842-599: Is to be the home of Yorkshire Women cricket team . Until 1995, the town hosted one Yorkshire county game per year at St George's Road cricket ground. Since 2022, the ground has been sponsored by Kirbys Solicitors. In 2008, a fire destroyed the historic old pavilion at the ground, but it has since been re-built with a modern pavilion, bar, function room and changing rooms. Harrogate Cricket Club has 4 Saturday teams: Bilton Cricket Club, off Bilton Lane, provides opportunities for players of all ages to play in local league cricket; they beat Harrogate Cricket Club at St George's Road in
3955-551: The A1(M) by the A661 , while the A658 from Bradford forms a bypass around the south of the town. Harrogate had a population of 73,576 at the 2011 UK census ; the built-up area comprising Harrogate and nearby Knaresborough had a population of 89,060, while the figure for the much wider Borough of Harrogate , comprising Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, as well as a number of smaller settlements and
4068-651: The Crown Hotel was open by the mid-18th century, and possibly earlier. In accordance with the Forest of Knaresborough Inclosure Act 1770 ( 10 Geo. 3 . c. 94 ), promoted by the Duchy of Lancaster, the Royal Forest of Knaresborough was enclosed. The enclosure award of 1778 clarified ownership of land in the Harrogate area. Under the award, 200 acres (81 ha) of land, which included the springs known at that time, were reserved as
4181-575: The English Football League , which came via victory in the 2019–20 National League Play-offs. They have a historical rivalry with Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. , of the Northern Counties East Football League , located at Station View. Harrogate RUFC is a North Premier team and formerly based at The County Ground, on Claro Road, but relocated to Rudding Lane on the south side of the town. Harrogate Cricket Club
4294-615: The First World War . During the Second World War , Harrogate's large hotels accommodated government offices evacuated from London, paving the way for the town to become a commercial, conference, and exhibition centre. Former employers in the town were the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), the Milk Marketing Board and ICI who occupied offices and laboratories at Hornbeam Park where Crimplene
4407-589: The Harrogate International Centre . Harrogate won the 2003 and 2016 Britain in Bloom in the category of 'Large Town' and the European Entente Florale in 2004, reprising its win in the first Entente Florale in 1977. Harrogate was a gold medal winner of Europe in Bloom in 2004. In 2005, a Channel 4 TV show listed Harrogate as the UK's third best place to live; in 2006, it came fourth in
4520-470: The Municipal Borough of Harrogate was created, taking High Harrogate from the civil parish of Bilton with Harrogate and Low Harrogate from the civil parish of Pannal. The borough absorbed neighbouring areas in subsequent years, including the whole of the civil parishes of Bilton and Starbeck, and a large part of the civil parish of Pannal, including the village of Pannal, in 1938. The municipal borough
4633-510: The Roman Empire expanded, the concept of the public bath spread to all parts of the Mediterranean and into regions of Europe and North Africa. With the construction of the aqueducts , the Romans had enough water not only for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses, but also for leisurely pursuits. The aqueducts provided water that was later heated for use in the baths. Today, the extent of
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4746-594: The Trafford Park Line of the Metrolink system is located directly outside the resort site. This tourism-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Greater Manchester -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater ) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy . The belief in
4859-599: The West Riding of Yorkshire , the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters and RHS Harlow Carr gardens . 13 miles (21 km) away from the town centre is the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Nidderdale AONB . Harrogate grew out of two smaller settlements, High Harrogate and Low Harrogate, in the 17th century. For three consecutive years (2013–2015), polls voted
4972-525: The medieval era, illnesses caused by iron deficiency were treated by drinking chalybeate . In 1326, ironmaster Collin le Loup discovered the treatment. The water was sourced from a spring called Espa , the Walloon word for "fountain". In 16th-century England , the old Roman ideas of medicinal bathing were revived in towns like Bath (named for its Roman baths). In 1596, William Slingsby, who had been to Spa, Belgium (which he called Spaw ), discovered
5085-441: The 16th century, physicians at Karlsbad, Bohemia , prescribed mineral water to be taken internally as well as externally. Patients periodically bathed in warm water for up to 10 or 11 hours while drinking glasses of mineral water. The first bath session occurred in the morning, and the second in the afternoon. This treatment lasted several days until skin pustules formed and broke resulting in the draining of "poisons" considered to be
5198-447: The 1790s, New York spas were beginning to be frequented, most notably Ballston Spa . Nearby Saratoga Springs and Kinderhook were yet to be discovered. Colonial doctors gradually began to recommend hot springs for ailments. Benjamin Rush , American patriot and physician, praised the springs of Bristol, Pennsylvania, in 1773. Samuel Tenney in 1783 and Valentine Seaman in 1792 examined
5311-470: The 1820s had its own fountain and formal landscaping, but with only two small bathhouses. As the resort developed as a tourist destination, mineral bathhouses became auxiliary structures and not the central features of the resort, although the drinking of mineral water continued to be common. Although the purpose of the Saratoga and other New York spas were to provide access to mineral waters, their main attraction
5424-596: The Civil War. After the Civil War, spa vacations became very popular as returning soldiers bathed to heal wounds and the American economy allowed more leisure time. Saratoga Springs in New York became one of the main centers for this type of activity. Bathing in and drinking the warm, carbonated spring water only served as a prelude to the more interesting social activities of gambling, promenading, horse racing, and dancing. During
5537-737: The English Spa Fountain was published in 1626. In the 17th and 18th centuries further chalybeate springs were discovered in High Harrogate, and both chalybeate and sulphur springs were found in Low Harrogate. The two communities attracted many visitors. A number of inns were opened for visitors in High Harrogate in the 17th century (the Queen's Head , the Granby , the Dragon and the World's End ). In Low Harrogate,
5650-523: The EventCity building had been completely demolished, paving the way for construction to start. Due to rare orchid flowers on site, groundwork will not start until at least 2025. Upon completion, the resort will occupy 28 acres (11 ha). Over 25 pools , 35 waterslides and 30 saunas and steam rooms will make up what Therme Group dub an 'urban oasis' - along with the UK's first indoor all-season beach, with lapping waves. Barton Dock Road tram stop on
5763-601: The Great Yorkshire Showground and Pavilions of Harrogate, which are major conference destinations. The Great Yorkshire Showground is the hub of the regional agricultural industry, hosted by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. The Great Yorkshire Show , Countryside Live and the twice yearly Harrogate Flower Shows take place there annually. The many business visitors to Harrogate sustain a number of large hotels, some originally built for visitors to
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#17331157675255876-607: The Greek bathing practices. Romans surpassed the Greeks in the size and complexity of their baths, due to the larger size and population of Roman cities, the availability of running water following the building of aqueducts , and the invention of cement , which made building large edifices easier, safer, and cheaper. As in Greece, the Roman bath became a focal center for social and recreational activity. As
5989-809: The Roman bath is found at ruins and in archaeological excavations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The Romans also developed baths in their colonies, taking advantage of the natural hot springs occurring in Europe to construct baths at Aix and Vichy in France, Bath and Buxton in England, Aachen and Wiesbaden in Germany, Baden, Austria , and Aquincum in Hungary, among other locations. These baths became centers for recreational and social activities in Roman communities. Libraries, lecture halls, gymnasiums, and formal gardens became part of some bath complexes. In addition,
6102-893: The Romans reappeared in Europe by the end of the 18th century. Major American spas followed suit a century later. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the public baths often became places of licentious behavior, and such use was responsible for the spread rather than the cure of diseases. A general belief developed among the European populace was that frequent bathing promoted disease and sickness. Medieval church authorities encouraged this belief and made every effort to close down public baths. Ecclesiastical officials believed that public bathing created an environment open to immorality and disease. Roman Catholic Church officials even banned public bathing in an unsuccessful effort to halt syphilis epidemics from sweeping Europe. Overall, this period represented
6215-504: The Romans used the hot thermal waters to relieve their suffering from rheumatism , arthritis , and overindulgence in food and drink. The decline of the Roman Empire in the west, beginning in AD 337 after the death of Emperor Constantine , resulted in Roman legions abandoning their outlying provinces and leaving the baths to be taken over by the local population or destroyed. The Roman bathing ritual included undressing, bathing, sweating, receiving
6328-475: The Saratoga spa, treatments for heart and circulatory disorders, rheumatic conditions, nervous disorders, metabolic diseases, and skin diseases were developed. In 1910, the New York state government began purchasing the principal springs to protect them from exploitation. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was governor of New York, he pushed for a European type of spa development at Saratoga. The architects for
6441-592: The Spa. Harrogate is the home of Yorkshire Tea , exported by Taylors of Harrogate , as well as internationally exported Harrogate Spring Water . The town also exports Farrah's Toffee , Harrogate Blue cheese. The following companies are either headquartered or have significant bases in Harrogate. Two military installations are located to the west of Harrogate, the Army Foundation College and RAF Menwith Hill , an electronic monitoring station. There used to be
6554-467: The Valley Gardens and Royal Pump Room museum. In 1870, engineering inventor Samson Fox perfected the process of creating water gas , in the basement laboratory of Grove House . After constructing a trial plant at his home on Skipton Road, making it the first house in Yorkshire to have gas lighting and heating; he built a plant of suitable size to supply the whole town. When Parliament Street became
6667-580: The Victorian period, there was a racecourse for horses there. RHS Harlow Carr gardens , on the western edge of Harrogate, are award-winning themed gardens and are the Royal Horticultural Society 's main presence and representative in the North of England. The town has several smaller parks and gardens, including The Softpot Garden at Grove House, the Jubilee Gardens and Victoria Gardens on
6780-539: The ancient belief in the healing and purifying properties of water. Complex bathing rituals were also practiced in ancient Egypt, in prehistoric cities of the Indus Valley , and in Aegean civilizations . Typically, people did little construction around the water, and what was constructed was temporary. Some of the earliest descriptions of western bathing practices came from Greece. The Greeks began bathing regimens that formed
6893-709: The benefits of hot springs from Native Americans. Europeans stole the land on which many of the hot and cold springs were situated from various tribes, and altered them to suit European tastes. By the 1760s, British colonists were traveling to hot and cold springs in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia in search of water cures. Among the more frequently visited of these springs were Bath , Yellow , and Bristol Springs in Pennsylvania; and Warm Springs , Hot Springs , and White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia. In
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#17331157675257006-553: The community of High Harrogate, and the part within Pannal developed into the community of Low Harrogate. Both communities were within the Royal Forest of Knaresborough . In 1372 King Edward III granted the Royal Forest to his son John, Duke of Lancaster (also known as John of Gaunt), and the Duchy of Lancaster became the principal landowner in Harrogate. Harrogate's development is owed to
7119-425: The country's most developed steamboat lines meant that by the mid-1820s the spa became the country's most popular tourist destination, serving both the country's elite and the middle classes. Although spa activity had been central to Saratoga in the 1810s, by the 1820s the resort had hotels with great ballrooms, opera houses, stores, and clubhouses. The Union Hotel, first built in 1803, had its own esplanade, and by
7232-447: The curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to prehistoric times. Spa towns , spa resorts, and day spas are popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan . The term is derived from the town of Spa, Belgium , whose name in Roman times was Aquae Spadanae . The term is sometimes incorrectly attributed to the Latin word spargere , meaning to scatter, sprinkle, or moisten. During
7345-412: The cure spent hours drinking water from the springs. In Southeastern Europe, development of spa resorts took place mostly in the second half of the 19th century, such as the Slatina Spa in the Republic of Srpska, BiH, where the thermal and healing springs were discovered in the Roman times. Development of the spa resort in Slatina began in the 1870s, when the first modern spa facilities were built. By
7458-400: The developing town was reserved to the Duchy of Lancaster, and was developed for residential building. To provide entertainment for the increasing numbers of visitors the Georgian Theatre was built in 1788. Bath Hospital (later the Royal Bath Hospital) was built in 1826. The Royal Pump Room was built in 1842. The site of Tewit Well is marked by a dome on the Stray. Other wells can be found in
7571-446: The discovery of its chalybeate - and sulphur -rich spring water from the 16th century. The first mineral spring was discovered in 1571 by William Slingsby, who found that water from the Tewit Well in High Harrogate possessed similar properties to that from springs in the Belgian town of Spa , which gave its name to spa towns . The medicinal properties of the waters were publicised by Edmund Deane ; his book, Spadacrene Anglica, or
7684-470: The drinking function, such as simple fountains, pavilions, and elaborate Trinkhallen. Enormous bathhouses came later in the 19th century as a renewed preference for an elaborate bathing ritual to cure ills and improve health became popular. European architects looked back to Roman civilizations and emulated their architecture. Europeans copied the same formality, symmetry, division of rooms by function, and opulent interior design in their bathhouses. They emulated
7797-501: The early 21st century. It is likely a backronym as it does not match the known Roman name for the location. Spa therapies have existed since the classical times when taking bath with water was considered as a popular means to treat illnesses. The practice of travelling to hot or cold springs for medicinal purposes dates back to prehistoric times. Archaeological investigations near hot springs in France and Czech Republic revealed Bronze Age weapons and offerings. Many people around
7910-585: The early Middle Ages. Catholic religious orders of the Augustinians ' and Benedictines ' rules contained ritual purification . Benedictine monks played a role in the development and promotion of the spa, inspired by Benedict of Nursia 's encouragement for the practice of therapeutic bathing. Protestantism also played a prominent role in the development of the British spas. Public bathing and spas were common in medieval Christendom in larger towns and cities such as Paris , Regensburg, and Naples . Bathing procedures during this period varied greatly. In
8023-497: The east and the upland Yorkshire Dales to the west and north-west. It has a dry and mild climate, typical of places in the rain shadow of the Pennines . It is on the A59 from Skipton to York. At an altitude of between 100 and 200 metres (330 and 660 ft), Harrogate is higher than many English settlements. It has an average minimum temperature in January of slightly below 1 °C (34 °F) and an average maximum in July and August of 21 °C (70 °F). Harrogate's climate
8136-663: The eastern side of central Harrogate. On 11 January 1900, Harrogate Grand Opera House, now Harrogate Theatre, opened with a charity gala in aid of British soldiers fighting the Boer War in South Africa; this was followed, on 13 January 1900, by J Tully's pantomime Dick Whittington . In 1966, the Harrogate Festival of Arts & Science was established, now known as the Harrogate International Festivals , and
8249-403: The evening meal. This ended around 9 pm with the patients returning to their boardinghouses to sleep until 6 the next morning. This regimen continued for as long as a month and then the patients returned home until the next year. Other 19th-century European spa regimens followed similar schedules. At the beginning of the 20th century, European spas combined a strict diet and exercise regimen with
8362-552: The external and internal use of water as part of the curing process. In the 19th century, bathing became a more accepted practice as physicians realized some of the benefits that cleanliness could provide. A cholera epidemic in Liverpool, England in 1842 resulted in a sanitation renaissance, facilitated by the overlapping hydropathy and sanitation movements , and the implementation of a series of statutes known collectively as "The Baths and Wash-houses Acts 1846 to 1896". The result
8475-616: The fine roads. Full advantage has been taken of the natural beauty of the park, but no formal landscaping". Promotional literature advertised the attractions directly outside the spa: shopping, horse races, and historic sites associated with revolutionary war history. New York Governor Herbert Lehman opened the new facilities to the public in July 1935. Other leading spas in the U.S. during this period were French Lick, Indiana ; Hot Springs and White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Warm Springs, Georgia . French Lick specialized in treating obesity and constipation through
8588-501: The finish line and suffered a dislocated shoulder. The town has since been the focal point for finishing stages of the Tour de Yorkshire in 2017. Each event of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships finished in the town, although the entire historic county of Yorkshire was the official host. Harrogate Town AFC play at Wetherby Road Stadium . The club competes in League Two , the fourth tier of English football, following promotion to
8701-583: The foundation for modern spa procedures. Aegean people utilized small bathtubs, wash basins, and foot baths for personal cleanliness. The earliest such findings are the baths in the palace complex at Knossos , Crete , and the alabaster bathtubs excavated in Akrotiri , Santorini ; both date from the mid-2nd millennium BC. They established public baths and showers within their gymnasium complexes for relaxation and personal hygiene. Greek mythology specified that certain natural springs or tidal pools were blessed by
8814-399: The fountains and formal garden spaces in their resorts, and added new diversions. Tour books of the time mentioned the roomy, woodsy offerings in the vicinity and the faster-paced evening diversions. By the beginning of the 19th century, the European bathing regimen consisted of numerous accumulated traditions. The bathing routine included soaking in hot water, drinking the water, steaming in
8927-404: The gods to cure disease. Around these sacred pools, Greeks established bathing facilities for those desiring healing. Supplicants left offerings to the gods for healing at these sites and bathed themselves in hopes of a cure. The Spartans developed a primitive vapor bath. At Serangeum , an early Greek balneum (bathhouse, loosely translated), bathing chambers were cut into the hillside from which
9040-527: The hot springs issued. A series of niches cut into the rock above the chambers held bathers' clothing. One of the bathing chambers had a decorative mosaic floor depicting a driver and chariot pulled by four horses, a woman followed by two dogs, and a dolphin below. Thus, the early Greeks used the natural features, but expanded them and added their own amenities, such as decorations and shelves. During later Greek civilization, bathhouses were often built in conjunction with athletic fields. The Romans emulated many of
9153-400: The installation and inspection of plumbing systems associated with swimming pools, spas and hot tubs as a means of promoting the public's health, safety and welfare. Harrogate Harrogate ( / ˈ h ær ə ɡ ə t , - ɡ eɪ t , - ɡ ɪ t / HARR -ə-gət, -gayt, -ghit ) is a spa town in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in
9266-526: The last half of the 19th century, western entrepreneurs developed natural hot and cold springs into resorts — from the Mississippi River to the West Coast. Many of these spas offered individual tub baths, vapor baths, douche sprays, needle showers, and pool bathing to their guests. The various railroads that spanned the country promoted these resorts to encourage train travel. Hot Springs, Arkansas , became
9379-486: The mid-19th century, visitors to the European spas began to emphasise bathing in addition to drinking the waters. Besides fountains, pavilions, and Trinkhallen, bathhouses on the scale of the Roman baths were revived. Photographs of a 19th-century spa complex taken in the 1930s, detailing the earlier architecture, show heavy use of mosaic floors, marble walls, classical statuary, arched openings, domed ceilings, segmental arches, triangular pediments, Corinthian columns, and all
9492-607: The new complex spent two years studying the technical aspects of bathing in Europe. Completed in 1933, the development had three bathhouses — Lincoln, Washington, and Roosevelt — a drinking hall, the Hall of Springs, and a building housing the Simon Baruch Research Institute . Four additional buildings composed the recreation area and housed arcades and a swimming pool decorated with blue faience terra-cotta tile. Saratoga Spa State Park 's Neoclassical buildings were laid out in
9605-589: The other trappings of a Neoclassical revival. The buildings were usually separated by function — with the Trinkhalle , the bathhouse, the inhalatorium (for inhaling the vapors), and the Kurhaus or Conversationhaus as the center of social activity. Baden-Baden featured golf courses and tennis courts, "superb roads to motor over, and drives along quaint lanes where wild deer are as common as cows to us, and almost as unafraid". The European spa started with structures to house
9718-418: The patient to pay for transportation, accommodation, and meals. Most Germans are eligible for a Kur every two to six years, depending on the severity of their condition. Germans get paid their regular salary during this time away from their job, which is not taken out of their vacation days. Some European colonists brought with them knowledge of the hot water therapy for medicinal purposes, and others learned
9831-468: The previous general election. The town is governed by North Yorkshire Council . Its predecessor, Harrogate Borough Council , was replaced on 1 April 2023. It has had a Conservative majority since the 2010 election . The Borough of Harrogate is twinned with: The town has good commuter services for people who work in the City of Leeds , City of Bradford , York and North Yorkshire in general. Harrogate
9944-588: The proposed resort opening in 2023, with construction beginning in 2021 - however the COVID-19 pandemic saw this date pushed back by two years — with a 2025 opening date being confirmed in early 2022. This date has since been pushed back to 2027. Plans to demolish the EventCity site were submitted in September 2022, with the works initially expected to be completed in Spring 2023, ahead of the main construction. By January 2023,
10057-485: The public bathing industry in the U.S. remained stagnant. Nevertheless, in Europe, therapeutic baths have always been very popular, and remain so today. The same is true in Japan , where the traditional hot springs baths, known as onsen , attract visitors. Due to an increase in the popularity of the "wellness industry", such treatments are again becoming popular. The International Spa and Body Wrap Association ( ISBWA )
10170-493: The same company that markets Yorkshire Tea . Bettys has a second tea room at the RHS Harlow Carr Gardens. The Mercer Art Gallery is home to Harrogate district's art collection which consists of some 2,000 works of art, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection includes works by William Powell Frith , Atkinson Grimshaw , Sir Edward Burne-Jones , Dame Laura Knight and Alan Davie . Crescent Gardens
10283-450: The same league, where the programme claimed that it placed lower due to "a slight dip in exam results", although presenter Phil Spencer noted that it was his personal favourite. Harrogate has two orchestras: Harrogate Symphony Orchestra and Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra. The town is also home to an underground music scene that has produced heavy metal and punk rock groups including Workshed , Acid Reign and Blood Youth . It
10396-463: The source of the disease. This was followed by a series of shorter, hotter baths to wash the infection away and close the eruptions. In the English coastal town of Scarborough in 1626, Elizabeth Farrow discovered a stream of acidic water running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town. This was deemed to have beneficial health properties and gave birth to Scarborough Spa . Dr Wittie's book about
10509-410: The spa waters, published in 1660, attracted a flood of visitors to the town. Sea bathing was added to the cure, and Scarborough became Britain's first seaside resort. The first rolling bathing machines for bathers are recorded on the sands in 1735. In the 17th century, most upper-class Europeans washed their clothes with water and washed only their faces with linen, feeling that bathing the entire body
10622-521: The springs, with smaller structures surrounding it. The main building provided the guests with facilities for dining, dancing on the first floor, and sleeping rooms on the second. The outlying structures were individual guest cabins, and other auxiliary buildings formed a semicircle or U-shape around the large building. These resorts offered swimming, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding as well as facilities for bathing. The Virginia resorts, particularly White Sulphur Springs, proved popular before and after
10735-474: The town as "the happiest place to live" in Britain. Harrogate spa water contains iron , sulphur and common salt . The town became known as 'The English Spa' in the Georgian era , after its waters were discovered in the 16th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries its ' chalybeate ' waters (containing iron) were a popular health treatment, and the influx of wealthy but sickly visitors contributed significantly to
10848-454: The tradition survives to the present day. 'Taking a cure' ( Kur ) at a spa is generally largely covered by both public and private health care insurance. Usually, a doctor prescribes a stay of three weeks at a mineral spring or other natural setting where a patient's condition will be treated with healing spring waters and natural therapies. While insurance companies used to cover meals and accommodation, many now only pay for treatments and expect
10961-420: The warm "Sprudel" room pool. This shallow pool's bottom contained an 8-inch (200 mm) layer of sand through which naturally carbonated water bubbled up. This was followed by a series of gradually cooler showers and pools. After that, the attendants rubbed down the bathers with warm towels and then wrapped them in sheets and covered them with blankets to rest for 20 minutes. The rest of the treatment consisted of
11074-516: The water and that each patient should first do some prescribed exercises. This innovation increased the medicinal benefits obtained and gradually physical activity became part of the European bathing regimen. In 1797, in England, James Currie published The Effects of Water, Cold and Warm, as a Remedy in Fever and other Diseases .This book, along with numerous local pamphlets on composition of spa water, stimulated additional interest in water cures and advocated
11187-650: The water of Ballston Spa in New York and wrote of possible medicinal uses of the springs. Hotels were constructed to accommodate visitors to the various springs. Entrepreneurs operated establishments where the travellers could lodge, eat, and drink. After the American Revolution , the spa industry continued to gain popularity. The first truly popular spa was Saratoga Springs , which, by 1815, had two large, four-story, Greek revival hotels. It grew rapidly, and by 1821 it had at least five hundred rooms for accommodation. Its relative proximity to New York City and access to
11300-493: The wealth of the town. Harrogate railway station and Harrogate bus station in the town centre provide transport connections. Leeds Bradford Airport is 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Harrogate. The main roads through the town are the A61 , connecting Harrogate to Leeds and Ripon , and the A59 , connecting the town to York and Skipton . Harrogate is also connected to Wetherby and
11413-428: The wealthy dressed up in their finery and promenaded down the streets. Next came dinner, more promenading, and an evening of dancing or gambling. Similar activities occurred in health resorts throughout Europe. The spas became stages on which Europeans paraded with great pageantry. These resorts became infamous as places full of gossip and scandals. The various social and economic classes selected specific seasons during
11526-495: The world believed that bathing in a particular spring, well, or river resulted in physical and spiritual purification. Forms of ritual purification existed among the Arabs , Persians , Ottoman Turks , Native Americans , Babylonians , Egyptians , Greeks , and Romans . Today, ritual purification through water can be found in the religious ceremonies of Muslims , Jews , Christians , Buddhists , and Hindus . These ceremonies reflect
11639-485: The world's first route to be lit by water-gas, newspapers commented: "Samson Fox has captured the sunlight for Harrogate." After donating the town's first fire engine, and building the town's theatre, he was elected mayor for three successive years (1890–92), a record never equalled since. In 1893 Harrogate doctor George Oliver was the first to observe the effect of adrenaline on the circulation. Like many spa town all over Europe, Harrogate's popularity declined after
11752-409: The year's course, staying from one to several months, to vacation at each resort. One season aristocrats occupied the resorts; at other times, prosperous farmers or retired military men took the baths. The wealthy and the criminals that preyed on them moved from one spa to the next as the fashionable season for that resort changed. During the 18th century, a revival in the medical uses of spring water
11865-410: Was a complex social life and cultural cachet. However, the wider audience the resort garnered by the late 1820s began to waver, and in the mid-1830s, as a bid to revive itself, it turned to horse racing. By the mid-1850s hot and cold spring resorts existed in 20 states. Many of these resorts contained similar architectural features. Most health resorts had a large, two-story central building near or at
11978-411: Was a lower-class activity. The upper-class slowly began changing their attitudes toward bathing as a way to restore health later that century . The wealthy flocked to health resorts to drink and bathe in the waters. In 1702, Anne, Queen of Great Britain , travelled to Bath. A short time later , Beau Nash came to Bath, and along with financier Ralph Allen and architect John Wood , transformed Bath from
12091-559: Was abolished in 1974, when Harrogate was transferred from the West Riding to North Yorkshire and became part of the wider Borough of Harrogate. Harrogate then became an unparished area , with no local government of its own. The MP for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency is Tom Gordon , a Liberal Democrat . He was elected in 2024, ousting the Conservative who had won the seat at
12204-402: Was developed in 2020 to be used as a Nightingale Hospital . However, whilst it has been used in an NHS capacity, it has not treated any Coronavirus patients (as of late January 2021) because the conventional hospitals had not run out of capacity. It brings in over £150 million to the local economy every year and attracts in excess of 350,000 business visitors annually. The town is home to
12317-453: Was formed in 2009 to support the park. It works in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council to guide the park's development. The Stray is an area of open parkland in the centre of the town. It was created in 1778 to link most of Harrogate's springs in one protected area by an act of Parliament which fixed its area as 200 acres (81 ha ), and even now when part is removed, e.g. due to road widening, it must be replaced elsewhere. During
12430-410: Was increased facilities for bathing and washed clothes, and more people participating in these activities. In most instances, the formal architectural development of European spas took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. The architecture of Bath, England, developed along Georgian and Neoclassical lines, generally following Palladian structures. The most important architectural form that emerged
12543-469: Was invented in the 1950s and named after the nearby Crimple Valley and beck. In 2007, two metal detectorists found the Harrogate hoard , a 10th-century Viking treasure hoard , near Harrogate. The hoard contains almost 700 coins and other items from as far away as Afghanistan . The hoard was described by the British Museum as the most important find of its type in Britain for 150 years. In 1884
12656-463: Was promoted by Enlightened physicians across Europe. This revival changed the way of taking a spa treatment. For example, in Karlsbad the accepted method of drinking the mineral water required sending large barrels to individual boardinghouses where the patients drank physician-prescribed dosages in the solitude of their rooms. David Beecher in 1777 recommended that the patients come to the fountainhead for
12769-478: Was the "crescent" — a semi-elliptical street plan used in many areas of England. The spa architecture of Carlsbad , Marienbad , Franzensbad , and Baden-Baden was primarily Neoclassical, but the literature seems to indicate that large bathhouses were not constructed until well into the 19th century. The emphasis on drinking the waters rather than bathing in them led to the development of separate structures known as Trinkhallen (drinking halls) where those taking
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