Others in the Special Series:-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About this cache
I was originally going to call this cache "History of Harrogate"
and place it in the centre of Harrogate for those people outside
the area to read, however I came accross this hidden bus stop just
outside the small hamlet of Clapham Green with an unusual plaque in
side.. the full plaque reads...
OH WERT THOU IN THE CAULD BLAS D SHELTER THE
So here it is instead. For those wanting to take the bus from
here there are not many, only one service and buses start from
06:38 until 17:01 monday to Friday with a few buses in between. For
those interested count the number of bus visits per day.
IF YOU CANT SIGN THE LOG FOR ANY REASON LOG A DID NOT FIND
AND I WILL SEND YOU A CLUE
Good luck with the cache and for those who are still interested
since I wrote the history of Harrogate here it is:-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
History of Harrogate
Prior to the discovery of its naturally iron and sulphur rich
water, Harrogate was two minor villages (High Harrogate and Low
Harrogate) close to the historic town of Knaresborough. The first
mineral spring in Harrogate was discovered in 1571 by William
Slingsby, who found that water from the Tewitt Well possessed
similar properties to that from the springs of the Belgian town of
Spa, which gave its name to spa towns. The medicinal properties of
the waters were more widely publicised by one Edmund Deane, whose
book, Spadacrene Anglica, or the English Spa Fountain was published
in 1626. Harrogate developed considerable fame as a spa town,
especially following the enclosure of surrounding lands in1770,
when 200 acres were reserved as public commons, The Stray, which
has remained a popular spot for picnicking, kite-flying, outdoor
games and local football matches. To provide entertainment for
increasing numbers of visitors to the village he theatre ("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.
Today the site of the Tewitt Well is marked by a dome in The
Stray. Other wells can be found in Harrogate's Valley Gardens and
the Royal Pump Room museum.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Harrogate was
extremely popular among the English élite and was frequented by
nobility from around Europe. Its popularity declined after World
War I. During World War II, however, Harrogate's large hotels
accommodated government offices that had been evacuated from
London. This paved the way for the town's current function as a
commercial, conference, and exhibition centre.
Notable former employers in Harrogate were ICI, who occupied
offices and laboratories at Hornbeam Park, the Central Electricity
Generating Board, (CEGB), and the Milk Marketing Board. ICI's
Hornbeam Park laboratories at Hornbeam Park were the location of
the invention of Crimplene in the 1950s, named after the nearby
Crimple Valley and Beck.
The town hosted the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest In the
conference centre. Later, celebrity residents including Jason Lowe
moved there, further upping its opulent reputation.
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.
Like all large towns, Harrogate has many suburbs. These
include;
- Central Harrogate is bounded by 'The Stray' to the south and
west, and borders High Harrogate and Duchy to the east and north
respectively. It is a district centre for retail with the Victoria
Shopping Centre housing a number of major chains. Pedestrianised
Cambridge Street and Oxford Street are the main high streets in the
town, with Harrogate Theatre on Oxford Street. Parliament Street,
Montpellier and James Street offer designer shopping and some of
the upmarket department stores. An odeon cinema can be found on the
edge of central Harrogate, as can an Asda and Waitrose Supermarket.
Marks and Spencer have a large food hall in their department store
on Oxford Street. A number of bars and restaurants can be found on
Cheltenham Mount and John Street, while the Royal Baths and
Parliament Street are the centre of the town's nightlife. The
southern end of central Harrogate consists largely of detached
houses that have been converted to offices although Harrogate
Magistrates Court and Harrogate Central Library can be found on
Victoria Avenue. A bowling alley and some upmarket boutiques can be
found along the Stray in central southern Harrogate, including the
highly praised food emporium 'Weetons'.
- Oatlands, is a wealthy suburb in the south of Harrogate. The
suburb includes 2 schools, Oatlands Primary School and Oatlands
Infant School, and a set of allotments.
- Woodlands, is a large area of the town covering a part of the
south east of Harrogate. Neighbouring the districts of
Starbeck/Knareborough Road. It is home to Harrogate town football
club, Woodlands primary school, Morrisons and Sainsburys
supermarkets as well as the Woodlands pub.
- Bilton, is a very large area of Harrogate with many churches,
stores and schools situated in Bilton. One of the best areas for
schooling, Richard Taylor School, Woodfield and Bilton Grange. The
Poet's Corner is known for its 'poetic' names and expensive
housing. On the first May Bank Holiday each year the Bilton Gala
takes place. The first Gala was held in 1977 and the event raises
money for local groups and organisations within the local
community.
- Jennyfields, is a large, modern area of Harrogate, it has one
school, a primary school called Saltergate. The town's main public
swimming pool is located on the edge of Jennyfield, as is 'The
Academy' Health Club and Gym.
- Duchy, is an affluent area close to central Harrogate where
most of the houses are large detached homes or large detached homes
converted into apartments. There are several private schools in
this area, most notably Harrogate Ladies College. There is also a
golf club and open countryside for walks etc.
- Starbeck, is a large suburb to the east of Harrogate. There are
several shops along the local High Street, as well as a station
with trains to Harrogate onto Leeds, Knaresborough and York. A high
frequency bus service links Starbeck to Harrogate and
Knaresborough. A number of schools, churches, and convenience
stores are situated in Starbeck
- Pannal, is to the south of Harrogate, off the A61 road. It
retains much of its village character, although is considered a
suburb of Harrogate by the majority. A commuter station links it to
Harrogate onto York and Knaresborough, and Leeds.
- High Harrogate, is an inner suburb to the east of the town
centre. It is focussed on Westmoreland Street and the A59 road,
where a number of shops and cafes are located. Expensive terraced
houses line The Stray, which stops in High Harrogate. The 4*
Victorian Shannon Court Guest House is the only hotel in High
Harrogate.
- Low Harrogate, is an inner suburb to the west of the town
centre. It is traditionally the focus of most the tourist activity
in the town, with the Royal Pump Room, Mercer Art Gallery and
Valley Gardens.
- Harlow Hill, is a suburb to the west of the town, accessed by
Otley Road. It has a number of new developments, and an office
park. It is most well known for Harlow Carr Gardens. Harrogate Spa
bottling plant is also on Harlow Hill, as is a water treatment
centre.
- New Park, is a small area to the north of Harrogate, known for
its primary school. There are a number of terraced houses in this
area, as well as some light industrial and commercial
premises.
- Wheatlands, is a wealthy suburb to the south of The Stray. It
is exclusively residential, with the exception of 2 high-performing
schools, St. Aidan's and St. John Fisher.
- Knox joined to Bilton by a pedestrian bridge over Oak Beck.
Originally, a ford allowed road access via Bilton, however now,
road access is via the A61 road, oh and you will need three, seven,
nine and eight for this cache.
- Hornbeam Park is a small, recently developed area of Harrogate
accessed only by Hookstone Chase.It was originally developed as an
office park and retains many offices, but it is now also the focus
of Harrogate College (a campus of Leeds Metropolitan University, a
Canons health club, Travel Inn and restaurant, hospice and some
small warehouses. It is served by Hornbeam Park railway station to
Harrogate and Leeds.
The town is served by four railway stations: Harrogate (for town
centre), Hornbeam Park, Pannal (towards Leeds) and Starbeck on the
Harrogate Line to Knaresborough and York. Trains are operated by
Northern Rail, with one daily service to London Kings Cross
operated by National Express East Coast. Trains run every half hour
to Leeds and Knaresborough, and every hour onto York. There are
extra non-stop commuter services at peak times between Harrogate
and Leeds. The former railway lines to Ripon and Wetherby (see
Wetherby railway station) were dismantled in the 1960s. A
prospective railway company, First Harrogate Trains, proposed to
run trains from London King's Cross to Harrogate, but failed to get
approval in a process that ended in February 2009.
Buses are every 20 minutes between Harrogate and Ripon, and
Harrogate and Leeds (via Harewood, Moortown and Chapel Allerton) on
Harrogate and District route 36. The 770 route also runs to Leeds
via Wetherby, Boston Spa and Seacroft as well as other parts of
semi-rural Leeds. There are also services to Otley, Bradford,
Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge, and in April 2008 a new service
to York was commenced under the branding Yorkshire Connect
Harrogate is strongly connected to Leeds, in both rail and road
transport. This is also evident in the volume of high school
students coming from Leeds to Harrogate everyday. The strong
transport connection is very important for some of the Harrogate
schools, especially Rossett School. Road transport to Leeds is via
the A61 (north and central Leeds), A658 (north west Leeds/Leeds
Bradford International Airport) and A661 (for north east Leeds).
The A61 also continues northwards to Ripon, while the A658 connects
to Bradford after passing through north west Leeds. The A658 also
forms the Harrogate Bypass that skirts the South and East of the
town, joining the A59 linking York and the A1(M) to the east and
Skipton to the west with Harrogate.
The nearest airport is Leeds Bradford International Airport to
which there are bus services on route 767. Manchester Airport is
also accessible by train via Leeds City station.
I hope you have enjoyed the cache and history.