Harrogate BID has teamed up with The Stray Ferret and Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam to create two fascinating history tours of the town centre.
As well as devising the routes and penning the script, Malcolm has voiced both walks, which are accessed via the news platform’s website.
Harrogate’s fame as a spa town boomed in the 19th Century, and The Golden Age of the Victorian Spa Walk tells the story of how it all began. Starting at Crescent Gardens, Malcolm leads participants around some of the town’s most impressive landmarks, including hotels, the Valley Gardens, and former grand treatment rooms.
The Heart of Harrogate Town Walk starts in Montpellier Gardens and Malcolm explains how the town centre, once open countryside, changed forever with an increase in visitor numbers and the arrival of the railways, paving the way for its commercial development.
Each walk takes about an hour to complete.
Harrogate Chair, Sara Ferguson, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring these two brilliant walks created by Malcolm Neesam, which brings the history of our town centre to life. And importantly for us, they take those on the tour to different parts of the town, where in addition to learning about Harrogate’s past, they will see Harrogate’s ‘now’ and the fabulous shops, bars attractions that make the town a superb destination to shop, eat and drink.
“It also fits nicely with the window graphics we are installing in empty shop units, where we feature well-known people who have a connection with Harrogate. Both these initiatives are designed to bring people into Harrogate and to instil a sense of pride in our wonderful town.”