Harrogate is Posh

A gorgeous town with a lovely doggie.

When Jordan and I were on our way to Harrogate, we made a short pit stop for lunch after 11 hours of being on a bus. Our waiter, curious about our journey, asked what brought us to the area, and when we mentioned we were headed for Harrogate, he said “Oh, it’s posh there.” Jordan and I, deprived of sleep, decided that that was the joke for the rest of the day.

After a long 15 hours of travel, we finally made it. We were staying at Dan’s flat to look after his dog, Elsie. Adding to our joke, Dan’s kitchen had a door that said, “Of course I’m posh, I live in Harrogate,” which we found hilarious. Apparently, the door was already there when he bought the place a few weeks back, but it felt like Dan was in on the joke.

We went out for dinner that night at a Weatherspoon’s, a popular chain in the UK known for its cheap beer. This particular Weatherspoon’s was inside part of the old Victorian bath houses of Harrogate, the Winter Gardens. We enjoyed a nice meal and a pint of beer, for under £10 each, which in the UK is very hard to come by!

The next day Dan left at 4am (Jordan and I were not awake to see him off), and we had an easygoing morning of planning our meals for the week before heading to the grocery store. I had some fun recipes in mind, a southwest inspired butternut squash and black bean skillet, a zucchini and tomato pasta, a baked feta spaghetti squash, a potjie (a South African dish), and a shepherds pie.

Most of our time in Harrogate was spent walking through the town and its parks with Elsie. Harrogate is a stunning town, and exploring it with such a sweet dog as a tour guide was a delight. Jordan and I have agreed that this is, by far, the best dog that we’ve cared for in all of our dogsits. She’s a lovely nine-year-old black labrador with the sweetest, most laid-back personality. She was perfectly content cuddling all day, until a ball came into question then she would shift into high-gear and spring laps around the park to show off her ball to anyone who would look.

Halfway through our stay in Harrogate, we met up with Josh, an online friend of Jordan’s, for dinner. They have known each other for about ten years, when they would play games across continents (Josh lived in South Africa). This was their first time ever meeting in person, so I think they thoroughly enjoyed chatting over dinner. Josh lives in York, a city 30 minutes away by train, but works in Harrogate so we met him after work. Once they had caught up, Jordan and I headed back home.

A few days later, after exploring some local walks and gardens of Harrogate, we made our way over to York and met up with Josh yet again where he gave us a tour of York! One highlight was the York Minster, where he got us in for free thanks to his resident’s card. The Minster was breathtaking, with very high ceilings that you were constantly straining your neck to admire the beauty. We learned that York Minster and the city itself once stood on the grounds of an ancient Roman town and barracks, with Roman walls still surrounding the city. York was a vital part of the Roman Empire in Britain, and the Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe—larger even than Westminster Abbey!

After the minster, we headed to the Shambles Street and Market to find some food to eat, when we stumbled upon a food and drink festival in the main square. Here we perused all of the different stalls (and got a few snacks) before heading to Josh’s favorite place for loaded fries in the Shambles Market. For dessert, I had a coconut macron from the festival, and Jordan got a cheesecake from a shop on Shambles Street. After food, Josh headed back home, so Jordan and I strolled along the aforementioned Roman walls before catching the train back to Harrogate.

The following day, we visited the Royal Horticultural Society’s gardens in Harrogate! Famously, I love plants and these gardens did not disappoint. Despite the chilly weather, there was so much color, and the gardens were beautifully maintained. We spent about an hour wandering through the vibrant displays before heading back to relax and get some work done.

On our last full day in Harrogate, we treated ourselves to a visit to the Turkish Baths, a restored Victorian spa that features a steam room, three levels of saunas, and a cold plunge. Harrogate is home to one of seven of the original Turkish baths in the UK, and the only one that has been restored to its former glory. The baths and their waters were once used to treat various ailments, they now focus on relaxation through heat rooms and spa treatments

Jordan and I did not spring for any of the massages, but we did take our time enjoying the saunas, cold plunge and steam rooms. The elaborate design—Islamic arches, painted arabesque ceilings, and terrazzo floors—was just as enjoyable as the experience itself.

After we had thoroughly relaxed, we headed back to clean and pack up the apartment as Dan was coming back that evening. He kindly offered to take us out for dinner and drinks at Weatherspoon’s again, where we had a great time chatting over two rounds of drinks.

It was very hard to say goodbye to Elsie and Harrogate, both of which we had grown quite fond of during our stay. But eventually, we made our way to the train station, headed for our next stop: Shrewsbury, where we would stay with my great aunt and uncle for a few days.

xx abby