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a little more about Harrogate
 Harrogate's name derives from Har-low-Gata meaning Grey-Hill-Road. Impressively local history is recorded as far back as 4500BC with evidence of Pennine settlers. More recently the Romans established the town of Isurium (Aldborough) in the mid 2nd centrury. A complement of farming hamlets cohabited in the local area, eventually unifying as Harrogate in the 16th century.
Spa waters with medicinal qualities were discovered in 1571 at the Tewit Well in High Harrogate, subsequently other springs were unearthed and soon attracting eager visitors. No sooner had these been established then sulphurous springs with improved medicinal properties were discovered in Low Harrogate, their popularity soon besting those of their local neighbours.
Following the 1841 Harrogate Improvement Act, and the arrival of the railway (c1850), the town grew rapidly. A new central station was built in 1862 which led to the development of the present town centre, linking the older settlements of High and Low Harrogate. Its heyday as a spa came in the years before 1914, when European royalty visited frequently.
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