Curious About Harrogate - Valley Gardens

Have fun (re-)discovering Harrogate, spotting things you’ve never noticed before, with two quirky, treasure-hunt style heritage walks.

Curious About Harrogate is a fun and affordable way to get some fresh air, visiting not just the obvious places, but some unusual ones too, with hidden treasures to discover. Completing the treasure hunt keeps everyone actively engaged, urging you to look up, down and every which-way – so you won’t miss out on any of the town’s treasures. You’ll learn all about the diverse culture, significant people and extraordinary events which have influenced Harrogate in becoming what it is today – at a pace which suits you!

The walk is a fun and social activity for all the family and friends. Different people can take on different roles – follow the map, identify picture clues, read directions, etc – it’s ideal for children from the age of 6.

1. Valley Gardens to The Royal Pump Room – 1.5 miles / 2.4 kms
Start with a promenade through Valley Gardens, home to wells, springs, a sun pavilion and its colonnades, and beautiful gardens. Pass the Old Swan Hotel and Royal Hall, with strange stories to tell. Visit the town centre, with Victoria Gardens as its oasis. Walk beside Bettys’ famous tea rooms, then Turkish baths and an unusual statue, before arriving at the Royal Pump Room, now a glorious museum to Harrogate’s past.
2. The Royal Pump Room to The Stray – 1 mile / 1.6 kms
From the Royal Pump Room, and its majestic museum, past the historic Crown Hotel, you soon reach one end of The Stray, with its criss-crossing of paths. Next, it’s Victoria Avenue, a broad thoroughfare which once embraced the divide between High and Low Harrogate, before returning once more to The Stray and its glorious views of open countryside.

Enter code: List20 at checkout for 20% off all Curious About Walks. Other local Curious About walks are Curious About Leeds, Curious About Ripon and Curious About York (2 options for walks here).

Have fun and stay Curious!