Yorkshire


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why">WHY?</h2>



<p>Young families and couples flock to Yorkshire, specifically Harrogate, to fill their boots with leafy parks, great schools, tempting house prices and a buzzy town centre that&#8217;s bursting with one-off shops, cafés and restaurants. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eat">EAT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Unknown-6.jpeg" alt="Betty's tea rooms Harrogate" class="wp-image-77500" /></figure>



<p>Make a beeline for <a href="https://www.bettys.co.uk/cafe-tea-rooms/our-locations/bettys-harrogate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bettys</a>, one of the most famous tea rooms in the UK and a town institution with cakes and pastries worth making the move for. <a href="https://www.coachandhorsesharrogate.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coach &amp; Horses</a> in the centre of town is the kind of gastropub everyone wishes were their local (think perfect fish pie and triple-cooked chips), while a table at <a href="https://www.thewestparkhotel.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The West Park Hotel</a> is <em>the</em> place for a spot of people-watching over lunch – a culinary celebration of seasonal and local produce. For fancy dining, fill your belly at Michelin-approved <a href="https://www.paradisewithfrj.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paradise Café</a> at Daleside Nurseries.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shop">SHOP</h2>



<p>Yorkshire&#8217;s shopping capital is buzzing with indies, particularly around Commercial Street, Cold Bath Road and Kings Road. Try on quality pre-worn fashion at <a href="https://www.eleganteravintage.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elegant Era Vintage</a>, browse the shiny shelves of elegant family-run <a href="https://www.ogdenharrogate.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ogden of Harrogate Jewellers</a> and wallow in literature galore behind the sky blue facade of <a href="https://imaginedthings.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Imagined Things Bookshop</a>. For art, glassware, ceramics and accessories pay a visit to <a href="https://www.ingerandrae.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Inger &amp; Rae</a> and don&#8217;t forget to drop by <a href="https://thecheeseboard.net" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cheeseboard</a> to sample dozens of delicious local cheeses.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-amp-wellbeing">HEALTH &amp; WELLBEING</h2>



<p>If you can’t find relaxation in a spa town famous for its healing waters since 1571, where can you? Top spots include the Victorian&nbsp;<a href="https://www.turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk/">Turkish Baths</a>&nbsp;with beautiful Moorish design and Islamic arches or state-of-the-art spa sensation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ruddingpark.co.uk/spa/">Rudding Park</a>with its rooftop garden and Aufguss sauna rituals. You may recognise fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford, recent winner of&nbsp;<em>The Apprentice</em>, if you sign up to her burgeoning, boutique&nbsp;<a href="https://northstudioharrogate.co.uk/welcome-to-north-studio/">North Studio</a>&nbsp;gym. More golf courses than you can shake a five iron at and tennis clubs, too, as well as booming racquet sports like pickleball and padel.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community">COMMUNITY</h2>



<p>This tight-knit, friendly town welcomes volunteers and strives to put the fun into fund-raising. From firework displays to a Winter Ball, check out the latest feel-good&nbsp;<a href="https://visitharrogate.co.uk/events/category/community-events">events</a>&nbsp;while Farmers’ Markets are held every second Thursday and an Artisan Market in Valley Gardens on the first Sunday of the month. The&nbsp;<a href="https://hadca.org.uk/">Harrogate &amp; District Community Action (HADCA)</a>charity supports local communities to make the district a great place to live and work. If you’ve time to spare, there are lots of ways to help from making tea to becoming an eco-warrior.&nbsp;<a href="https://harrogatecommunityradio.online/">Harrogate Community Radio</a>&nbsp;shares a harmonious spirit through music – if it sounds like something you’d be interested in, they’d love to hear from you…</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nearby-attractions">NEARBY ATTRACTIONS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-13-at-11.51.10.png" alt="Pudding Park spa harrogate" class="wp-image-77501" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pudding Park rooftop spa </figcaption></figure>



<p>Harrogate&#8217;s ringed by the magnificent Stray, 200-acres of open green space perfect for leisurly strolls, ball games and runs. <a href="https://www.ruddingpark.co.uk/spa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rudding Park Spa</a> is worth tracking down for the rooftop pool and amazing thermotherapy treatments, or head below ground to magical <a href="https://www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stump Cross Caverns</a>, a subterranean network of caves underneath the Yorkshire Dales. Drive to the stunning gardens at <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/beningbrough-hall-gallery-and-gardens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens</a> or the <a href="https://www.himalayangarden.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture">CULTURE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/gys23_traditional-cobs_003-scaled-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77503" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Great Yorkshire Show </figcaption></figure>



<p>The <a href="https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/leisure-tourism-and-culture/museums-and-galleries/museums-harrogate-area/mercer-art-gallery/exhibitions-mercer-art-gallery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mercer Art Gallery</a> houses more than 2,000 works of art which should keep art lovers happy for the foreseeable, while the <a href="https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/leisure-tourism-and-culture/museums-and-galleries/museums-harrogate-area/royal-pump-room-museum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Pump Room Museum</a> is a fascinating insight into crazy spa treatments through the ages (peat bath, anyone?). Harrogate&#8217;s also home to two excellent theatres, the <a href="http://www.bluesbar.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blues Café Bar</a>, which has live music most nights of the week (and 60 different gins, just saying). Not forgetting the three-day long <a href="https://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Great Yorkshire Show</a>, an annual highlight on the outskirts of town.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-average-house-price">AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE</h2>



<p>house prices have dropped by 7% in the last, so strike while the prices are hot. Average high prices are £377,319. Most sales are semi-detached properties going for an average £375,133, while terraced properties sell for around £286,635.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hot-property">HOT PROPERTY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/8552b53a-0a5c-4cd5-bcd0-3e31b0609329-0.jpg" alt="Harrogate double fronted detached house for sale Knight Frank" class="wp-image-96562" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An Edwardian detached double-fronted period home close to Harrogate town centre – <a href="https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/properties/residential/for-sale/warwick-crescent-harrogate-north-yorkshire-hg2/YRK012445629" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on the market with Knight Frank for £1.7m</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nurseries">NURSERIES</h2>



<p>Ofsted outstanding nurseries are sprinkled across this family-friendly town, though there&#8217;s high demand for the best such as <a href="https://acornsplaygroup.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Acorns Playgroup</a>, <a href="https://justchildcare.co.uk/tinyteapots-harrogate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tiny Teapots Private Day Nursery</a> and the exceptionally idyllic<a href="https://riggfarmmontessori.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Rigg Farm Montessori</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schools">SCHOOLS</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.ashville.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ashville College</a> is the top day and boarding school for kids aged 2-18 on a 64-acre site in town, while <a href="https://www.hlc.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harrogate Ladies College</a> has a great reputation if you&#8217;re looking for a great girls&#8217; school. The co-ed <a href="https://www.harrogategrammar.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harrogate Grammar School</a>, which takes pupils aged 11-18, and <a href="https://www.sjfchs.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St John Fisher Catholic Academy</a>, a large co-ed for 11-18 year olds, should both be on your radar while <a href="https://www.staidans.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St Aidan&#8217;s Church of England High School</a> is in the top 100 non-selective secondary schools in the country. <a href="https://www.westernps.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western Primary School</a> is an excellent state primary to move near. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-kept-secret">BEST KEPT SECRET</h2>



<p>Harrogate&#8217;s <a href="https://www.turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Victorian Turkish Baths</a> are fully restored and a wonderful place to relax, rejuvenate and soak in the town&#8217;s healing waters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-commute">COMMUTE</h2>



<p>Hop on a train at Harrogate and you can be in Leeds in just over 30 mins, reach York in 40 mins and London Kings Cross in a little over three hours. Leeds Bradford Airport&#8217;s handy for trips to Europe.</p>



<p><em>View the full&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/">Top 300 Best Places to Live</a></em></p>


Harrogate

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