Making the Past Present

Time for a very belated update of this blog! This is an abridged description of my travels around Yorkshire over the Christmas holidays, as I explored the area around York.

The first place I visited was Leeds (it was also the last place I visited during the holidays, as I made a return trip last weekend), which is the largest city in the area and a short (25-30 minute) train ride from York.

Leeds is an old commercial and industrial city that has reinvented itself as a growing financial center and hub for private sector jobs in England. Leeds’ history is evident in its cityscape: in addition to its more modern former industrial buildings, it has a wonderful collection of 19th and early 20th-century buildings, built as part of Leeds’ rapid growth during the Industrial Revolution. 

These historic buildings include the Victorian Town Hall, the city museum, various commercial buildings, and several shopping arcades, all in the city center. 

Shopping arcades are basically the Victorian version of a mall. Usually, they are composed of a series of covered passageways, with entrances to shops off them, allowing people to shop while staying protected from the elements. Shopping arcades can at times be quite elaborate in architecture and decoration, creating a luxury shopping experience for the Victorian (or modern) person.

One of the most interesting buildings in Leeds (to me, at least) is the former Corn Exchange. Built in the 19th century, it operated until the mid-20th century, providing a place where grain was inspected and sold to merchants. Today, the building has been renovated and transformed into a small shopping center, but it still retains many of its original architectural features. Even if you don’t like shopping, it is definitely worth a visit just for the architecture, if you are ever in Leeds.

After my most recent trip to Leeds, I decided that I enjoy popping over to Leeds for the day, because it has the big city atmosphere that York, while lovely, does not. It seems that living in Atlanta has rubbed off on me, and I do miss living in a large city from time to time!

My second adventure in Yorkshire took me not to the city, but out into the countryside – relatively speaking – to visit the towns of Knaresborough and Harrogate. The two towns are only a few miles apart from each other, located west of York on the way to the Yorkshire Dales. My first stop was Knaresborough, which is on the River Nidd and is known for the amazing views from Knaresborough Castle, which sits high on the bluffs above the river. From the railway station, I walked down a very steep path to the river. As I walked along the river, I could look up – way, way up – to Knaresborough Castle, the upper portion of the town, and the famous Knaresborough railway viaduct bridge, which stretches across the Nidd.

Eventually, I saw a path marked “to castle” and headed up – way, way up. It was very steep, with a lot of old, uneven stone steps. Confession: I nearly had an attack of vertigo on the way up, but persevered. Once I reached the castle, which is really just a ruined tower, the view was very much worth the exertions of the climb. It was absolutely amazing! The only thing detracting from it was the chilly wind blowing that day. I would love to come back to Knaresborough in the spring or summer, when the flowers are blooming and, hopefully, it’s a bit warmer. I would imagine that the view would be even more beautiful then.

After leaving Knaresborough Castle, I walked back to the railway station and boarded a train to my next stop: Harrogate. Just a few minutes away from Knaresborough by train, Harrogate is a former spa town. Essentially, it is the Yorkshire version of Bath. Especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, wealthy people from the United Kingdom and continental Europe would come to Harrogate in order to take the water and have their ailments cured.

Although the spa trade largely died out after the Second World War, Harrogate is definitely still worth a visit for its architecture, cafes, and shopping. (I didn’t personally partake of the shopping, but noticed that they have some very nice shops in town.) Most of the buildings in Harrogate’s city center are built from the same kind of stone, giving them a relatively uniform appearance – a refined appearance, befitting the high-class tourists who came to 19th- and early 20th-century Harrogate. During its heyday as a spa town, Harrogate obviously cultivated a bit of a Continental atmosphere in order to attract wealthy tourists from the Continent. Perhaps accordingly, part of town is known as the “Montpellier Quarter” (like Montpellier, France).

The highlight of the Montpellier Quarter for me was the original Bettys Café Tea Rooms. Bettys (no apostrophe) is a Yorkshire institution. Each café has very classy decor, very good food, excellent cake, and a long line to get in! The original Bettys opened in Harrogate in 1919, founded by a Swiss immigrant to Yorkshire. In honor of its Swiss-Yorkshire heritage, the menu at Bettys today is a mixture of Swiss and Yorkshire classics. My personal favorite is the rösti, a traditional Swiss potato dish, which at Bettys is served with Yorkshire-inspired toppings, such as bacon and cheese, or cranberry, chicken, and bacon. Suffice to say, the Bettys in York is my favorite place to celebrate a special occasion!

After these travels in Yorkshire, I feel like I’ve seen much more of the area around York, although I’ll have to wait until spring for the next two places on my list: the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.