Historic Buildings

Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden

Garden Attractions

Ripon

Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden

Surrounded by beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, this World Heritage Site has a lot to offer for a thoroughly enjoyable day out. The magnificent ruins of the once prosperous Fountains Abbey, the largest monastic ruins in the country, sit alongside a Georgian water garden that is sure to delight your senses. This breath-taking landscape is also home to a manor house known as Fountains Hall, Studley Royal medieval deer park, a beautiful Victorian church and Cistercian...

Garden Attractions

Boroughbridge

Beningbrough - National Trust

The National Trust cared for Beningbrough, on the outskirts of Harrogate, with its eight acres of gardens, historic rooms...

Attractions

Knaresborough

Knaresborough Castle & Museum

A stronghold of medieval kings, Knaresborough Castle is beautifully set, overlooking the River Nidd. Explore Knaresborough Castle independently and...

Attractions

Ripon

Ripon Cathedral

Ripon Cathedral is a medieval marvel boasting a fascinating history all the way back to the 7th century. Serving...

Find the echoes of the past around Harrogate and discover how this part of Yorkshire played its part in shaping the modern world we live in today

Historically it was Ripon and Knaresborough that were the key seats of power. The buildings around which this power was focused are still there, standing proud, to be explored today.

There are more than grand cathedrals and abbeys. As the feudal and then monastic power faded, and industrialists began to make their mark on the world, stately homes with immense grounds and grand formal gardens became the prominent buildings that demonstrated power and wealth.

Harewood House in the evening sun content

The Backdrop to the Modern World

Make the history of Yorkshire the backdrop to your holiday. When you visit Harrogate and the surrounding towns and landscape, you can trace this journey from Roman ruins to dark crypts.

See how the medieval fortresses played their part in civil war England and visit stately homes that became stately prisons for the ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots.

Behind every historic wall and turret, in the marks on the walls and the hidden priest holes is the story of religious and political upheaval, and the people caught between the warring sides in great conflicts.

Accessible for Children

The days of stuffy stately homes and look, do not touch are behind us and the historic houses around Harrogate have embraced play in much of what they do.

Interactive displays will both entertain and educate, and outdoor play areas will give them a wide open space where they can burn off energy and run through trees and woodland in the grounds.

No need to be a History Buff.

You do not need to know the history or the story to enjoy the historic buildings around the Harrogate area; in fact you may get more enjoyment from your visit if you don’t.

Let the story unfold as you discover the heroes and villains, the tragedy and the triumph that is soaked into the walks, the grounds and the atmosphere of the castles, houses, abbeys churches and cathedrals across the heart of Yorkshire.