Harrogate History - Books

This is a brief guide to books about the history of Harrogate, followed by an indication of where you can find them. Some of them are no longer in print but can be obtained in libraries or second hand.

Modern Works

The best introductions to the town's history are by local historian, Malcolm Neesam.

History and Guide: Harrogate

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Tempus (now the History Press) 2001

As its subtitle says, this book is a history of this spa town from earliest times to the present. It also contains some suggested walking tours of the town.

Exclusively Harrogate

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Smith Settle, 1989

This too brings the story up to modern times.

The archive photographs: Harrogate

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Chalford Publishing, 1995

Both of the previous two books are well illustrated in addition to the text, but Malcolm has also published a collection of photographs in this and the following three books.

Harrogate Advertiser : Byegone Harrogate

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Breedon Books (1999)

Harrogate in 50 Buildings

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Amberley, 2018

A-Z of Harrogate: Places-People-History

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Amberley, 2019

Then & Now: Harrogate

David J. Jenkinson

Published by

Tempus, 1998

This and the next book are also collections of photographs with accompanying text.

Britain in Old Photographs: Around Harrogate

Catherine Rothwell

Published by

Sutton, 1997

This book additionally covers Knaresborough and Ripon and other local places of interest.

For more detail and analysis the following books are of interest :

A History of Harrogate and Knaresborough

Bernard Jennings (editor)

Published by

Advertiser Press, 1970

This book comprises the researches of two university tutorial classes.

Harrogate Great Chronicle 1332-1841

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Carnegie Publishing, 2005

This book has much more detail, is beautifully illustrated and has an accompanying CD-ROM of documents. It takes the story from the earliest references to the creation of a new local government body, the Improvement Commission.

Wells & Swells

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Carnegie Publishing, 2022

Wells & Swells: the Golden Age of Harrogate Spa 1842-1923 published by Carnegie 2022 at £80 for two volumes. These beautifully produced volumes with 900 illustrations take Harrogate's story from the beginning of the period of the Improvement Commissioners down to the years immediately after the First World War and the unveiling of the Cenotaph to those who were killed in the conflict. These years are seen as the town's Golden Age when it became an internationally renowned spa.

History of Harrogate under the Improvement Commissioners 1841-1884

H. H. Walker

Published by

Manor Place Press, 1986

The years from creation of the Improvement Commission until the establishment of the Harrogate Corporation in 1884 are covered in rather daunting detail in this book, which was edited and prepared for publication by Malcolm Neesam.

Working-Class Lives in Edwardian Harrogate

Paul Jennings

Published by

Carnegie 2021

A detailed but readable and illustrated look at Harrogate men and women who did the essential work to support the town. Includes servants, laundry workers, charwomen, shop assistants, hotel workers, builders, railwaymen and entertainers. Their working lives but also neighbourhoods and homes, family life, schooldays, leisure pursuits and religion.

An Atlas of Harrogate

J. A. Patmore

Published by

The Corporation of Harrogate, 1963

This offers a geographer's perspective on the town's history.

Some of Harrogate's neighbourhoods have received the attention of authors and there are also a range of works on specific subjects :

A Pictorial History of New Park Harrogate

Terry Williams

Published by

Countryside Publications, 1984

The Spirit of Starbeck

S. G. Abbott

Published by

Landmark Publishing, 2003

A Village Called Starbeck

Gordon Beer

Self Published

1983

More About a Village Called Starbeck

Gordon Beer

Self Published

1998

Kursaal: A History of Harrogate's Royal Hall

John Earl, Malcolm Neesam (authors of contributions). Stuart Quinn (editor)

Published by

Harrogate International Centre,2008

As an example of specific historical subjects, this book was published following the restoration of the Royal Hall in 2008.

Music Over the Waters

Malcolm Neesam

Published by

Manor Place Press and the Harrogate International Festival, 2017

This book covers the musical history of Harrogate in detail.

A Souvenir Guide to the Valley Gardens

Jane Blayney, Anne Smith

Published by

VIDAR Media Group 2019

A Guide to the Trees of Valley Gardens

Jane Blayney, Simon Hill

Published by

VIDAR Media Group 2022

Older Works

Two books are worth looking at in particular :

Spas of England and Principal Sea-Bathing Places, volume 1, the North

A. B. Granville

First published 1841 and then Adams & Dart 1971

This is a lively account of the author's visit to the town.

The History and Topography of Harrogate and the Forest of Knaresborough

William Grainge

First published 1871 and reprinted by M. T. D. Rigg Publications in 1988

Much of this is concerned with Harrogate in addition to the other places in the Forest which stretched from east of the town, to the River Wharfe to the south, and to the west the River Washburn and Blubberhouses Moor.

Where to Find The books:

Harrogate Library

The Library has a collection of local books which may be borrowed and a much larger reference collection, which includes works on the town’s waters and other examples of the accounts of visitors to the town. There are also histories of many other aspects of the town, including music, sport, transport, schools and churches.

Leeds Central Reference Library also has many books on Yorkshire, including on Harrogate.

Bookshops

Several bookshops and stationers in Harrogate stock local books:

Imagined Things at the bottom of Montpellier Hill.

Waterstone’s on James Street.

The RHS bookshop at Harlow Carr.

W.H. Smith in the Victoria Shopping Centre on Cambridge Street.

Jespers on Oxford Street.

There are also some at:

The Tourist Information Centre in the former Royal Baths building.

The Pump Room Museum on Royal Parade.

In addition, there are two excellent second-hand bookshops which have local works:

Books [For All] at 23A Commercial Street and

Oxfam Books Harrogate on Oxford Street.