Excellence in interior design is today very much synonymous with contemporary Harrogate, and the stylish homes which adorn its leafy streets and border The Stray. This association with interior fashion and style is however nothing new, and in particular to the people of Harrogate bathroom design has always been of particular importance due to the town’s unique association with baths.
The story of Harrogate’s connection with bathing began back in 1571, when a gentleman named William Slingsby discovered a spring having stopped in the Forest of Knaresborough to refresh himself, and he then noted that the taste of the mineral waters reminded him of spa water on the continent. Soon people travelled from far and wide to drink the waters of Harrogate or bathe in the heated spring water in wooden bathtubs.
Over the following three hundred years, Harrogate grew as a Spa town to become a leading destination for the rich with a reputation stretching across Europe. The Royal Baths which offered a wide range of hydrotherapy treatments were built between 1894 and 1897 by Baggerley Bristow, and in the many new luxurious hotels of Harrogate bathroom design along with the fashionable styling of the other interiors were key in keeping Harrogate at the forefront as a Spa town destination. This meant Harrogate was often visited by the famous and wealthy, indeed in the 1911 season visits to Harrogate from royalty included from the royal families of Russia, Prussia, Portugal, and Greece. In the years that followed however there was a gradual decline, and in 1969 the last of the town’s baths closed.
Today, that 400 years of heritage in baths and bathing is proudly carried forward by those involved in the Harrogate bathroom design industry, and is often in the minds of the entire team at Harrogate Bathrooms on Leeds Road.