Crowne Plaza Harrogate

About 10 miles from the Crowne Plaza Harrogate® hotel, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Park sits nestled in the Skell valley. You can stroll around the elegant Georgian water gardens, explore the well-preserved abbey ruins, and trek through the vast medieval deer park of Studley Royal. There’s a play area, a restaurant and a tea room.

Cycling enthusiasts can test their legs in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just west of Harrogate. Two cycling routes through the area, a northern and southern loop, measure 40 miles each and have some challenging climbs leading to breathtaking views. You can also ride all or part of the 2014 Tour de France’s Grand Depart route through the Yorkshire Dales, ending in Harrogate.

Harrogate and its surrounding market towns are surging in popularity thanks to their local produce and artisanal products. You can sample local delicacies then check out Harrogate’s boutiques and cafés, steps from the hotel – Bettys Tea Room is a favourite. Top nearby towns in North Yorkshire include Ripon, which has a gorgeous Gothic cathedral, and Knaresborough, whose market dates back to 1310.

Harrogate has two stunning gardens well worth a visit. Half a mile from the hotel is Valley Gardens, a Grade II listed English Heritage site with an Art Deco pavilion, playground, skate park and a bandstand with regular summer concerts. A mile-long path connects Valley Gardens to the RHS Garden Harlow Carr, where you can explore the meandering streamside garden, woodlands and wildflower meadows.

Harrogate was once a popular spa town where travellers would gather to drink and bathe in healing spring waters. Eight minutes’ walk from the hotel, the Royal Pump Museum, set in an 1842 spa building, describes the types of treatments that were in vogue at the time. You can pretend you’re a wealthy Victorian as you soak in the 1896 Turkish Baths, which have been thoroughly restored.

Distance to hotel: 0.5 MI/ 0.8 KM South East

Children's activities are not available