Harrogate
Harrogate Train Station I read a lot of Jane Austen during my scholarly quest to obtain an English Literature degree. In Jane Austen’s novels, Harrogate was where the refined would go to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and live at a slower pace. There were dances, social gatherings, and promenades down the wide streets. I idolized and dreamed of such a place – where life slowed down, and there were no cares in the world. So when I discovered that Harrogate was less than two hours by train from Grasscroft (where I was staying in the U.K.), I purchased my ticket (£26,10 round-trip – about $30 at the time of purchase) and headed out on a lovely Thursday morning. In 1858, Charles Dickens described Harrogate as “the queerest place with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper-reading, and table d’hôte [1] .” Harrogate found its draw in the “healthy” waters bubbling up from over 100 wells. There are sulfur wells [2] , magnesia wells [3] , and chal...
