North Yorkshire is the perfect place to take a mini-break and winter is a time when this area really comes into its own.
With cosy luxury accommodation, festive events, and feel-good food, Harrogate is a great stay for a girlie retreat, a family jaunt or a romantic weekend.
To give you inspiration when booking your next trip here, we’ve noted down some ideas to make your getaway even more special…
Pick the perfect accommodation
When it comes to choosing where to stay, the 5-star accommodation near Harrogate offers many different options.
Harrogate town centre itself is home to many wonderful places to check-in, or you can venture a little further out of town, giving you access to stunning scenery and idyllic vistas of the Yorkshire Dales.
You can pick from lovely big hotels with spas, small & quirky B&Bs with character, or choose to stay in an exclusive private hire venue if you are travelling with a larger group. Here at Grassfield Hall, we offer both B&B weekday stays, as well as full venue hire over weekends for up to 16 people, so you can select what suits you best.
Eat, drink and be merry
Winter food is all about comfort and warmth, and when you visit Harrogate, you can be sure that your tastebuds are in for a real treat!
In town, you will find a host of restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines, and the most wonderful thing is that the majority of them are independent. FISK is great for sustainably sourced seafood with Asian inspiration, while William & Victoria is Harrogate’s longest-running wine bar and perfect for a cosy meal with friends. There are lots of quaint little pubs to pop into including The Montpellier, The Old Bell Tavern, and The Fat Badger, and no visit to Harrogate would be complete without a Fat Rascal from Betty’s Tea Rooms!
Further out into the Dales, our favourite local country eats are Olleys Italian in Pateley Bridge, The Sportsman’s Arms at Wath and Grassington House in Grassington.
Walking and cycling
When you’ve indulged in the best food and drink, you might fancy a little hike or a cycle to burn some of it off!
Luckily, you are spoilt with great walks and cycle routes in Harrogate and its surrounding areas. In fact, Harrogate is a melting pot for keen cyclists, who flock here to spend the day cycling around Pateley Bridge, Nidderdale, and Brimham Rocks, before popping into one of the cycling cafés in town when they are finished.
The Nidderdale Way is also a very popular hike for many of our guests here at Grassfield Hall, and a great achievement to complete. The 53-mile roundtrip is usually spread over four days and offers incredible scenery and a great chance to explore the delightful villages of Middlesmoor and Ripley too.
Check out the festive events
This year, Harrogate is putting on a real festive show. Already, kids (and big kids) are enjoying the carousel, helter-skelter, and Ferris wheel that are dotted around the town. And, this Friday, the Christmas Fayre arrives in town with over 50 festive traders and independent foodie stalls.
There will also be a festive market in the gorgeous Valley Garden from 4th-5th December, and a free festive train will be travelling around the town until the 12th December to ensure you don’t miss a thing!
Out of town, you can see a stunning display of Christmas illuminations at the Enchanted Forest at Stockeld Park or visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal for a winter walk followed by a big mug of hot chocolate!
We hope we’ve tempted you enough to book a last-minute winter break to Harrogate or the surrounding areas! And, if you want to find out our availability for B&Bs or venue private hire over the next few weeks or months, then please get in touch via info@grassfield-hall.co.uk and we will get back to you asap.