I went into the Swan on the Stray in Harrogate in April 2010-and I loved it! There was an olde worlde charm of it on the outside and inside it was clean and it appeared that most of the interior was new. I think this created an ambience which suited it. It was lovely! There was plenty of space around the tables so you were not cramped in, it was light and airy and there was no loud music playing! This is a rare thing on a Saturday night in a pub and it was absolutely wonderful! It was noisy because everyone was talking but that was great. I didnt have to shout over music to have a conversation. It is a real ale pub and the choice of beers was outstanding! They ...  Read the complete review

HARROGATE Harrogate is a spa town in north Yorkshire, less than an hour’s drive from Leeds or Bradford, and with adequate bus and rail links. It is well worth a visit at this time of year if you want to do some Christmas shopping for “something different”, but of course at other times of year it is an equally nice place to visit. HOTELS There are many hotels situated in and around Harrogate, some budget priced, others a lot more expensive and of course there is the Harrogate Conference and Exhibition Centre where major exhibitions and events are held throughout the year. The Royal Swan is a famous Harrogate hotel, (check out ...  Read the complete review

It really does annoy me sometimes that when I say where I come from that people call me a snob. During the last few years house prices have rocketed in Harrogate and locals are been priced out of their area whilst upper class people think they can come and take over, even the houses on the local council estates that are small now fetch around £100k. Yes it is a lovely place to live but it is also a place where thousands of working class people still live and work. Harrogate is also well known for Yorkshire Tea, Bettys, Farrahs Toffee, all of which have local factorys where working class people live and work. If you are rich or poor, single or have a family, you ...  Read the complete review

Every year without fail I am forced to make the same sad depressing journey to Harrogate, why, simply because they have that awfull exibition centre that is stuck in the middle of the town. like a gypsies tent on the village green it simply has no place there. The route into the area is tedious and as you get closer the buildings that are already black and depressing begin to get worse, large and no doubt once impressive houses stand back from the road but even from the distance you can see that many of them are either cheap and nasty boarding houses or student flats. The choice of entertainment ranges from 'lively' bars flanked by huge intimidating ...  Read the complete review