Harrogate Museum

The Royal Pump Room Museum

The Royal Pump Room is a Grade II* listed building next to the entrance to the Valley Gardens. Today it houses the town's museum which is operated by the Harrogate Borough Council. It was formerly a spa water pump house.

Today, the Pump Room consists of both the original 1842 stone rotunda and a glazed annexe which was opened in 1913. The Pump Room offered guests of the town an all weather facility where they could drink sulphur water which was pumped on site from a natural spring known as the Old Sulphur Well.

The building also had a social element to it as it provided guests with a place to meet friends and get to know others.

Knaresborough Castle and Museum

There has been a castle in Knaresborough for over 900 years. Over the centuries there have been significant periods of building and repair work as the castle was adapted to meet changing military requirements, fashions and historic events.

On a visit to Knaresborough Castle you can explore the remains of the King’s Tower with its eerie dungeon and climb the winding staircase to the upper chamber - imagine kneeling before the king in this lavish hall with its stained glass windows, rich tapestries and roaring fires!

A stroll around the castle grounds, following our information signboards, gives you a sense of the former grandeur of this important northern fortress. As you enjoy the stunning view down to the river Nidd you will appreciate just what a superb defensive site this must have been. The ruined towers of the great East Gate give a just glimpse of the castle’s once impenetrable fortifications.