Trip Harrogate United Kingdom

Harrogate (or Harrogate Spa) is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th century. It lies adjacent to Knaresborough, with which it forms a single urban area, and is in the Nidd valley.

Harrogate railway station and Harrogate bus station in the town centre provide transport connections. Leeds Bradford International Airport is 10 miles south west of Harrogate. The main road through the town is the A61, connecting Harrogate to Leeds and Ripon.

Harrogate has an extensive partly-pedestrian shopping center, with a wide range of specialist and High Street shops, galleries and antique shops. Harrogate's main shopping district is focused on Cambridge Street, Oxford Street, Beulah Street and James Street where most of the high street shops can be found.

Street view level from West Park Street, looking at Cenotaph (War Memorial) and Cambridge Cresent.

One of the charming Victorian hotels I stayed was built during Harrogate's period as a Spa Town. There is a grand ballroom on the ground floor which can hold few hundred easily. It located only a short 5 minute walk from the center of town.

Walking south along Ripon Road (A61), the convention center is on the left at the traffic light.

Harrogate Tourist Information Centre located in the magnificent Royal Baths at the historic heart of the town.

The Montpellier Quarter is home to an array of exclusive shops, pavement cafes, bars, award winning restaurants and the 'Antiques and Art Centre of the North'. Take a walk from Betty's Tearooms down Montpellier Hill and experience the truly cosmopolitan atmosphere of the area. There is however a wide range of boutique and designer shopping on Parliament Street and in the Montpellier Quarter, as well as independent shopping around Commercial Street.

Some of quiet neighborhood and pretty house nested in Harrogate. A lot of these houses had turned into offices or BB.

One of many flower gardens grows in the city limit.

The Mercer Art Gallery is home to Harrogate district's fine art collection. The gallery has two spaces, the Main Gallery and the smaller North Gallery. The changing exhibition program for both galleries ranges from national touring exhibitions from the permanent collections to displays by local artists.

This place has more than 300 years old history. It is one of many places to stay in Harrogate and closed to everything in town.

The Victoria shopping center in Harrogate is near the Harrogate railway station. You can find a variety of shops. (I took away my wife’s plastic and paper before she left for stores!)

Turkish Baths and Health Spa provides services seven days a week at Royal Baths Harrogate.

Bettys Tea Rooms of Harrogate: One unusual highlight for visitors to Harrogate is the chance to visit 'Bettys Tea Rooms', well known across Yorkshire as an 'experience' offering high quality refreshments and traditional teas made from top-quality ingredients. Open in Harrogate since 1919, you can visit Bettys in Parliament Street (near the Cenotaph).

Street view of hotel and shops along West Park Street and West Park United Reformed Church in the background.

Harrogate West Park United Reformed Church.

The hotel housed in a magnificent 19th century building with a remarkable façade, the Harrogate Majestic Hotel is nestled amidst twelve acres of spectacular gardens in the very heart of Harrogate. I have an opportunity to stay here once because all hotels in the area were all booked. (You need to visit the rest room on the ground floor; I say it larger than my whole house!!!)

Harrogate International Center (HIC) located in the heart of the cosmopolitan town of Harrogate and at the heart of the UK. The conference and exhibition industry is the focus of the town's business. HIC is one of the most impressively integrated conference, exhibition and events venues in Europe.

The evening brings a lively night scene with a good mix of traditional and contemporary bars and restaurants in Harrogate, and excellent nightclubs. Eating out is popular in Harrogate, with the town well served by restaurants. Parliament Street and Cheltenham Parade are lined with many independent and chain restaurants.

There is a very wide choice of restaurants, pubs and cafes to suit all tastes and budgets. Plenty are in walking distance to the International Convention Center.

Another view of the famous landmark Betty’s Café taken from West Park Street.

Almost directly across Parliament Street from Betty's Café on the left of this picture, you will find Harrogate's Cenotaph or War Memorial. This somber structure was unveiled in 1923 as a memorial to the dead in the First World War.

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Trip Cambridge England

Cambridge England is less than half hour drive from Mildenhall or Lakenheath. I will suggest leaving your car at the car park outskirt of town and taking shuttle bus into town if you plan to visit the city during the week or Saturday because parking space is hard to find.

Cambridge is a city for all seasons. Be inspired by the many beautiful museums and art galleries. Admire the beautiful architecture and majestic college buildings.

Explore quaint passages set around the historic market place and colleges, where a unique and relaxing shopping experience can be found. Here a blend of independent shops is mingled with high street brands.

The University and its 31 colleges dominate the centre with atmospheric cobbled courts, chapels, gardens and bridges, but Cambridge is no museum piece - dramatic modern architecture sits side by side with the traditional, and lovers of architecture will find much to admire.

The street view of Saint Mary Church is on the right, Gonville and Caius College on the left and far left corner is a little corner of Senate House.

Great St Mary’s is the University Church. Its tower was completed in 1608 and provides excellent panoramic views of the City & University Colleges. The chimes from its clock tower were copied for the Westminster chimes at Big Ben in London. Many of the Cambridge Protestant reformers preached in St. Mary’s.

Gonville and Caius is a College in the University of Cambridge. First founded in 1348 as Gonville Hall and re–founded under its present name in 1557.

The street view of Christ’s College is on the right, department store in the front and St Andrew Church on the left.

Christ’s College. The famous scientist Charles Darwin was a student at Christ's College between 1828 & 1831. Founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, whose coat of arms and statue grace the gatehouse. This was the college of the famous poet John Milton, who was known as the ‘Lady of Christ’s’.

Corpus Christi contains the finest surviving medieval court in Cambridge. The college is also home to the impressive Grasshopper Clock. The college founded by the members of the town guilds of Corpus Christi, & the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1352. Its Old Court is the finest surviving early medieval court in Cambridge. Christopher Marlowe was a former student of Corpus.

The Emmanuel College chapel was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and completed in 1674. It contains a plaque to John Harvard, a former student, who immigrated to New England in the early 1630’s and gave his name to Harvard University.

Holy Trinity has connections with the Evangelical movement, due to the 54 year ministry of Charles Simeon. Work began of the current church in the fourteenth century, and continued through until the nineteenth. Holy Trinity has connections with the Evangelical movement, due to the 54 year ministry of Charles Simeon.

A lonely lady (No, she is my better half) at the front gate of Saint John College and she is lucky that the door was opened.

St John College. The annual Cambridge and Oxford boat race began in 1829, when St John’s College challenged Oxford. A Tudor College, founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. The college is famous for its neo-gothic Bridge of Sighs. The college chapel, has an impressive tower designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1869. The annual Cambridge and Oxford boat race began in 1829, when St John’s challenged Oxford. Wordsworth and Wilberforce studied here.

Queens’ College. Queens' College is home to the famous wooden Mathematical Bridge. An intimate college founded by Margaret of Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville, both Queens’ of England. The 16th century President's Lodge is one of the few half-timbered college buildings.

The famous wooden Mathematical Bridge was designed by William Etheridge in 1749. Former members include Erasmus of Rotterdam, the first teacher of Greek at the University.

The Senate House, is the parliament building of Cambridge University, it was designed by James Gibbs, & built between 1722 & 1730. This beautiful classical building is where University graduation ceremonies take place.

A visit to King's College Chapel is a truly inspirational experience. It is the largest and most spectacular of the college chapels in Cambridge. The Chapel is the grandest and most beautiful building in Cambridge and ranks amongst the most important examples of perpendicular (late gothic) architecture. Stone, wood and glass combine with music to provide an unforgettable experience under Rubens' Adoration of the Magi. The famous service of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has been broadcast on the radio since 1928. The poet Rupert Brooke, and the economist Maynard Keynes are former members of King’s.

The Round Church – Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The architecturally stunning Round Church, Cambridge's second oldest building, is 'excellent for orientation.' the Saints and Scholars video introduces Cambridge and our exhibition 'The Cambridge Story: The Impact of Christianity in England' is 'a tremendous snapshot of religious history.'
The church of the Holy Sepulcher is one of only four round churches in England. It is based on the church of the resurrection of which was consecrated in Jerusalem in 335, over the site that Christ rose from the dead. Cambridge’s Norman round church was built in 1130.

City of Cambridge has many shops and boutique stores. We can only do window shopping.

City of Cambridge never lack of pubs and restaurants. There is Chili’s restaurant in town if you are tired of local pub food/fish and chip and hungry for American food.

Cambridge city is a walking city, you can reach everywhere in the central area on foot and be sure that you have a good pair of walking shoe. Do note that some of the pavements are shared use between pedestrians and cyclists. Chance you get hit by bicycle is much higher than get hit by car. Students and locals often use bikes to get around the city.

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Trip Scarecrow Festival Barton Mills England

The first Scarecrow Festival in Barton Mills England took place in 1998. It proved so popular that it grew very quickly, attracting thousands of people to the village over the course of the festival. I saw the advertisement along the highway A11 and decided to visit the village just for fun.

The village of Barton Mills is a parish in Mildenhall district, Suffolk UK. It closed to Mildenhall and near Newmarket. The village has two main claims to fame. Firstly, it was the preferred holiday retreat for Alexander Fleming, the man who discovered penicillin. Secondly, it is home to the annual Scarecrow Festival.

This is a two day event which features music, dancing, food, stalls and, of course, scarecrows! The event even made into the Guinness Book of Records for 'the most scarecrows ever built at any one time'

The area boasts fine walking opportunities.

         If you think you have seen a scarecrow, then think again.

Each year, there is a theme for the Scarecrow Festival.

Hanging out !!

Barton Mills does not boast the type of scarecrows that were once in common use to scare off birds from the fields.

Nice day for a stroll in the village.

Rather than seeing lots of straw as you walk by people's homes, you will be more likely to see a man's suit turned into an outfit for a scarecrow.

Woman dressed up for a night.

Want to go for a ride?

Can’t say.

Nice home in the village.

Good summer day for a walk in the village. The village is about 15 min drive from Newmarket and approximately 25 min from Cambridge. It took me less than 5 min to drive from Mildenhall. It depends on what time of the day, A11 can be congested during the summer month because of the five way roundabout near the village.

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