seven

I woke up late the next morning feeling very much so under the weather. I had a very delicate tummy for one thing and the thought of food was out of the question, but I managed to eat some toast.

Once I had eaten and Nicky got back from her shopping she took me into town for a walk around Harrogate.

I saw St.. Peter's which was built in 1876 as well as the Valley Gardens where people used to go to the springs to be healed.

In the afternoon we caught a bus to Knaresborough, a small town close to Harrogate.

The name of Knaresborough can be made into two parts "Knare" and "borough". "Knare" may come from the name of a chieftain, or derive from "knar" meaning a rocky outcrop. The "borough" is derived from "burgh", an Anglo-Saxon word for fortress or fortified settlement.
We went for a walk around the town, the first stop being England's Oldest Chemist Shoppe. This Shop was opened in 1822 by Charles Potter. It was then taken over by the Lawrence Family for many years. Today it is a sweet shop.

We then went to see the remains of Knaresborough Castle which dates back to the 12th Century. Only the keep survives now though. The rest of the castle was destroyed by Cromwell's forces in 1684. The fortress was also a prison for Richard II as well as a refuge for four knights who murdered Thomas a Becket.

I took a couple pictures of the remains of this once beautiful castle and we then went down the hill and walked along the River Nidd and then back into town. On the way we stopped at the Henshaw's Art and Crafts Centre and just had a look around.

The Arts and Crafts Centre was opened in 1998 with the help of a Lottery Grant from the Arts Council.

We continued down the road and stopped off at Mother Skipton's Cave, but just went to the shop. I refused to go see the place.

Mother Skipton was born in 1488 and made many prophecies that have come true. She even managed to foretell when she was going to die. She predicted the Great Fire of London in 1666.

From there we walked back to the bus stop and went on our way back to Harrogate. Once we got there I organized a train ticket to York for the following day.

In the evening Nicky took me out to supper in a pub.

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