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Harrogate is a town in North Yorkshire, England, with a population of 70,000. It is part of the larger Harrogate administrative district.
The town's name derives from Har Low Gata, meaning "Grey Hill Road", and is still present in Harrogate's Harlow-Carr
gardens. Harrogate became famous as a spa town because of its naturally iron and sulfur rich water thanks to William Slingsby, before which
time it was merely a village near the historic town of Knaresborough.
Slingsby discovered the mineral properties of the local water supply at Tewit Well, the site of which is presently marked by a
dome located in the center of The Stray (a 200 acre open space running through the middle of town which was created by an
act of Parliament in 1778).
Many other wells are located in Harrogate's Valley Gardens and the Royal Pump Room museum.
Harrogate was granted status as a borough in the 12th century, and was primarily a centre for agriculture and the wollen industry.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Harrogate was extremely popular among the English elite, and was frequented by
nobility from around Europe. Its popularity declined after WWI, but during WWII Harrogate's large hotels accommodated government offices which had been evacuated from London
which paved the way for the town's current function as a commercial, conference, and exhibition centre.
Harrogate was the winner of the 2003 Britain in Bloom, in the category of 'Large Town'.
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