Looking back on 'momentous day' when Harrogate’s first public hospital was established
More details have been revealed for major plans to mark the 200th anniversary of the foundation of Harrogate’s first public hospital.
Queen Victoria wasn’t even on the throne when the doors of the Harrogate Bath Hospital first opened on Cornwall Road on the fringes of Valley Gardens.
To mark that momentous day on April 6,1826 when the Royal Bath Hospital, as it later became known, first offered spa treatments to the public, community groups, local businesses and the current Harrogate District Hospital have been working together on a series of commemorative events.
The focal point of the bicentenary will be Health in Harrogate, a new exhibition created in collaboration between various Harrogate societies including Harrogate Medical Society, Harrogate Civic Society, Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust, Harrogate Hospital Radio, Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity and Friends of Harrogate Hospital.
Running for six weeks at West Park Centre, the exhibition will mark two centuries of Harrogate’s contribution to health and wellbeing, locally, nationally and internationally, with fascinating new information and vintage photographs.
But Health in Harrogate is not the only event planned for the 200th anniversary celebrations.
There will be satellite exhibitions at the Royal Pump Room Museum and Harrogate Library with guided tours offering further insights into Harrogate’s health history.
Harrogate Civic Society will be unveiling a memorial plaque commemorating Wilfrid Edgecombe, a renowned spa physician and a major figure in Harrogate between the wars.
The current Harrogate Hospital will also be providing open days for the public.
A dedicated schools’ project will invite primary pupils to design posters advertising Harrogate’s spa waters in the Victorian era, capturing the creativity and colour of historical advertising.
Secondary students will be challenged with a creative writing project entitled A Day at the Harrogate Spa.
Key dates in Harrogate's hospital history
1826: Royal Bath Hospital opens. Harrogate's first public hospital, focusing on spa treatments.
1932: Harrogate General Hospital opens. A significant hospital built on Knaresborough Road, later part of the NHS.
1998: Harrogate District Hospital opens. The current main hospital, consolidating services from older sites like Royal Bath, Scotton Banks, and Knaresborough Hospital.