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Harrogate's first hospital celebrates 200th anniversary

Thursday, 16 October 2025 09:26

The Royal Bath Hospital, pictured in 1910.

Harrogate's first hospital will celebrate its 200th anniversary next year, marking two centuries since it first opened its doors in 1826.

A special event is planned to celebrate the milestone of the Royal Bath Hospital.

A special exhibition organised by the Harrogate Medical Society and Harrogate Hospital will open at the West Park Centre on 6th April 2026, running for six weeks.

The event will explore the town’s medical and spa heritage, tracing how Harrogate became known internationally for its healing waters and health facilities.

Visitors will be able to view historical artefacts, photographs and documents, and take part in a programme of weekly talks and activities.

As part of the celebrations, Harrogate Hospital will host public open days, and the Harrogate Civic Society will unveil a memorial plaque in honour of Wilfrid Edgecombe, described as “perhaps the last remaining spa physician” and an important figure in Harrogate’s medical history during the interwar years.

Additional exhibitions will be held at the Royal Pump Room Museum and Harrogate Library, with guided tours offering further insight into the town’s development as a centre for health and wellbeing.

Local schools will also be involved through creative projects.

Primary pupils will design posters inspired by Victorian-era advertisements for Harrogate’s spa waters, while secondary students will take part in a writing challenge titled “A Day at the Harrogate Spa,” producing diary entries, short stories or poems imagining life as a patient or doctor from the past.

Organisers hope the anniversary will encourage residents and visitors to reflect on Harrogate’s long association with health and healing.

The event is being supported by local businesses, societies and individuals. Anyone wishing to contribute can contact organiser Liz Leinhardt on 07752 251121.

Your Harrogate's Pete Egerton has been catching up with Sian Greenwood, a member of the Harrogate Medical Society and Civic Society, plus, David Lionheart from the Harrogate Medical Society:

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