Harrowgate

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A spa town in North Yorkshire, England, known for its historic mineral springs and Victorian architecture, often spelled Harrogate
2. A town in North Yorkshire in northern England, famous as a Victorian spa resort built around its sulphurous mineral wells
3. An English market and spa town in the county of North Yorkshire that grew popular in the nineteenth century for its healing waters

Etymology: Harrogate is a town in North Yorkshire, England, and its name is most likely Scandinavian. It probably combines the Old Norse "gata", meaning road or way, with an uncertain first element, possibly "hergi", a word linked to a heathen sanctuary, or perhaps a personal name. Norse settlers gave many place names to northern England, and this one fits that pattern. The town's fame came from its water. Springs rich in sulphur and minerals drew visitors who came to drink and bathe, and the rotten-egg smell of the water gave the place a reputation that people found either bracing or repellent. Harrogate grew into a spa resort on the strength of those springs, and the name became attached to a town people travelled to for their health.