Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
11
Oct
Tourism or community? The changing landscape of Harrogate's Cold Bath Road
Cold Bath Road is at the heart of a residential area near Harrogate town centre and is known as a hub of small independent businesses.
With some businesses flourishing for years and some changing seemingly constantly, what do the people who have made the road their livelihood think of it in recent years?
We’ll start our journey at a much-loved bakery that recently had to close its doors.
Mary Catton and her husband John ran the much-loved Lancaster’s bakery for over 40 years, before they decided to close its doors for the last time earlier this year. Mrs Catton's grandfather opened it in 1906, so it had been in her family for nearly 120 years.
She said:
I grew up on Cold Bath Road – it is part of our life. We had lots of friends and we knew the grocers next door. We used to call him uncle Harry Leng, and the barbers behind us was uncle Harry barber.
Lancaster's Bakery in its original location, 1906
Lancaster’s suffered an arson attack by an employee in the early 2000s, so the Cattons were forced to spend some time refurbishing.
Mrs Catton said:
All the people around us used to bring cakes and cups of tea whilst we were working, because that is the kind of community it is.
Lancaster's Bakery in the spot it stood in from 1919-2025
The feeling that Cold Bath Road is a strong community is echoed by businesses along the road.
Hannah Newby is the owner of Manna, which has been a neighbouring bakery for nine years.
She said:
When Lancaster’s was up the road, we had customers that went to them, and customers that came to us for different things. Everyone supports everyone.
Further up the road, manager of Prontaclean, Harry Pullam, said:
Lancaster’s, that was a big loss. We used to go there, they had the best bread by a mile.
Prontaclean, 2025
Prontaclean has been in Harry’s family since 1998, but a laundrette has stood in that spot since the 1960s.
The business pays testament to Cold Bath Road as a residential area. The road has become a hub for hospitality in recent years, but the laundrette originally grew due to its popularity with local people.
There used to be a greengrocer [Leng's] just down there, that was handy. You had everything all on one road.
There’s quite a lot of turnover businesses. People don’t really stick around and there’s a lot of cafés everywhere.
Lancaster's and Leng's, September 2008 via Google Maps
'It's difficult, and it's going to get more difficult'
Peter Waddington, whose family owns Illingworth’s Hardware, said:
It used to be a lot better, the street. It’s not what it used to be, which was more independent.
Once you lose something like Lancaster’s in a street, it’s very telling.
There’s a massive amount of one kind of business. I don’t think the whole town can survive just on hospitality. The road needs more of a mix of shops.
Illingworth's hardware, 2025
Mr Waddington has been at Illingworth’s for 25 years, but the shop has been there for 85 years.
He raised concerns about Cold Bath Road serving tourism over local people but said that this is because the local community is not embracing what it has.
He said:
There has been loads of good independent shops opening down here – there was even a filling station.
There isn’t many of us left, these kinds of shops, where you can come in and have a look around.
We used to see a lot more regular faces coming down for their bread when Lancaster’s was around. It’s difficult and it’s going to get more difficult.
Manna's Ms Newby said that Cold Bath Road is consistently a popular location for people to open their business.
She said:
Everyone is always after units, we’ve got friends that have said if we ever hear of anything freeing up on the street to please let them know.
It’s really built up in the last nine years. There were quite a lot of empty units at the time when we moved in, but a lot has changed in the street.
Manna Bakery with the new eatery extension being built next door, April 2019 via Google Maps
The William and Victoria, affectionately known to the community as Will & Vic’s, has been in David Straker’s family for 45 years.
He echoes the fact that “you tend to not see many empty units which is testimony to the fact that the road is a target for small businesses”.
It’s a road of 90% independent businesses, and it’s a thriving road.
Unfortunately, the government is not making it easy at the moment for small businesses.
I don’t think people understand the pressures we’re under with rising costs, utilities, food and wine. The pressures are getting tighter.
William and Victoria, 2025
Despite this, he mentions that the road is “an attractive area to come to” for people.
When I first came here, we were the only restaurant on Cold Bath Road. There was a dodgy pub next door, and an even dodgier pub further up.
'Constantly changing'
Tim Brown, owner of country outfitters Brown Trout, echoed this.
He said:
When I took on this shop you wouldn’t have recognised it. It was a clock shop, and the guy hadn’t done anything to it in 25 years. It was a dump outside and it had this horrible yellow screening on all the windows. The signage was all falling off. It was a real ugly duckling, and that was kind of like all the shops.
Mr Brown opened his shop, which specialises in shooting and fishing equipment, in 2002. He feels that was when the dynamic of the road shifted.
Tim Brown, owner of Brown Trout
He said:
After the ski shop [White Stone] opened, suddenly we had all this café and restaurant culture
It is constantly changing, and there aren’t any empty shops. I think the downside to the road is the traffic – it can get bottlenecked on school runs
John Dunford, owner of long-established antique shop Paraphernalia, said:
It used to be a little quiet place, but now there's much more influx of people from all over. It’s become a lot busier traffic-wise. Whether it’s just general traffic flow or people coming down this road more, it’s hard to tell.
Regardless, he added:
People do comment on how much they enjoy being around Harrogate and Cold Bath Road. I haven’t met anybody who doesn’t like it.
Mr Straker said:
You’ve got to be positive; we’re really well supported by a group of regular customers. They are the backbone of independent businesses.
Paraphernalia with Prontaclean in the back and the Lancaster's van outside, May 2015 via Google Maps
'So many tourists'
Ms Newby said the biggest change over recent years is that the road has got much busier. She said:
In summer, the schools are off, but it’s just as busy when they’re off because there is so many tourists around.
Mrs Catton hopes that despite the closure of Lancaster’s, the road will remain a community hub with local people at the forefront.
She said:
There is lots of residential area around it and it is supportive of old people.
Shopkeepers through the years have all been lovely and helpful. The survival of small businesses relies on the support of the people around them.
0