This article is written for the Stray Ferret by the celebrated Harrogate historian, Malcolm Neesam.
Please believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure to bemoan the neglect of Harrogate’s monuments. But when so many people tell me they visit Harrogate to see the town’s buildings and green spaces, it seems foolish to allow some of the area’s most significant structures to appear so shabby. A recent letter of mine about the weed-choked dome of the Tewit Well on south Stray produced a flood of messages of support, all seemingly from people who have Harrogate’s best interests at heart.
The Tewit Well was where modern Harrogate began, following William Slingsby’s 1571 discovery of the mineral qualities of the waters. Before this time, Harrogate was nothing more than a hamlet within the great Royal Forest, but after 1571, Harrogate grew into the sizeable and fully urbanised resort it is today. When Dr. Timothy Bright referred in c.1598 to Harrogate having the “Spadacrene Anglica”, or English Spa, it was the first recorded use of the “Spa” noun in the English language, making Harrogate the first “Spa” in the country. When Dr. Deane wrote his 1626 book on Harrogate’s Spa, he used Timothy Bright’s description “Spadacrene Anglica” as its title
The present “temple” was built in 1808 by Thomas Chippindale as an open cover for Low Harrogate’s old Sulphur Well, and was moved to its present location in 1842, when the Royal Pump Room was built. The open columns of the Chippindale’s temple were then filled in with masonry, to better protect visitors and also the well’s attendant. The historic structure was chosen in 1955 as the subject for a plaque, carved by the National Association of Master Monumental Masons, to mark their conference in Harrogate. The exquisitely carved plaque was fixed to the Tewit Well and unveiled by Mayor Robert Riley on Wednesday September 18, 1955. Two years later, the outside pump was stolen, which introduced a period of neglect, and by 1971, exactly 400 years after Slingsby’s discovery, the neglected Tewit Well was very nearly demolished.
Mayor Riley at Tewit Well, September 1955
But thanks to public protest, and the opposition of the recently established Harrogate Society, the Tewit Well was saved, and in 1973, restoration occurred, the original dome of English Oak and lead being replaced by plastic, which if not authentic, at least followed the design of the original. It was during this restoration that the encircling masonry walling was removed, which restored the original appearance of the 1808 “temple”, but also occasioned the removal of the 1955 stone plaque, which was dumped on the floor of the Royal Baths’ basement, where it probably remains to this day.
Thanks to the Harrogate Society, a new plaque was erected on the restored Tewit Well in 1975, to mark European Architectural Heritage Year, which was this author’s first Harrogate plaque text. It is still there, although as my opening remarks show, the weed-infested building is hardly a good advertisement for Harrogate’s care of its historic monuments.
Read More:
- Malcolm Neesam History: Harrogate’s gas-powered buses
- The Ripon chapel that survived medieval plague and modern pandemic
When council neglect nearly brought about the demolition of the Sun Pavilion in the 1980’s, it was the public who saved the building, thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Anne Smith and the Friends of Valley Gardens. At the time, the wonderful public response was accompanied by the feeling that the council could be relied upon to restore the Sun Colonnade, but this has never happened, and the exposed wooden roof is now decaying. What should be a well-used public exhibition space is instead open to the worst effects of rain, snow and ice. With its roof restored, the Sun Colonnade would be a perfect home for the Christmas Market and other public exhibitions.
Why, oh why, must it be me, and those who are like minded, who have to repeatedly express their dissatisfaction with the slovenly attitude of the authorities towards maintaining Harrogate’s attractions.
Did you know that the Stray Ferret has teamed up with Malcolm to produce audio walking tours of Harrogate? The walks are sponsored by the Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) and take you back to the Golden Age of the Harrogate Spa and a walk through the Commercial Heart of Harrogate. Why not take a walk back in time and learn about Harrogate’s glorious past.. They’re easy to do and a great day out. For more information click here.
