Knaresborough

Knaresborough is the obvious short trip from Harrogate and the one most worth making. The town sits high above a bend in the River Nidd, with a ruined castle on the cliff, a railway viaduct crossing the gorge and rowing boats on the water below.

There is a Wednesday market in the square, a steep and slightly awkward walk down to the riverside, and Mother Shipton's Cave and its petrifying well on the far bank.

It is a few minutes by train from Harrogate, which makes it easy to do without a car. Half a day is enough; a full one is better if the weather holds.