The Borough of Harrogate is a local government district with

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

status in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four co ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Its population at the census of 2011 was 157,869. Its council is based in the town of

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...

, but it also includes surrounding towns and villages. This includes the cathedral city of

Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the ...

and almost all of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, as a merger of the

Masham Masham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 1,205 at the 2011 census. Etymology In Wensleydale, on the western bank of the River Ure, the name derives from t ...

and

Wath Wath may refer to: Places in England * Wath, Cumbria, a U.K. location * Wath (near Ripon), a village in Harrogate district, North Yorkshire * Wath, Ryedale, a village in North Yorkshire * Wath-in-Nidderdale Wath, sometimes known as Wath-in ...

rural districts, and part of Thirsk, from the North Riding of Yorkshire, along with the boroughs of Harrogate and the city of

, the

Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. It is east of Harrogate. History Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Chenar ...

urban district,

Nidderdale Rural District Nidderdale was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1938 to 1974. It was created from the combination of most of the disbanded rural districts of Great Ouseburn and Knaresborough The district covered villages in the lower valley ...

Ripon and Pateley Bridge Rural District Ripon and Pateley Bridge was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England from 1937 to 1974. It was created in 1937 by a County Review Order, by a merger of the Ripon Rural District and the Pateley Bridge Rural District. The rural ...

, part of Wetherby Rural District and part of Wharfedale Rural District, all in the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

. The district is part of the

Leeds City Region The Leeds City Region is a local enterprise partnership city region located in West Yorkshire, England. Prior to the West Yorkshire devolution deal, the partnership covered parts of South and North Yorkshire. According to the Office for Nat ...

, and borders seven other areas; the Craven, Richmondshire, Hambleton, Selby and

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

districts in North Yorkshire and the boroughs of

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

and

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. It falls primarily within the HG, LS and YO postcode areas, while a small part of it is within the BD area. It is the county's fourth largest district, as well the seventh largest non-metropolitan district in England. It was previously the county's second largest district until 1 April 1996, when the parishes of

Nether Poppleton Nether Poppleton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It is by the west bank of the River Ouse and is adjacent to Upper Poppleton west of York. It is close to the A59 road fr ...

Upper Poppleton Upper Poppleton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated by the west bank of the River Ouse adjacent to Nether Poppleton, and west of York close to the A59 from Yo ...

, Hessay and

Rufforth Rufforth is a village in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies about west of York. The village is mentioned in the ''Domesday Book''unitary authority. According to the 2001 census, these parishes had a population of 5,169.

Politics

Elections to the borough council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the 54 seats on the council being elected at each election. After being under no overall control from the 2006 election, the

Conservative party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

gained a majority at the 2010 election. Following the 2016 United Kingdom local elections and subsequent by-elections, the political composition of Harrogate is as follows: Harrogate District Council 2017

This was the last composition of the former 54 seat council, prior to boundary changes. The current composition of the new 40 seat council after boundary changes is as follows:

Abolition

In July 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that in April 2023, the non-metropolitan county will be reorganised into a unitary authority. Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished and its functions transferred to a new single authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire.

Parliamentary constituencies

The district is divided between three parliamentary constituencies: the whole of Harrogate and Knaresborough, the eastern part of

Skipton and Ripon Skipton and Ripon is a constituency in North Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Julian Smith, a Conservative. Constituency profile The constituency covers a mainly rural area of the Yorkshire Dale ...

and the north western part of

Selby and Ainsty Selby and Ainsty is a constituency in North Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation by Nigel Adams, a member of the Conservative Party. History For 2010 the Boundary Commission recommended ...

Towns

By population:
1.

(city)
3.

4. Boroughbridge
5. Pateley Bridge
6.

Historical sites

* Aldborough Roman Museum * Fountains Abbey * Ripon Cathedral * Knaresborough Castle * Ripley Castle *

Spofforth Castle Spofforth Castle in the village of Spofforth, North Yorkshire, England was a fortified manor house, ruined during the English Civil War and now run by English Heritage as a tourist attraction. History Spofforth Castle was built by Henry ...

Marston Moor The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1639 – 1653. The combined forces of the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester and the Scottish Covenanters und ...

Devil's Arrows The Devil's Arrows are four standing stones or menhirs in an alignment approximately to the east of the A1(M), adjacent to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire, England, near to where the A1 road now crosses the River Ure (). The ...

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Harrogate.

Individuals

* Rt Hon Lord Halifax : 1926. * Jonathan Wild: 18 July 2012. * Jean MacQuarrie: October 2021.

Military units

* The Army Foundation College.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrogate, Borough of Non-metropolitan districts of North Yorkshire Boroughs in England Leeds City Region