Alice and Trudy’s Avalon hotel is in Harrogate, Yorkshire. All the places named below are in the area a couple of hundred miles north of London. It’s the home of the Yorkshire Dales and James Heriot the Vet. Scarborough is on the east coast, the other places are inland.
Harrogate, home of the Avalon hotel, originally grew up as a spa town in the 18th and 19th centuries. Georgian and Victorian ladies came to ‘take the waters’ and it became fashionable with a reputation of being high class. It’s a small town and these days is a conference and convention centre as well as being central for exploring the Yorkshire Dales and Moors.
Leeds. The nearest big city, about an hour south of Harrogate by bus. It’s one of England’s biggest cities, known for its huge woolen mills and the manufacturing of heavy machinery. This picture (which you might have thought was an art museum in Central Europe) is Leeds market where Trudy grew up in her father’s butcher’s shop.
Knaresborough. A small town a few miles east of Harrogate, known for its castle (with dungeon) visited by King Edward lll after his marriage in York, and its steep and scenic river valley. It is also known for its characters – Blind Jack (who planned and built over 180 miles of roads in Yorkshire and eloped with another man’s bride on the night before her wedding) and Mother Shipton ( a prophetess who was born in 1488 in a cave beside the river and who prophesied many of the events in English history). Mother Shipton’s Well is a popular attraction as objects hung beneath its dripping water will ‘turn to stone’ by being covered by the limestone in the water.
Scarborough A seaside town popular for holiday makers and retired people.
York – east of Harrogate, ancient town known to Romans, Vikings and now to tourists. Famous for its Minster and its walls.
Otley, Ilkley At the time of our stories these were small market towns west of Harrogate in the Wharfe valley.
Starbeck A village just east of Harrogate. Healing waters were found there also but somehow Harrogate became the centre that was famous for them
Ripley A village a few miles north of Harrogate. The castle has been in the Ingilby family for over 700 years. The pub, The Boar’s Head, was named after Thomas Ingilby slew a boar that attacked King Edward III. Thomas was knighted and the boar’s head became part of his coat of arms.
Valley Gardens (often simply called ‘the Gardens’). A Harrogate park for gentle strolling in the valley just below the Avalon hotel. It’s a favourite walk for the Avalon guests.
Liverpool – the nearest large city to Fairaston Hall
LOCKLEY Sorry, all the other places named can be found on a map. Lockley exists only in my imagination.
Fairaston Hall – You will not find this on a map either, but it is based on a real estate that I know well, I simply changed the name. It is on flat land close to the Lancashire coast.
Alice and Trudy 