Turkish delight: Harrogate Turkish Baths

The baths' hip beginnings
Harrogate's waters have been famous since the 16th century, but it was during Victorian times that the Royal Baths Assembly Rooms were opened. Then anyone who was anyone headed for hammams, or Turkish Baths, to 'sweat it out', and receive the latest treatments, such as nasal douches and plombieres two-way system (intestinal lavage - mmm, nice). More than simply a place for curing ailments, Harrogate's Baths achieved worldwide fame attracting European Royal families and socialites of the time to sit in the great hall or bathe in exotic luxury. By the late 1960s modern treatments meant that the spa went into decline and only the Turkish Baths remained.

The scene today
Thanks to cash totalling £1m from Scottish Life and the Heritage Lottery Fund, a new entrance and café-reception area were added in 2002 (with replica 19th-century posters advertising the baths). Seven new treatment rooms were also built, in addition to the existing three, all offering beauty and complementary therapies, plus the baths themselves were renovated.

There are just three remaining 19th-century Turkish Baths in England but Harrogate's are the most beautiful and complete. The rare and colourful Arabic tiles remain (only one per cent had to be replaced), and the original elaborate arched roofs and oak and mahogany changing rooms evoke Victorian luxury. Remember to look out for the listed toilet!