Considered by the cold light of economic reality, Harrogate continued to thrive during the First World War, despite local casualties which affected virtually every street and house in the borough, as throughout the nation. At first, influential voices were heard predicting that the severing of travel links with continental Europe would decimate the spa business, however British visitors, who formerly journeyed to the great continental spas were now encouraged to visit Harrogate, which they did in increasing numbers.
During this period the town saw the establishment of a series of hospitals to care for wounded soldiers. The instigator was the Grand Duchess George of Russia who was staying in Harrogate at the outbreak of the war. She started a small twelve-bed hospital in Tewit Well Road, and, with local assistance, was able to transfer the institution to Heatherdene on Wetherby Road, which had previously been used as a convalescent home connected to the Sunderland Royal Infirmary. Further work enabled the 52 bed Heatherdene to be joined by St Nicholas’s, a 25 bed hospital, and the 28 bed St Geoorge’s Hospital on Duchy Road, which in 1916 transferred to a much larger mansion at the corner of Dragon Road and East Parade.
The Grand Duchess and her colleagues cared for over 1,200 casualties during the war, thanks to a formidable amount of fund-raising and charitable support.
Image: Grand Duchess George of Russia