Story

From open moorland to planted health forest, Pinewoods reflects Harrogate’s deep relationship with the natural world.

The story of Pinewoods is a sequence of transformations from the early character of Harlow Moor, through the planting of pine as part of Harrogate’s spa culture, to the thriving community woodland that exists today.

Understanding this helps explain why Pinewoods feels the way it does. Why woodland and heath sit side by side and why the landscape continues to play an integral role in town life.

Moorland Landscape with Rainstorm (1751) by George Lambert

Open & Elevated

Pre-1800s

Before Pinewoods existed, this area was known as Harlow Moor or Harlow Hill. It formed part of the open, elevated plateau on which Harrogate and its surrounding landscape developed: a windswept mosaic of heath, furze, heather and gorse, defined by wide skies, long views and bracing exposure to the elements.

This exposed upland setting was one of Harrogate’s defining distinctions as a spa town. The town’s pure, sharp air was understood as therapeutic, believed to invigorate the body, clear the mind and lift the spirit.

Harrogate was celebrated as The Moorland Spa and together with the springs, formed the early Cure: a natural health-giving environment rooted in the town’s setting.

Growing the health forest

1800s - 1900s

In 1796, Scots pines were planted as part of the King’s Plantation, covering around six acres.

Like other great spa resorts in Europe, Harrogate sought to harness the perceived health benefits of pine forests. Clean air, shelter, scent and therapeutic walking environments were considered integral to the Cure.

By the 1890s, the Corporation had acquired the plantation and surrounding moorland from the Earl of Harewood, with the ambition of developing a pinewood to rival Germany’s great Kurwälder, or cure forests.

In 1907, a further 15,000 pines were planted. It was believed that when the wind blew through the trees, the scent of pine would carry across the town below.

Pinewoods Harrogate Postcard 17th Century (George Eglese)

Layered woodland

1900s - 2000s

By the mid-twentieth century, further land acquisitions and tree planting had extended Pinewoods to roughly its present size of around 96 acres.

Over time, the planted forest became naturalised. While few of the original eighteenth-century trees are likely to survive, Pinewoods now supports a mix of pine, native deciduous and evergreen species.

Importantly, traces of the original moorland ecology remain visible in places, creating a layered landscape where woodland and heath-edge habitats coexist.

Formation of the Conservation Group

2002 – 2003

By 2002, Harrogate Borough Council was seeking to establish a group dedicated to the future of Pinewoods.

Pinewoods Conservation Group was formed in October that year and subsequently became a registered charity in 2003. Its purpose was to help conserve and enhance the woods, protect their wildlife and involve the public in their continuing care.

Pinetum, Pinewoods, Harrogate [Credit George Eglese]

The woodland grows

2005 - 2015

From 2005, a further four acres of open land on the northern edge of Pinewoods were planted as Rotary Wood. Over the following years, hundreds of trees took root, extending the woodland towards Harlow Moor Road.

In 2014, neighbouring Irongate Field also became part of the wider Pinewoods landscape. Paths, wildflowers, scattered trees and wet habitats were introduced, while much of the field remained open.

Together, the young woodland and meadow have expanded Pinewoods, creating a connected landscape of trees, grassland, wet ground and woodland edge.

In March 2015, Pinewoods was listed as an Asset of Community Value.

Renewing the health forest

2026 onwards

From its origins as a health forest, Pinewoods has become a treasured community woodland and an increasingly important refuge for nature.

At a time of climate change, declining biodiversity and growing pressures on human wellbeing, its value to Harrogate is greater than ever.

The next chapter begins by safeguarding Pinewoods as a whole: its land, character, ecology and connection to the wider landscape. From that foundation, it can become more resilient, biodiverse and deeply valued for generations to come.