racetrack
Harewood Speed Hillclimb
The longest hillclimb course in England at 1,598 yards, climbing Yorkshire moorland on the Harewood estate with sweeping open views over Wharfedale from the spectator banks.
9 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Boston Spa
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Boston Spa
Boston Spa works well as a base: 5 minutes from Wetherby, 29km from Brimham Rocks.
Boston Spa is in England, United Kingdom, with about 6,100 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Wetherby, about 4 km away.
Boston Spa is a village and civil parish in the Leeds Metropolitan District in West Yorkshire, England. Situated 3 miles (5 km) south of Wetherby, Boston Spa is on the south bank of the River Wharfe across from Thorp Arch. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 4,006 rising to 4,079 in the 2011Read more
census.
The village grew in the 18th century around sulphur springs that briefly made it a spa town. Today it is best known for its association with the British Library, whose principal storage and document-supply campus, holding the majority of the United Kingdom's national collection, adjoins the village to the north-east at Thorp Arch and is known as the library's Boston Spa site.
It sits in the Wetherby ward of Leeds City Council and the Wetherby and Easingwold parliamentary constituency.
Where to Stay in Boston Spa
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Boston Spa?
Within an hour or so of Boston Spa: Harewood Speed Hillclimb (9 km), Squires Cafe Bar (14 km), Bettys Café Tea Rooms, Harrogate (16 km), York Minster (18 km).
Are there any good drives near Boston Spa?
The nearest famous roads are Holme Moss, Woodhead Pass and Rosedale Chimney Bank.
Where is Boston Spa?
Boston Spa is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Wetherby.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 6,052
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 53.9042, -1.3452
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Boston Spa
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cafe
Squires Cafe Bar
One of Yorkshire's most famous biker cafes near Sherburn-in-Elmet, hosting regular bike nights and rallies.
14 km · about 25 min drive
cafe
Bettys Café Tea Rooms, Harrogate
Yorkshire tea-room institution founded by Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont in 1919, still family-owned and famous for Fat Rascals and its art-deco interior inspired by the Queen Mary liner.
16 km · about 20 min drive
cathedral
York Minster
One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe, famous for its medieval stained glass.
18 km · about 20 min drive
photogenic
The Shambles
Medieval York street where overhanging timber-framed shops nearly touch across the lane, some dating to the 14th century. Once a row of butchers' shops; the meat-hooks and wide sill-boards survive.
18 km · about 20 min drive
ancient ruins
Fountains Abbey
Largest and best-preserved Cistercian monastery ruins in England, set within the elegant Studley Royal Water Garden UNESCO World Heritage Site.
28 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Brimham Rocks
Wind-carved millstone grit outcrops on a Nidderdale moor, a natural playground of balanced boulders.
29 km · about 35 min drive
museum
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
500 acres of 18th-century parkland near Wakefield displaying open-air work by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and changing international artists.
35 km · about 40 min drive
Driving roads near Boston Spa
- 37 kmSutton BankA steep escarpment with a 1-in-4 hairpin climb and a view James Herriot called 'the finest in England', looking over the Vale of York.
- 54 kmHolme MossA 524 m Pennine pass on the A6024 topped by a landmark transmitter mast, a celebrated cycling climb used in the 2014 Tour de France.
- 56 kmWoodhead PassThe A628 trans-Pennine route over bleak moorland past the Woodhead reservoirs, frequently closed by snow and high winds.
- 57 kmRosedale Chimney BankOne of England's steepest roads, hitting 1-in-3 (33%) as it climbs from Rosedale Abbey onto the North York Moors past old ironstone kilns. A rite of passage for drivers and cyclists; caravans are banned.
- 62 kmSnake Pass (A57)The Woodhead-era Telford road over the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower reservoirs, with fast curves and frequent winter closures.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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