~Hebden Bridge to Halifax~
20th December 2014
Dean House Farm Cottages
Today's carefully thought out plan was to use the Calderdale line and walk from Halifax Railway Station to Hebden Bridge. However, whilst waiting for the train at the station in Burnley, I had a change of plan and decided to do the walk in the opposite direction.
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Molly & Phoebe |
The Rochdale Canal |
On leaving the train at Hebden Bridge at 08:30hrs, we walked down in to the park for some ball fun and met Phoebe the tri-coloured Border Collie with her owner. Then over the canal for a walk into the town in search of a breakfast butty.
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Country Stores |
Hebden Bridge |
Good food and a brew from Country Stores, seating outside on the circular bench - just in view. The main reason for reversing the route was the previaling wind direction. Where's the sense in walking into the wind for most of the walk? Today is as dull as last Saturday was bright!
Steep Ginnel
We took a steep ginnel out of Hebden Bridge to join Wadsworth Lane and then found a footpath to lead us into the woods above Machpelah in the Calder Valley. The walk from here on in, is all new territory for me.
To the woods
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Fallen Tree
Deer
Much to see in the woods, at least three deer wandering about. Less shy than usual, maybe used to visitors.
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Snicket |
Farmland |
Out of the woods and up a snicket to take a path across empty farmland. The gloomy skies forcing the shutter speed down and revealing the wind action on the turbine's blades
Viewpoint
Describing the route is not easy, but we walked past Burlees Farm and then followed a track to zig-zag our way up to the "viewpoint" as marked on the map. Then, the path goes up to Hebden Bridge Golf Club's clubhouse and enters Wadsworth Moor at a stile.
Mytholmroyd
A zoomed-in view of Mytholmroyd in the Calder Valley, the railway station being towards the top of the photo.
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Hebden Bridge Golf Club |
Stoodley Pike |
It is a feature of many Pennine towns that their golf clubs are often above 700ft above sea level, this one nearer to 1,000ft asl. This is to do with a lack of available space in the valleys, where industry and housing made their claims before the golfers came along.
Molly Looks for a Treat
The trig point on Midgley Moor is referred to as "Keelam" on a Trig Point website. Not sure about that, this is Crow Hill Nook according to the map, part of Midgley Moor. Approx 1,312ft asl. Artists have gone to town on all four sides; Molly expects a little treat upon reaching the "top".
Crow Hill Nook
Then we took sometimes feint paths across the moors in the vague direction of Luddenden Dean, a compass would have been handy today.
Crepescular Rays to the South
Churn Milk Joan
The stone marks the spot where legend tells the tale of Joan, a lady with a milk churn was killed. I now know that you are supposed to reach up and take any coins on the top and replace them with some of your own coins.
The Edge of the Moor
When I reached the edge of the moor, it took me a while to work out where I was. We headed south-east along this path.
Great House Farm
This is the view into the valley of Luddenden, one of Oats Royd Mill's chimneys is clear to see.
Delph Hill Lane
We've had a ginnel, then a snicket and here is a lane - that's how exciting this walking lark can be. We walked past Oats Royd Mill buildings which have been or are being converted to living accommodation.
Houses at Dean House Farm
Two rather different housing styles; what the older houses lack in height, they make up for in chimney heights. Our path led down behind these houses and into Luddenden Brook.
Oats Royd Mill
"Built as a woollen mill in 1847 for Victorian textiles magnate John Murgatroyd, the Oats Royd Mill was operational until the 1980s but, after its closure, was almost totally destroyed in by fire. Retaining and rebuilding any original features was a priority throughout the painstaking restoration the stone structure, towering chimneystack and millpond are testament to this attention to detail." as read off the commercial website for the current mill operation.
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Peel House on Stocks Lane and a view to Luddenden Dean at the head of the valley. The Dean must be an interesting place with a Nature Reserve, it will have to wait for another day. We are heading for Mount Tabor at the top of the hill on the way over to Halifax.
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Tunnel Vent? |
To Ramsden Wood |
Mount Tabor failed to capture my attention. The pub "The New Inn" looked a little unwelcomming, maybe we should have gone in to find out more. The stone structure had me guessing. It isn't a railway structure - the stonework isn't right and my map shows no indication of a railway tunnel in this area; could it be a civil defence facility, like a pill box? I found later what it was ...
Ramsden Wood
Just down here is a reservoir and the vent is a tunnel associated with a network of water supplies. We stopped here for lunch. I had an Eccles Cake and Molly had a Bonio. Bon Apetit!
Oxenden Wood
or so the map says. The housing development is quite new. We will join the path by Hebble Brook and head into Halifax.
"Hebble Brook" Viaduct
I have failed to find the correct name for this disused raiwlay viaduct on the old Halifax to Keighley Line, via Queensbury. It struck me that if the trackbed cannot be used as a footpath or bridleway, why not demolish the structure and brighten up the valley?
Dean Clough Mills
Now, the main reason why I wanted to visit Halifax. Dean Clough Mills. Possibly the largest carpet manufacturing factory complex in the UK - in its heyday, employing as many as 5,000 people.
John Crossley
Crossley Carpets - a name synonymous with quality in the flooring trade. Who's walked on a Crossley Sultana Carpet? The looms went silent in the early 1980's, although members of the Crossley family continued elsewhere and some of the ancient designs are still available from a specialist carpet manufacturer - Living Looms. I seem to recall meeting Charles Crossley (7th generation) when he had plant at Black Dyke Mills, Queensbury - that business closed in 2005.
Missing Sheds
There would have been weaving sheds in the spaces that are now car parks. The alphabetical naming of the mills goes back to the early days.
E Mill
G Mill
G Mill has more storeys on one side than the other. Can you imagine the horses and carts on cobbled streets.
Bowling Mill
In total, Crossley Carpets occupied over 1.25 million square feet of floorspace. Much of the carpet on sale in our country today is made in Belgium, India or China ... but there are still a good number of manufacturers in the UK, many in West Yorkshire or Kidderminster.
Dean Clough Mills, Halifax
I apologise for spoiling an otherwise good photo, taken on a walk in August 2010.
Railway Architecture
In the past, Dean Clough had its own line as part of the now defunct Queensbury line, a little bit of the original stonework survives and still serves a purpose, bridging the footpath underneath.
North Bridge
There is now a visually unappealing mess of modern roads over the Hebble. The North Bridge, completed in 1871, is still in use for local traffic. I think bridge enthusiasts would enjoy this one, plenty of detail and style. Molly and I arrived at the station in time to catch the 14:40 service to Blackpool, stopping at Hebden Bridge before arriving in Burnley.
The Train
11 miles, taking 5 hrs and 50 mins.
Burnley to Halifax off-peak return: £10.10
Luddenden - history and conservation.
Another walk in the area (on this website): Halifax and the Shibden Valley
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2014 ©
Take me back to the start ....