Local Area
Local Area
Holmfirth
The centre of Holmfirth will be well recognised by fans of Last Of The Summer Wine. With the river running through the centre, steps and steep, narrow cobbled roads lead away from the church that was built on the site of the original fifteenth century church.
Climbing through the ginnels that zig-zag up the hill you soon get a feel for how life must have been many years ago. Taking time to pause and turn round, you get a marvellous view of the town and the beautiful countryside that surrounds it.
Holmfirth’s character stems from sandstone buildings that are arranged on the steep hillsides that form the Holme Valley.
Many of these buildings date back to the era when the cloth trade brought much wealth to the north of England especially this part of West Yorkshire where mills abounded and magnificent houses were built by the mill owners.
Holmfirth has a history of over half a millennium and has much to delight the tourist, the photographer, the historian, the walker; in fact everyone.
Holme Valley
Nestling in the foothills of the Pennines the Holme Valley runs from Holme Moss at its highest point through some beautiful scenery of natures making and past some picturesque villages from man's more creative days.
The outlook has changed over the years as mills have come and gone, some remain now serving as luxury apartments and some as business units. The stone of which the majority of buildings are fabricated was hewn from the earth in the local area and provides a charm and grandeur to the natural beauty of the surroundings.
Woodland, moor land and pasture land soften the features of this dramatic landscape. The views are many and varied with every turn and hill summit.
This is a walkers paradise with many paths, providing walks to suit all needs and plenty of inns and pubs to satisfy all thirsts. For the adventurous the Pennine Way is very near by but many more modest walks await to delight walkers of all levels of vitality.
Guides and maps are available from the Tourist Information Centre in Holmfirth.
The villages in the Holme Valley were built before the days of the motor car and seem to cling to the contours of the land, shaping the houses to fit the available space. The effect ranges from charming to awe inspiring but they are all well worth a visit, especially if you can do so on foot.
Holmfirth itself is lovely but make time to see the likes of Hepworth, Holme, Netherthong and Upperthong. Honley is also a quaint village with many interesting shops and galleries.
Drive up the road to Holme Moss and you will see some of the most breathtaking views. Stop in the car park near the top and take in the splendour of the Holme Valley.
