Photos and the City

Tag: Yorkshire

  • Worth Valley Railway

    worth valley railway, stem train, vintage trains, sunday, haworth, oxenhope, keightly, bronte country, yorkshire, england, travel

    It was a kitschy goody bye to Hebden Bridge and my beautiful view! But it was time to start my travel into Bronte Country, the Worth Valley. And it even had something special in store for me. On that Sunday it was vintage trains day on the Worth Valley Railway!

    But first I had to take the “Bronte Bus” and enjoy the very scenic drive to Haworth.

    worth valley railway, stem train, vintage trains, sunday, haworth, oxenhope, keightly, bronte country, yorkshire, england, travelIt took about one hour until I arrived at Haworth and the drive was just beautiful, I quickly threw all my luggage into my home for the next days and walked the few minutes to the railway station.

    worth valley railway, stem train, vintage trains, sunday, haworth, oxenhope, keightly, bronte country, yorkshire, england, travelFeels like a scene from a movie – the station is only in use for the Worth Valley Railway and all of the other stations were also nicely decorated. worth valley railway, stem train, vintage trains, sunday, haworth, oxenhope, keightly, bronte country, yorkshire, england, travelworth valley railway, stem train, vintage trains, sunday, haworth, oxenhope, keightly, bronte country, yorkshire, england, travelAnd here came my drive for the afternoon. Every carriage was different, it went from 3rd class, 2nd class, 1st class, club carriage and dining carriage – and as I went from Haworth to Oxenhope to Keighley to Oxenhope to Keighley to Haworth – I tried every single one. My last one was the club car with a serving of prosecco and strawberries with cream. It takes about 25 minutes to go the 8 km from Oxenhope to Keighley and it´s such a scenic drive.

    In 1861, John McLandsborough, a civil engineer, visited Haworth to pay tribute to Charlotte Brontë but was surprised to find that it was not served by a railway. He proposed a branch running from the Midland Railway’s station at Keighley to Oxenhope. The line would serve three small towns and 15 mills along its length.

    A meeting of local gentlemen were told that the line would cost £36,000 to build (equivalent to £3,300,000 in 2018). A total of 3,134 shares worth £10 each were issued at this meeting, along with the election of directors, bankers, solicitors and engineers. J McLandsborough, the original proposer of the line (who dealt predominantly with water and sewerage engineering, but had experience of building the Otley and Ilkley Railway) was appointed acting engineer; whilst J. S. Crossley of the Midland Railway was appointed consultant engineer. (Wikipedia)

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    The line opened in 1867, funded predominantly by local wealthy mill owners. Within a very short time, the railway became part of the Midland Railway until in 1923 at the Grouping, it was absorbed into the new London Midland and Scottish Railway. Upon Nationalisation in 1948, the line became part of British Railways, and with its fortunes declining with the rise of competition from the roads, the branch closed in 1962.

    Much local opposition to this saw the rise of the KWVRPS and by their efforts, the railway reopened in 1968. (Worth Valley Railway)

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    Today the railway is owned by the Preservation Society and most (all?) people working are volunteers.

    It´s often used in movies and TV shows, one of the most local ones seems to be “The Railway Children” based on the book by E. Nesbit. Or more recent “Peaky Blinders” and “Testament of Youth”.

    The Railway has appeared in many TV and film productions including Sherlock Holmes, Peaky Blinders, Disney’s 2019 remake of Dumbo and many more. Perhaps most famously, the Railway, and in particular the charming station at Oakworth, were used as the location for the classic 1970 film The Railway Children. Step back in time and relive this well-loved tale as you watch the vintage steam trains puff their way in and out of the valley. (Yorkshire.com)

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  • Hardcastle Crags

    hardcastle crags, hebden bridge, yorkshire, south pennies, valley, england, get outside, walk, wood, forrest, path, mill, national trust, walk, hike

    I followed this path out of Heptonstall in direction of Hardcastle Crags. Hardcastle Crags is a wooded valley owned by the National Trust and invites you to a wonderful walk along the river.

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    The first part of the path was very picturesque and had a great view, it only started to get a little bit harder down the hill, which was quite steep sometimes. So there is only one picture before the descent through Hebden Wood, then I had the camera safely packed away!

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    But I made it down to Hebden Water and the stepping stones to cross the river.

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    The path continued along the water until I reached Gibson Mill and it was time for another tea break.

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    gibson Mill

    Built in the 19th century it was one of the first mills built for the Industrial Revolution. Today it houses a museum but was closed on this day.

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    The Abraham Gibson’s were landowners and farmers who each demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit, an enthusiasm for technological developments and a willingness to adapt their business activities in tune with the economic circumstances of the times in which they lived. (National Trust)

    There are also some old pictures and more about the history provided by the National Trust website. Abraham Gibson left the area and the Mill to the National Trust after his death in 1956.

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    hardcastle crags, hebden bridge, yorkshire, south pennies, valley, england, get outside, walk, wood, forrest, path, mill, national trust, walk, hike

    I made my way back towards Hebden Bridge and left Hardcastle Crags.

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    The street brought me along with former factories and gave me great views of the city.

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  • Heptonstall

    The ancient village of Heptonstall sits on top of a steep hill on the north side of the Calder Valley, overlooking Hebden Bridge. The village once thrived in the woollen trade until the end of the 18th century when water and then steam powered mills determined that the industry was located in the tributary valleys of the Calder. (Yorkshire.com)

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    You cross the old bridge in Hebden Bridge and stand in front of “The Buttress”, part of an ancient packhorse route, a steep, cobbled ascent from Hebden Bridge up to Heptonstall on top of the hill. It´s not a long way, but a very steep one!

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    The view along the way is nice though and invites you to a short break!

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    View of Hebden Bridge from above, I also found a lost little friend – hopefully he got found!

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    Heptonstall

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    Finally arrived at the top! Heptonstall offers a historical guided walk around the village, the printed ones are out of print (even so the lovely gentleman at the post office/local shop offered to lend me his copy) there is also a downloadable one.

    A little café was the perfect place to have a little read through and have a tiny rest.

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    First named in 1253, Heptonstall was

    a centre for hand-loom weaving, it was also the site of a battle in 1643 during the early part of the English Civil War.  The foundation stone of its octagonal Methodist chapel, the oldest still in continued use, was laid following the visit of John Wesley in 1764.

    Heptonstall cottages and terraced houses were characterised by their large first floor windows to maximise the light for weaving. (heptonstall.org)

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    The old Co-Operative house, market – and the little café on the right.

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    St Thomas a Becket

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    Founded around 1260 Heptonstalls old church was altered and added to over the centuries but damaged by a gale in 1847 and a new church was built right next to the old one.

    The paths are laid with old gravestones and in the newer part American poet, Sylvia Plath is buried.

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    Right next to the churches is the Old Grammar School, serving as a little museum about local history and well worth a visit! (entrance is free)

    It was endowed in 1641 and closed in 1889. The building was used by the Yorkshire Penny Bank from 1898 to 1954. They kept the original school desks, headmaster’s chair and stone fireplace, which are still in position, (Heptonstall.org)

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    weavers Square

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    Designed by local architect Noel Singer, as a museum of stone and completed in 1967. Several weavers’ cottages and the old band room previously stood on the site. It is formed of cobbles and pebbles from the River Calder in Mytholmroyd, various kinds of setts, stone flags from local houses and concrete.(Heptonstall.org)

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    heptonstall, hebden bridge, yorkshire, england, south pennies, countryside, village, landscape, houses, holiday, travel, my british summer, photos and the city

    My next destination was Hardcastle Crags, a wooded valley on the other side of the hill!

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