T is for… Todmorden

T is for Todmorden blog post banner

Standing stone at the entrance to Todmorden town centre

Since we launched the website back in March we have wondered what to do with the furniture that we’ve got in stock.

looking down on Todmorden town centre, canal and lock no. 19

Furniture poses a slight problem – unlike standard packages the cost of getting it to different parts of the country, indeed the world, vary wildly. Therefore, it’s almost impossible to incorporate into a website where postage is calculated automatically at checkout.

Todmorden Unitarian Church

We’d almost decided to abandon furniture altogether but we thought that would be a great shame as we already have some nice pieces available. Also, what would we do the next time we see a great chair at a great price?

St Marys Parish Church, Todmorden

Todmorden Library, Picture House Antiques and Bear Foods

So, after some thought, we’ve now decided to include these larger items on the website – available via courier or collection in person.

Todmorden town centre

What’s all this got to do with Todmorden? Well, that’s where H is for Home is based!

Honey Hole Lane, Todmorden

‘T is for…’ is an opportunity to show you a bit of our town – and also suggest some of the shops & sights that might be of interest to someone making the journey to pick up that table, desk or chair.

Bare Arts shop front

Tod, as the town’s affectionately called, is a small Pennine town situated in the Calder Valley on the border between Lancashire & Yorkshire. In fact, the border used to follow the river which runs through the town centre – where the town hall now stands.

Todmorden Town Hall

It’s officially been in Yorkshire since the 1880s, although not everyone agrees – and just to add to the confusion, it has a Lancashire postcode!

Old Hall, Todmorden

The town was heavily involved in the textile industry. The ready supply of running water was ideal for the cotton, wool and dye-work mills. The settlements of the area were originally linked by pack horse trails. Canal, rail & road links were later constructed in the 18th & 19th centuries.

Flock of sheep on the hillside in Todmorden

The canal, rail, road and river all criss-cross the valley bottom to this day. It now has a varied mix of light industry from metal fabricators to mineral works. Farming in the surrounding fields and hills. Also service industries, retail etc.

Todmorden Marina

A lot of people live & work in the valley – and an increasingly significant number commuting to either Manchester or Leeds, being more or less mid-way between the two cities.

There’s a wide variety of housing stock – workers’ terraces, stone cottages, converted mills, farms and some quite grand villas.

Todmorden town centre

The valley is quite steep-sided, and in some areas the buildings appear to almost topple down on to each other. We recently discovered this Marrimekko Mokki fabric

green Marrimekko 'Mokki' fabric

…we love it – it really captures the feeling!

So, what else might you be able to see & do if you make the trip? We’ve already spoken about the market in the M is for Market post – remember, Thursday’s flea market day!

Rochdale Road, leading to Water Street, Todmorden

In terms of other interiors-related shops, there’s a nice little group in the Water Street area. We have a decent-sized antiques centre – Picture House Antiques (now closed down). They have a few traders housed under one roof and over 3 floors – traditional antiques, rustic bits & pieces, vintage & retro too.

Inside Picture House Antiques

Next door is The Bear Co-op (now Yakumama), housed in the old Industrial Cooperative building – a lovely health food/grocery shop with café upstairs.

Rochdale Road, Todmorden

Recently opened is Hogarth & Hunt, specialising in French country interiors (now closed down).

Hogarth and Hunt antique shop

Across the street is Makepiece…(now closed)

Makepiece shop

…who sell ladies & children’s clothes, hand-spun and knitted using wool from the shop owner’s own rare breed sheep. Also handmade soaps, potions & lotions.

Vanilla Pod shopfront

You can design & make your own greeting cards at Vanilla Pod (now Sunlight Apothecary). There’s Water Street Gallery which showcases contemporary pieces of glass, ceramics, textiles and paintings.

Also, Lyall’s, a small second-hand bookshop, Todmorden Toy and Model Museum and a few charity shops close by.

Todmorden Fine Art shopfront

Also on Water Street is Todmorden Fine Art, one of our absolute favourites and the location of many of our moments of weakness. The gallery specialises in Northern artists such as William Turner, Geoffrey Key & Peter Stanaway.

Dave Gunning, proprietor of Todmorden Fine Art

We have a large park, Centre Vale, in the town with a leisure centre and swimming pool. Swings & things if you’ve brought young kids… and wooded trails if you’ve brought the dog! There’s no shortage of hills, trees and water in the area generally – making it great walking country.

Seventytwo (now Park End) is a family-friendly café situated opposite the park – and there are plenty of other of places to sip a coffee in the centre of town.

Stone gateposts above Eastwood, Todmorden

Lane above Centre Vale Park, Todmorden Lock Keepers Cottage, Walsden

Gaddings Dam, Lumbutts, Todmorden

There are a few villages & towns in the valley. Five minutes drive in either direction are Walsden and Hebden Bridge.

Walsden has a large garden centre, Gorden Riggs and Cottage Antiques (now closed down) which specialises in rustic country furniture – beautifully displayed in a two storey barn and courtyard.

Cottage Antiques shopfront, Walsden

And no mention can be made of Walsden without talking about Grandma Pollard’s (now closed, Tony Pollard retired) – a famous fish & chip shop in these parts – people travel from far & wide to sample its delights!

Hebden Bridge is a lovely little town famous for its independent shops and cafés. It also has an antiques centre… as does Mytholmroyd, a further 5 minutes drive up the valley.

Back to that furniture – here are some of the items that we’ve recently put on the website…

Vintage G-plan glass-topped table

vintage chrome & leather cantilevered chair vintage swivel chair

Vintage teak desk

…all available to collect from Todmorden!

M is for… Market

'M is for... Market' blog post banner

Todmorden Market stall | H is for Home

We live in Todmorden – and run our website from here too.

It’s a small market town in the Pennine hills on the border between Lancashire & Yorkshire. Todmorden Market is one of its major assets.

Olives for sale on Todmorden outdoor market

Thursday is flea market day, with a mix of regular traders & one off stall holders having a clear out or raising money for charity.

Free cakes with the bric-a-brac on Todmorden Outdoor Market

We try to get there most weeks, trawling stalls for potential H is for Home stock. We’ve picked up all manner of things over the years – from 200 year old chairs to 1960s lamps.

Bric-a-brac for sale on Todmorden Flea Market

Some traders know what we like now and draw our attention to things they’ve got or will be getting hold of soon.

Bric-a-brac for sale on Todmorden Flea Market

After the second-hand stalls have been scoured, there’s a great place to stop for coffee – it has an unbelievable choice of teas & coffees all on display on their shelves… with home-made cakes and doughnuts to boot!

Exchange Coffee Co on Todmorden Indoor Market | H is for Home

Florist on Todmorden Indoor Market | H is for Home

Jams for sale on Todmorden Indoor Market | H is for Home

Also on the inside market are a florist, greengrocer, cheese stall, biscuit seller, haberdasher, butchers, bakers, but alas, no candlestick maker! Having said that, there’s Dawson’s – a great, traditional hardware stall that never fails to have that little brush or screw that no one else seems to stock. They, no doubt, have candlesticks… and the candles that go in them too!

Dawson's Hardware on Todmorden Indoor MArket | H is for Home

The market has at least 4 different butchers – everyone has their own regular or favourite. Ours is Paul Standsfield whose stall greets you as you enter through the main doors. He’s Fudge’s firm favourite too as he’ll always throw in a big, tasty beef or venison bone for him.

Standsfield Butchers on Todmorden Indoor Market | H is for Home

On other days of the week, the outside market has the usual range of food, clothing and homeware stalls.

Todmorden Outdoor Market | H is for Home

Cheese for sale on Todmorden Flea Market | H is for Home

Fruit & veg for sale on Todmorden Outdoor Market | H is for Home

Special mention has to go to Alexander Gourmet Med, a Mediterranean food specialist who’s usually there on a Saturday. Alex is extremely passionate & knowledgeable about everything he sells. He knows where it was made, which family made it, the methods they used and what makes it unique. We buy great olives & other antipasti, honey, chocolate, coffee, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. He’s an endless source of birthday & Christmas presents for friends & family!

Alexander Gourmet Med Mediterranean stall on Todmorden Outdoor Market | H is for Home

We hope you get the chance to visit one day!