We moved from Todmorden to Wales back in the summer of 2019. We lived in Calderdale for almost 20 years, so we know the borough quite well. We’ve chosen our old stomping ground as this week’s Property Spotlight area.
We’ve selected three very different homes; the budget example is a surprisingly spacious barge that sits on the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge – the waterway that runs directly behind our old house. The middle home is a property that we ourselves seriously considered buying over a decade ago. It’s in Lumbutts, a small settlement located up above Todmorden town. The premium, million pound property is a 17th century Yeoman‘s house that exudes history and character.
‘Oddy’ – located near Mayroyd Lock Number 8, Rochdale Canal, Hebden Bridge
£90,000 (cash buyers only)
Oddy measures 55ft long, width 12 foot and weighing 30 ton. The boat was an hold vessel used to maintain the canals on the Leeds / Liverpool This is a true low maintenance boat in fair condition.
Fees:
Boat licence – £94.48 per month, (£1,33.71 per annum)
Mooring licence – (awaiting charges)
Mooring fees – £128.00 per month (£1,536.00 per annum)
Third party insurance on basic boats is around £100.00 per annum but you can shop around and get one a lot cheaper
With elements of the property thought to date back to medieval times, the majority of Wadsworth Banks Farm was built in the 17th Century, with large mullion windows, exposed beams and fireplaces found in many of the rooms.
Four bedroom Yeoman’s house
Grade II* Listed
Full of characterful features
Established south facing gardens
Ample parking for several vehicles, trailers & horse boxes
A new venture/adventure has begun for H is for Home this week. We’ve spent the last couple of days moving into the recently-opened Valley Antiques Centre in Hebden Bridge.
We’ve long-fancied having a retail space in Hebden. It’s a lovely little town full of small independent shops; cafés & coffee shops, pubs & bars and art galleries. It’s a great place to spend the day mooching around. We actually lived here when we first moved to Yorkshire from Brighton back in 2000.
Despite recently moving to Wales, it will be nice to maintain an ongoing relationship with the town, Todmorden and the Calder Valley, in general.
We’ve secured a decent-sized space, big enough for furniture and smaller vintage items such as fabric, lighting, artwork and kitchenalia – and all manner of decorative things for the home.
Valley Antiques Centre has only been open a couple of months, it’s looking great and is packed full of interesting and quirky stuff from a number of dealers. It’s well run, and you’ll receive a warm welcome from Jan, who has launched the centre – or one of the other dealers on hand.
We’ve included these photos to show you how we’re getting on – and to showcase the kind of stock you’ll find on our pitch. In future posts, we’ll highlight other dealers and their wares.
Valley Antiques Centre is situated at the end of Valley Road – just past the Doctors’ Surgery, on the opposite side of the road. It’s open 10am-4pm, Monday to Sunday.
We hope that you can pay us a visit sometime soon!
The diversity of the landscape is amazing – beautiful farmland scenery, rugged mountains & moors, pretty woodland, meandering rivers & dramatic sea coasts – it has it all.
Flamborough Head Lighthouse | Image credit: Mike Elleray
The county has three national parks either wholly or partially within its borders, which is quite something. This stunning scenery was a major factor in Yorkshire being chosen for the Grand Départ for this year”s Tour de France. The enthusiasm of the population & amazing spectator numbers would follow later.
The man-made additions can make a wonderful impact on the landscape – just look at the stunning Ribblehead Viaduct which we featured as our main photo – or the classic dry stone walls which snake for thousands of miles across the countryside.
view over Scarborough from the castle | Image credit: Dave Kilroy
There’s amazing architecture both old & new – from ancient castles like the coastal fortress at Scarborough to spectacular abbeys like Rievaulx, Bolton & Fountains. Stately homes like Castle Howard – through to classic Georgian market towns & spas such as Richmond & Harrogate.
Workers’ houses, Saltaire | Image credit: Tim Green
Victorian mill buildings & civic splendour of the 19th century – Saltaire immediately springs to mind!
Relative to size, the number of listed buildings in industrial towns like Halifax & Huddersfield is amazing.
Twins l and ll by Jaume Plensa, Yorkshire Sculpture Park | Image credit: Bryan Ledgard
Then right into the 21st century with places like Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Even the humble car park can grab your attention. This is the Charles Street car park in Sheffield, christened ‘the cheese grater’ by the locals (it’s been voted the 3rd coolest in the world don”t you know!).
Charles Street Car Park, Sheffield | Image credit: Duncan Harris
We have a choice of cities such as York, Leeds & Sheffield for a metropolitan buzz and shopping trips.
An extensive canal network, originally built to transport goods in the 18th & 19th century, criss-crosses the county. It now provides the perfect opportunity for boating holidays & tow path walks.
Five Rise Locks, Bingley | Image credit: Allan Harris
It’s hard to pick favourite places when there’s so much on offer. Everyone who lives here or holidays in the area will have their own ideas.
We love the Yorkshire Dales and the coast around Whitby. Malham is a great place to visit – with it’s stunning limestone scenery of streams, springs, caverns, gorges, clints & grykes – it’s a real life geography text book!
…and just mentioning Whitby makes us dream wistfully about a trip over there.
It’s a lovely drive from here – through Helmsley & Pickering, across the North York Moors – stopping for a sandwich & a cuppa at the Hole of Horcum – then dropping down through Sleights and into picturesque Whitby.
We’d probably stay at the Old Dispensary. No doubt, there’d be walks on the beach or coastal path to Staithes or Robin Hood’s Bay. A mooch around the town maybe, fish & chips on the harbour at sunset. Perhaps a few drinks in the Black Horse pub – and a lazy breakfast with the newspapers the morning after. Bliss – the perfect weekend away.
Staithes Harbour looking out to sea | Image credit: PauliCarmody
We really enjoy a drive out somewhere – a day wandering around the local sights & shops – stopping for a coffee. We’re spoilt for choice really – places like Ripon, Ilkley, Harrogate, Skipton and Richmond all within reach. It brings to mind another favourite little trip – with flask of tea made, take the lovely drive over the moors through Oxenhope to Addingham (where you can pick up a snack for lunchtime if you haven’t brought a packed lunch. Spend a couple of hours by the river at Bolton Abbey, then onto Ilkley or Skipton for the afternoon. Each has its own attractions depending on what you fancy that day – auction house, antiques centre, shops, park, boat trip on the canal, medieval castle, Betty’s Tea Rooms!
Stepping stones across the river at Bolton Abbey | Image credit: linearclassifier
And then there’s home of course – we can’t write a post about Yorkshire without highlighting our own little corner of the county. We live & work in the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. We know the neighbouring towns of Todmorden & Hebden Bridge particularly well having lived in both.
Todmorden stone on entering the town centre
It’s Todmorden at the moment and we’re very happy here. It’s actually very easy to shop & socialise in both which is ideal. Two for the price of one! A ten minute drive or train hop between the two – or an hour’s walk along a lovely stretch of that canal we mentioned earlier – the perfect distance for a stroll with a well-deserved pub lunch at the other end!
Rochdale Canal at Hebden Bridge | Image credit: Phil King
There’s a lot going on here for relatively small towns. Interesting independent shops, markets, art galleries, restaurants & bars. Each town has a lovely, big park where they stage a wide variety of events. There are agricultural shows, vintage car rallies, beer & music festivals and spectacular fire work displays.
We have beautiful countryside on our doorstep where we spend many hours walking with our dog, Fudge. The folk are friendly & helpful and there’s a strong will to give things a go – whether it be a new business or social endeavour. Just take Incredible Edible as the perfect example – a wonderful organisation aiming to provide access to good local food for all.
View of Todmorden nestled in the Calder valley
So, that’s our Yorkshire. In addition to sharing lots of lovely images, this post gives us the opportunity to highlight the importance of Yorkshire Water in all this. It’s actually one of the county’s largest landowners and has given access to thousands of acres of their land for everyone to enjoy. Their Blueprint for Yorkshire details their achievements to date & plans for the next 25 years. Their work is essential, from providing our drinking water, to reducing flooding to protecting wildlife and the natural environment. Their activities affect residents & visitors alike and are vital for the well-being of this county.
The book’s author, Hannah Nunn, is a designer/maker – specialising in beautiful & delicate paper-cut lamps.
She also owns and runs Radiance – a lighting & craft boutique – in Hebden Bridge where she’s based. All in all, a very busy lady!
Illuminate’s chapters are broken down via materials – paper, glass, ceramics, wood etc…
…with sections within those chapters given over to individual designer/makers – a summary of their background & practice accompanied by lush photographs of their creations.
Creations that are fun, colourful, wacky, delicate, whimsical and works of art – you’ll never make do with a bare bulb ever again!
It’s lovely to see makers we know personally and admire including people like Manchester-based Jane Blease.
And others who we’ve not had the pleasure of meeting in person, but with whose work we’re already familiar, such as Helen Rawlinson and Greypants.
The lighting showcased represents an international pool of artistry. As well as the UK, makers hail from as far afield as Japan, the USA, New Zealand, Serbia and The Netherlands.
In all, there are 43 individual lighting designers featured in the book – but owing to space restrictions Hannah has included an additional image gallery of work by other makers that she recommends you seek out.
Perhaps this is a sign that there’s a demand for Illuminate II!
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