The View From Beacon Hill: A Snapshot of Halifax

On a clear day, there's no better spot to appreciate the town of Halifax than from the top of Beacon Hill. On August 11, 2018, I took my Nikon D3300 up there to capture the incredible views, and what I found was a town that perfectly blends its rich industrial past with its vibrant, modern present.

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A Tale of Two Halves

From this vantage point, you can see Halifax spread out below, a tapestry of old stone buildings and new architectural additions. Looking towards the town centre, the iconic spire of Square Church stands tall, a reminder of the town's Victorian heritage. Nearby, the dramatic, elliptical courtyard of the Piece Hall is instantly recognizable. This former cloth hall, now a stunning public square, sits next to the modern Central Library and the Industrial Museum, illustrating how the town honours its history while embracing the future.

Just a short distance away, the impressive headquarters of the Halifax Bank, a landmark in its own right, shows the town's long-standing connection to finance. As you scan the horizon, you'll also see the sprawling complex of Dean Clough Mills, once a massive carpet factory and now a hub for arts, business, and innovation.

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Past and Present, Side by Side

Halifax is a town of contrasts. Down below, you can spot the lively Broad Street Plaza and the modern flats that sit alongside older, traditional neighbourhoods. Even the Eureka! Museum, a glass-fronted building designed for children, is right next to the historic Halifax Railway Station, with its beautiful stonework and classic architecture. The North Bridge, a key piece of the town's infrastructure, effortlessly connects these different eras, spanning the valley with a graceful curve.

But the views aren't just about the town itself. From the Beacon, you can see far across the Calder Valley. The path that winds down the hillside reveals a rolling landscape of green fields and distant hills, a reminder of the beautiful countryside that surrounds Halifax. The very top of the hill is home to the Beacon itself, a striking metal structure with a path and a bench nearby—the perfect place to sit, breathe, and take it all in.

Standing up there, looking out over the landscape, it’s clear that Halifax is a place where history and modernity live in harmony. It’s a town proud of where it's come from and excited about where it's going.

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A New Year's Day Revelation: Unmasking the Heart of Sowerby Bridge

New Year's Day usually means hangovers and quiet contemplation. For me, it was an irresistible opportunity to experience Sowerby Bridge like never before. This market town in West Yorkshire’s dramatic Calder Valley is often a pulsating artery of traffic, but on this crisp morning, its streets lay unusually serene, inviting a deeper look at a place whose story runs as deep as its historic waterways.

Sowerby Bridge’s very name hints at its origins: a blend of "Sowerby" (a nearby hill settlement) and the crucial bridge that allowed travellers to cross the River Calder on their epic journeys between Yorkshire and Lancashire. It was this strategic crossing, and the raw power of the Calder and Ryburn rivers, that ignited the town’s industrial boom. Mills sprang up, churning out textiles and engineering marvels, transforming a simple ford into a thriving industrial powerhouse.

But the wheels of industry eventually slowed, leaving Sowerby Bridge to reinvent itself. And what a reinvention it has been! Today, it's a testament to resilience, a vibrant tourism destination with a particular charm for canal boaters. Picture this: the confluence of two rivers, the Calder & Ryburn, meeting the incredible junction of the Calder & Hebble Navigation and the Rochdale Canal. This isn't just a picturesque scene; it's a triumph of restoration. Imagine the silence of the 1960s to 1990s, when this vital section of canal was blocked. Then, the monumental effort: the re-opening of Tuel Lane Tunnel and the construction of the deepest inland canal lock in the UK. This engineering feat didn't just reconnect waterways; it reconnected history, allowing boats to travel this route from Yorkshire to Manchester for the first time in years. It’s a truly inspiring story of community and perseverance.

Beyond the canals, Sowerby Bridge’s railway past is equally captivating. For over seven decades, it was a pivotal railway junction, with the Rishworth Branch Line curving away towards the Ryburn Valley. Though intended as a shortcut to Littleborough, it only ever reached Rishworth. This junction status meant a much larger station, a bustling hub that sadly met a fiery end in 1978, leaving behind only memories of its former grandeur.

Knowing Sowerby Bridge's usual hustle and bustle, I couldn't resist the chance to see its core laid bare, free from the constant flow of vehicles. My walk took me from Pye Nest on the eastern fringes, right through the heart of the main street, and into the West End, allowing me to capture some of the lesser-seen gems away from the primary thoroughfare. These images, aren't just snapshots of a town; they're glimpses into its soul, revealing the quiet beauty and rich narrative that lies beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered.

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Garden area on Bolton Brow. This used to be covered by housing.

Wharf Street.

The former Sowerby Bridge Police Station, the building was featured in seasons 1 and 2 of Happy Valley.

Lock 2 on the Rochdale Canal from the top of Tuel lane Tunnel.

Tower Hill.

County Bridge towards the Town Hall building.

River Ryburn.

Donaldson's Vets at the end of Wakefield Road used to be a pub known as the Prospect Inn.

Locks 1 and 2 on the Rochdale Canal.

Main Road underneath Sowerby Bridge Viaduct.

River Calder from County Bridge.

The Jubilee Refreshment rooms are housed in the former ticket office for Sowerby Bridge Railway Station. The building is all that remains of the station building damaged by fire and demolished 1978-81.

Ryburn Buildings at West End.

Looking down Bolton Brow, Gratrix Lane to the right.

Train passing over Sowerby Bridge Viaduct, taken from County Bridge.

J.D. Wetherspoons Commercial Inn at the bottom of Tuel Lane. The canal originally exited a bridge near the traffic lights, this was infilled in the 1950's. Their was a tunnel built underneath this junction in 1996 to reopen the Rochdale Canal, which comes out behind the Commercial Inn.

Christ Church.

Wharf Street, the building with the to let sign was once a branch of the Halifax Bank.

Victoria Bridge and the River Ryburn.

The River Calder.

Sowerby Bridge Railway Station.

Warehouse 2 and the Salt Warehouse at Sowerby Bridge Canal Basin.

Carlton Mill.

River Calder.

Sowerby Bridge Viaduct.

River Calder.

It should be pointed out that the building often referred to as the town hall was never actually Sowerby Bridge Town Hall. It was built in the hope that Sowerby Bridge Council would purchase the hall from the developers but this never happened. The clock is owned by the people of Sowerby Bridge and the building until recently was a branch of Lloyds Bank.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.