Nature's Masterpiece: Hardcastle Crags Set 2

Nestled in the heart of West Yorkshire, near the charming town of Hebden Bridge, lies a hidden gem: Hardcastle Crags. This enchanting wooded valley, also known as Hebden Dale, is a haven for nature lovers, hikers, and families seeking a breath of fresh air. Owned and managed by the National Trust, Hardcastle Crags offers a tranquil escape into a world of lush greenery, tumbling streams, and fascinating history.

From the moment you step into the valley, you'll be captivated by its beauty. The towering trees create a verdant canopy overhead, dappling the sunlight that filters through to the forest floor. The air is filled with the soothing sounds of the Hebden Water as it rushes and tumbles along the valley bottom, carving its way through the landscape.

Hardcastle Crags is a place for exploration. Whether you're looking for a challenging hike or a gentle stroll, there are paths to suit every ability. The network of trails winds through the valley, offering stunning views of the crags themselves – dramatic rock formations that jut out from the hillside, showcasing the power of nature. Keep an eye out for the diverse flora and fauna that call this valley home; from vibrant wildflowers to the elusive kingfisher, there's always something to discover.

A highlight of any visit to Hardcastle Crags is Gibson Mill. This fascinating 19th-century mill, now a visitor centre, offers a glimpse into the area's industrial past. Learn about the mill's history and the lives of the people who worked there, and perhaps even enjoy a refreshing cup of tea in the cafe. The mill is a perfect spot to take a break during your explorations and soak in the tranquil atmosphere.

The beauty and importance of Hardcastle Crags haven't gone unnoticed over the years. It's a testament to the power of community that this precious landscape has been protected from development. The valley has been the subject of reservoir proposals on several occasions, but thanks to the tireless efforts of local residents and conservationists, these plans have been successfully fought off, preserving this natural wonderland for generations to come.

Hardcastle Crags is more than just a pretty place; it's a vital part of the local ecosystem and a cherished space for the community. It's a place to connect with nature, to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life, and to appreciate the simple beauty of the natural world.

Planning your visit:

• Location: Near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
• Managed by: National Trust
• Highlights: Woodland walks, Hebden Water, Gibson Mill, stunning crags
• Perfect for: Hiking, family days out, nature lovers
• Don't forget: Your walking boots!

So, whether you're a seasoned hiker or simply looking for a peaceful escape, make sure to add Hardcastle Crags to your list. You won't be disappointed by the magic that awaits you in this beautiful corner of West Yorkshire.

Taken on September 10th, 2016 with a Nikon d3300 SLR camera. The picture i took have been split into 3 sets, this is set 2. Clicking any image below should open a link in another window to my Colin Green Photography store on Zazzle.

Widdop Road Bridge.

Gibson Mill

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Boxing Day Randoms.

 A set here I took using a Samsung Galaxy Tablet on Boxing Day 2013, whilst out for a walk blowing away the Christmas Day cobwebs. Not much to add only they were taken in the Sowerby Bridge to Luddendenfoot area.

I've never discovered much about this building, it can be found by following a path from Tenterfields in the direction of Boulderclough and Luddendenfoot. I was once told it was part of Sagar Richards, which was an engineering company that occupy a sight to the north of the railway which passes to the right of the picture. There's no obvious signs that the sites were connected at the railway crossers a low bridge to the west of here which would have restricted access to larger vehicles.

This former mill pulley is on display in an apartment complex that occupies the former mills in the centre of Sowerby Bridge. Dugdales Mill can be seen in the background.

This stream runs through a private garden at Rose Grove to the west of Sowerby Bridge, the stream runs underneath the road in to the Rochdale Canal.

This former mill chimney long since disused offers a striking site in the centre of Sowerby Bridge, the road that runs past is the Old Cawsey an ancient packhorse route that was once the main road through the valley and Sowerby Bridge.

The 3 pictures above show Monkey Tunnel (no idea why it's called that). The tunnel runs underneath the railway line near Tenterfields Business Park.

Now offices and apartments this building was once the boiler house that helped Sowerby Bridge power that industry that built it from a hamlet alongside the River Calder into a town.

These rusty gates can be found near Trinity Academy, Sowerby Bridge, they were probably once one of the entrances to the school grounds, they have long since ceased to be used and have been left to rot, rust and decay.

This water culvert carries a water source from Sowerby underneath the railway in to the River Calder, it can be found near the red brick abandoned mill pictured earlier.

Willow Hall Drive is a private road that takes it's name from the nearby manor house. Despite being a private road it is accessible to cars and pedestrians.

The tree lined partially covered path leads up from the Hollins Mill area to the Friendly area of Sowerby Bridge.

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Dean Head Church, Scammonden

 Dean Head Church or by it's proper name St Bartholomew's Church opened in 1865 occupying a spot then overlooking the Dean Head Clough Valley and since 1969 overlooking Scammonden Reservoir and The M62 Motorway. It is the 3rd church or chapel to have been built at this location since 1615. 

St Bartholomew's is the main building in a small cluster that also includes the former Dean Head School and a couple of dwellings. The rest of Dean Head - Scammonden village was lost in the early 1960's when the motorway and dam were built.

As the reservoir filled it was expected that the church and nearby buildings would become unsafe, many people expected these to have been demolished by the late 1970's -80's but happily this has not been the case, with the church roof being replaced in 2002.

These pictures were taken in March 2015 using a Polaroid is2132 bridge camera, they can also be seen on Clickasnap full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

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Castleton Moor Railway Station

Castleton Moor Railway Station is a stop on the Esk Valley Line connecting Middlesborough with Whitby in North Yorkshire. Opened on the 1st April 1861 as Castleton Railway Station the station was built with 2 platforms as this stretch of the line was constructed with a passing loop, the station also featured a signal box, goods warehouse and yard. These were all lost in the early 1980's. The station was renamed Castleton Moor in March 1965.

The station has limited facilities which include a basic shelter, information boards and a ticket machine. It is unmanned and the former station buildings appear to now be a private residence. In the last full year of stats 4732 people used Castleton Moor at an average of 91 per week. The station is served by 11 trains per day, 5 towards Whitby and 6 in the direction of Middlesborough.

These pictures were taken on the 27th August 2022 using a Nikon d3300 SLR camera. They can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

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Scammonden Motorway at Dusk.

 Just a single shot picture for this post taken on the 4th August 2018 using a Nikon d3300 SLR.

Taken from Scammonden Bridge looking eastwards towards the reservoir - Leeds bound motorway direction. This was a first attempt at long exposure by me, I think it turned out ok

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Halifax Bus Station May 2018 and a Ghostly Tale.

The first bus station to be opened in Halifax was to be found at Ward's End, opposite the Victoria Theatre. Opened in the 1940s, it was nothing like a modern-designed bus station, offering only limited stops. This was soon obsolete due to increasing bus travel, and in 1954 Halifax was to gain its first (proper) bus station at Cross Fields, an area of slums recently cleared known as the City.

In the 1980's, Halifax's bus station at Cross Fields had outgrown the site it occupied, with many buses now stopping in the town centre with their passengers never visiting the station. The local authority targeted a site nearby to develop between Northgate and Winding Road, and in October 1989, at a cost of £2 million, the new bus station was opened, with the former Sion Sunday School, Congregation Church, and Jubilee Hall being incorporated into its development.

This bus station was recently demolished to allow for the development of a new bus station on the site. At a cost of £17.7 million, a new bus station serving Halifax will open in 2023.

A couple of recent stories to feature the bus station include the discovery of bones during its recent redevelopment and an interesting ghostly tale from a waiting passenger; this can be read at the bottom of the pictures.

These pictures were taken in May 2018 using a Nikon d3300 SLR camera. They can be seen below and on Clickasnap in full size, resolution, and unwatermarked.

The frontage and remains of the Sion Congregational Church, Jubilee Memorial Hall. The hall was opened in 1866 and offers an impressive eastern entrance top the bus station.

The former Sion Congregational Church Building, it is part of the bus station and used to have a burial ground nearby. The church was closed in 1959.

Sion Sunday School opened in 1846, the frontage was moved and incorporated in to the bus station when it was developed in 1989.

As I alluded to earlier, there is a story about the bus station being the subject of ghostly happenings. A man waiting for his bus to depart saw two women approaching the bus weighed down with shopping. Upon them preparing to embark, he looked away for a moment, and when he looked back, they had disappeared completely from view on the bus and the surrounding station.

These pictures were taken on May 27, 2018. I'm not sure how much of this bus station still exists as the redevelopment works are still ongoing, with a plan to open the new bus station sometime in 2023.

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Copley Viaducts, December 2018

 Copley is a small village to the south of Halifax, West Yorkshire widely known for the 2 railway viaducts that cross the valley to the west of the village, there is actually 3 railway viaducts with the third crossing the River Calder to the east of the village. The pictures below show the 2 more widely known viaducts at Copley taken on the 9th December 2018.

The 23 arch Copley Viaduct is the more commonly known viaduct, it's the youngest of the 3 having been completed and opened in 1852. It completed the first direct link between the Sowerby Bridge Railway Station and Halifax Railway Station, trains having reversed up from Greetland Railway Station to Halifax when the branch line connecting them opened in 1844.

The viaduct passes over or nearby to the River Calder, Copley Cricket Ground, Calder & Hebble Navigation Canal and the A6026 Wakefield Road.

Both the viaducts can be seen here in this picture taken from Norland. The smaller and older Copley 3 arch viaduct was built by George Stephenson for the Manchester and Leeds Railway. The viaduct carried the first line to pass through the Copley Valley when opened in 1840. The line was closed to passenger trains in 1970, the odd diversion or excursion train using the now mainly freight route. Plans to close the line between Milner Royd and Heaton Lodge Junctions were discussed a number of times before being abandoned completely in the 1980's. In 2000 Brighouse station reopened and passenger trains regularly passed over the viaduct once again.

These 2 pictures were taken on the 9th December 2018 using a Nikon d3300 SLR camera. The picture below shows the third Copley Viaduct and was taken on the 25th February 2019.

This viaduct crossers the River Calder to the east of Copley village, near to Old Rishworthians sports ground. Opened along with the line in 1840 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway line passes the bottom of North Dean Woods. I have previously posted about this viaduct here in a post called Copley Viaduct (the lesser known one)

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Square Independent Chapel and Congregational Church Spire, Halifax

Square Independent Chapel opened on the 24th May 1772 taking it's name from the area of Halifax it was built in. The chapel is constructed of red brick and is 60ft square and when opened was the largest independent place of worship in the country. The chapel cost a fortune for the time £2000 to build and the red brick is said to contain bulls blood to highlight the red. 

The chapel held it's last service on the 12th June 1857, when it became the Sunday School for the newly constructed Square Congregational Church, which had recently opened next door. In 1939 the Army took control of the building for the war effort and the Chapel was given Grade II listed status on the 3rd November 1954. The local Council purchased the building in 1969 with a plan to demolish it, the Victorian society getting the building on the listed for preservation register in 1970. In 1985 Calderdale Council once again had a plan to demolish the building, again this never came to fruition before the Square Chapel Building Trust bought the building for £25 in 1989 spending over £3million in the refurbishment of the building which was to become the Square Chapel Arts Centre in 1992.

Square Congregational Church opened on the 15th July 1857 as the replacement for Square Independent Chapel. When built the church had the second tallest spire in Yorkshire at 235ft until Edward Akroyd had the nearby All Souls Church built with a spire that was just 1ft taller. Local legend suggest this was deliberate as Akroyd had a rivalry with the Crossley Family who had contributed to the construction of Square Church. The church held services until 1970, a year after it had merged with the United Congregational Church. 

Square Congregational Church was granted Grade II listed status on the 2nd March 1950. The church became a target for vandals after closure and the main body of the church was devastated by a large fire on the 3rd January 1971, and a further fire and gale before 1973. In 1976 the church was demolished saving the spire and foundations and becoming a rest-garden area until it was closed off in 2005 after the spire had become unsafe. Around this time workmen who had checking the spire structurally became convinced there was a ghost inhabiting an inaccessible area near the top of the spire, this was after photo's they had taken showed a shape that they claimed could not be explained.

The spire remained closed off for a number of years with some members of Calderdale Council requesting its demolition, before the town decided a new library was needed and this was constructed including the spire as a and rose window as a central part of the new building which opened in 2017. The spire with the new library now forms a welcoming part of the new eastern entrance to the Piece Hall.

The Rose Window seen to the left of the spire is based on the east window at Selby Abbey.

The new Halifax Library Building can be seen built around the spire.

These pictures were taken on the 27th October 2019 with a Nikon d3300 SLR camera. They can be seen on Clickasnap full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

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