Heptonstall
Encyclopedia
Heptonstall is a small village and civil parish within the Calderdale
borough of West Yorkshire
, England. The population of Heptonstall, including the hamlets of Colden
and Slack, is 1,448. The town of Hebden Bridge
lies directly to the southeast. Although Heptonstall comes under Hebden Bridge as a post town
, it is not within the Hebden Royd
town boundaries.
. 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.
The older churchyard claims "King" David Hartley
amongst notable graves there. Hartley was founder of the Cragg Coiners
and lived as a rogue in the Calderdale area until he was hanged at Tyburn near York
in 1774.
The American poet Sylvia Plath
, who was married to Ted Hughes
from nearby Mytholmroyd
, is buried in the new St. Thomas a' Beckett's churchyard. Plath's headstone is regularly vandalised by removing Hughes's surname from the memorial, because some of her fans believe he was responsible for her death.
Another poet buried here is the American expatriate
Asa Benveniste
, also notable as the founding publisher of the Trigram Press.
The village is a popular day trip destination for tourists and walkers, especially in the warmer summer months. There are some facilities; other than the two pubs "The Cross" and "The White Lion", there is a small post office (the original post office, on Smithwell Lane, is now a residential property) and there are public toilets in the lane opposite Church Street. As of 2009, a very pleasant cafe/deli offering lunches and teas also caters for the regular influx of seasonal visitors, which is situated in Towngate.
The village's oldest house is Stag Cottage (circa 1580) which is tucked away in a small courtyard known as Stag Fold. At the back of the cottage, on the level of the public car park, is the doorway to the "dungeon", once used as a lock-up. Nearby there is the pinfold
, built to hold livestock but now popular as a picnic area.
In the mid 1980s the paved road through Heptonstall was torn up, revealing the original stone setts. Although the plan was to remove these, protests by some concerned villagers convinced the council to restore them instead. At the same time the existing concrete street lights were replaced with a quainter alternative which resemble cast-iron gas lamps from the late 19th century. This was not only a nod towards tourism but it also acted as a traffic calming measure.
A small local history museum http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/museums-galleries/heptonstall-museum/ is based in what was once the village grammar school.
Adjacent to Heptonstall lies the National Trust
woodlands Hardcastle Crags
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-hardcastlecrags/ where there are miles of walks and a restored 19th century mill. Half a mile out of the village is Lumb Bank, the first of the Arvon Foundation
's residential centres for writers http://www.arvonfoundation.org/p93.html.
Each year on Good Friday
there are performances of the Heptonstall version of the traditional Pace Egg play. These are held in Weavers' Square next to the old graveyard.
, was built in the same churchyard. This suffered a lighting strike in 1875.
The church has good acoustics, and is used for the annual Pennine Spring Music Festival, held every Spring Bank Holiday week. This includes workshops, masterclasses and performances.
The old church ruin is now carefully maintained and occasionally open air services are conducted there. It featured as a location in the 1993 BBC Television
drama series, Mr. Wroe's Virgins, which was directed by Danny Boyle
.
The building featured in the BBC Four series "Churches: How to read them". Dr Richard Taylor named it as one of his ten favourite churches, saying: "If buildings have an aura, this one radiated friendship."
'. It is set in and around Heptonstall, with the local diner being used as a major part of the show. It was aired in spring 2010.
Calderdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England, through which the upper part of the River Calder flows, and from which it takes its name...
borough of West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England. The population of Heptonstall, including the hamlets of Colden
Colden, West Yorkshire
Colden is a hamlet in the civil parish of Heptonstall in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. The hamlet consists of scattered houses and farms on high ground west of Heptonstall, above the valley of Colden Water....
and Slack, is 1,448. The town of Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and lies 8 miles west of Halifax and 14 miles north east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the River Hebden .A 2004 profile of...
lies directly to the southeast. Although Heptonstall comes under Hebden Bridge as a post town
Post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system. Including the correct post town in the address increases the chances of a letter or parcel being delivered on time. Post towns are usually based upon the location of...
, it is not within the Hebden Royd
Hebden Royd
Hebden Royd is a civil parish with a town council in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 9,092...
town boundaries.
History
Historically a centre for hand-loom weaving, it was also the site of a battle in 1643 during the early part of the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The foundation stone of its octagonal Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
chapel, the oldest still in continued use, was laid following the visit of John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
in 1764.
Heptonstall cottages and terraced houses were characterised by their large first floor windows to maximise the light for weaving.
The older churchyard claims "King" David Hartley
David Hartley
David Hartley may refer to:*David Hartley , English philosopher*David Hartley , son of the philosopher, and signatory to the Treaty of Paris*David Hartley...
amongst notable graves there. Hartley was founder of the Cragg Coiners
Cragg Coiners
The Cragg Vale Coiners were a band of counterfeiters in England, based in Cragg Vale, near Halifax, West Yorkshire. They produced fake gold coins in the late 18th century to supplement small incomes from weaving.-Activities:Led by "King" David Hartley, the Coiners obtained real coins from...
and lived as a rogue in the Calderdale area until he was hanged at Tyburn near York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in 1774.
The American poet Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Born in Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College, Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a professional poet and writer...
, who was married to Ted Hughes
Ted Hughes
Edward James Hughes OM , more commonly known as Ted Hughes, was an English poet and children's writer. Critics routinely rank him as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes was British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath, from 1956 until...
from nearby Mytholmroyd
Mytholmroyd
Mytholmroyd is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies east of Hebden Bridge and west of Halifax....
, is buried in the new St. Thomas a' Beckett's churchyard. Plath's headstone is regularly vandalised by removing Hughes's surname from the memorial, because some of her fans believe he was responsible for her death.
Another poet buried here is the American expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
Asa Benveniste
Asa Benveniste
-Career:After the second world war Benveniste, at this time known as Albert, lived in Paris and in 1948 co-founded the Zero Press with George Solomos...
, also notable as the founding publisher of the Trigram Press.
The village is a popular day trip destination for tourists and walkers, especially in the warmer summer months. There are some facilities; other than the two pubs "The Cross" and "The White Lion", there is a small post office (the original post office, on Smithwell Lane, is now a residential property) and there are public toilets in the lane opposite Church Street. As of 2009, a very pleasant cafe/deli offering lunches and teas also caters for the regular influx of seasonal visitors, which is situated in Towngate.
The village's oldest house is Stag Cottage (circa 1580) which is tucked away in a small courtyard known as Stag Fold. At the back of the cottage, on the level of the public car park, is the doorway to the "dungeon", once used as a lock-up. Nearby there is the pinfold
Pinfold
Pinfold, in Medieval Britain, is an area where stray animals were rounded up if their owners failed to properly supervise their use of common grazing land...
, built to hold livestock but now popular as a picnic area.
In the mid 1980s the paved road through Heptonstall was torn up, revealing the original stone setts. Although the plan was to remove these, protests by some concerned villagers convinced the council to restore them instead. At the same time the existing concrete street lights were replaced with a quainter alternative which resemble cast-iron gas lamps from the late 19th century. This was not only a nod towards tourism but it also acted as a traffic calming measure.
Local attractions
In Heptonstall, there is a local park where many children take part in sport and a playground for the younger children. Many walking routes are available to use around Heptonstall along with popular biking routes.A small local history museum http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/museums-galleries/heptonstall-museum/ is based in what was once the village grammar school.
Adjacent to Heptonstall lies the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
woodlands Hardcastle Crags
Hardcastle Crags
Hardcastle Crags is a wooded Pennine valley in West Yorkshire, England, owned by the National Trust. It lies approximately north of the town of Hebden Bridge.-Gibson Mill:...
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-hardcastlecrags/ where there are miles of walks and a restored 19th century mill. Half a mile out of the village is Lumb Bank, the first of the Arvon Foundation
Arvon Foundation
The Arvon Foundation is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which promotes creative writing. It is based in the Free Word Centre for literature, literacy and free expression in London.-History:...
's residential centres for writers http://www.arvonfoundation.org/p93.html.
Each year on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
there are performances of the Heptonstall version of the traditional Pace Egg play. These are held in Weavers' Square next to the old graveyard.
History of Heptonstall Church
Heptonstall's original church was named after St Thomas a Becket, founded circa 1260 and was altered and added to over several centuries. It was damaged by a gale in 1847 (and is now only a shell), so a new church, St Thomas the ApostleThomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
, was built in the same churchyard. This suffered a lighting strike in 1875.
The church has good acoustics, and is used for the annual Pennine Spring Music Festival, held every Spring Bank Holiday week. This includes workshops, masterclasses and performances.
The old church ruin is now carefully maintained and occasionally open air services are conducted there. It featured as a location in the 1993 BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
drama series, Mr. Wroe's Virgins, which was directed by Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
.
Heptonstall Methodist Chapel
John Wesley laid the foundation stone of the unusual octagonal chapel off Northgate, and it was completed in 1764. He recommended the shape to avoid conflict with the established Church. Local people went to the Parish Church as usual and also attended Methodist preaching. The chapel also provided teaching in reading and writing for the poor. The Chapel was originally built as a symmetrical octagon, but by 1802 the Society had 337 members and 1,002 scholars. To provide extra space, one end was pulled down and the side walls were extended. The Chapel is usually open and the interior is worth a visit.The building featured in the BBC Four series "Churches: How to read them". Dr Richard Taylor named it as one of his ten favourite churches, saying: "If buildings have an aura, this one radiated friendship."
Heptonstall in Television
Heptonstall is the main location used in the BBC3 situation comedy programme, 'The Gemma FactorThe Gemma Factor
The Gemma Factor is a BBC Three sitcom starring Anna Gilthorpe, Claire King and Gwyneth Powell. The series is similar to many current programmes of this sort, by which it is simulcast on BBC Three and BBC HD...
'. It is set in and around Heptonstall, with the local diner being used as a major part of the show. It was aired in spring 2010.