Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Climbing beyond Friendly, the A646 follows the canal and river, as does the Leeds to
Manchester railway. This line, engineered by George Stephenson, was the world's second to
carry both freight and passengers and is usually within a kilometre of the canal or much less.
There was a station at Luddenden Foot, where Bramwell Brontë, less well known than his
literary sisters, was briefly a clerk until he was sacked for being drunk. He used to drink in
the Lord Nelson. Watering holes near the canal are the Old Brandy Wine and the Coach &
Horses.
Mytholmroyd is sited where Cragg Brook joins the River Calder and was home to coin
counterfeiters. David Hartley, leader of the Cragg Vale Coiners, was hanged in 1770 and bur-
ied in Heptonstall. It was the birthplace of former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and is renowned
as the venue for the world dock pudding championships. Beyond the White Lion Hotel, the
A646 crosses, to cross back over the recent Falling Royd tunnel, a structure made of cor-
rugated arches on a curved line through which daylight is not visible; it is surprisingly dark
inside for its large size.
One of the stone mills houses a selection of shops in Victorian style, another has a Thai res-
taurant and there is an alternative technology centre. Hebden Bridge is a town developed on
the manufacture of fustian, inspiration for John Morrison's Milltown books. Hebden Bridge
Vintage Weekend, in early August, follows the town's Arts Festival. A small but open marina
is sited in front of the Railway Hotel and Hebden Lodge Hotel.
Beyond the Little Theatre, a four-arch aqueduct carries the canal over the River Calder,
just downstream of its confluence with Hebden Water, which carves a deep valley down from
the moors and passes under a stone arch bridge of 1510, replacing a medieval timber bridge.
The 17th century building of Heptonstall Grammar School, featuring a museum with farm-
ing, crafts and handloom weaving, overlooks the valley. Also of interest is the chapel of 1764,
which was used by John Wesley and was one of the first octagonal Methodist chapels.
Colden Water is the other confluence of the Calder in the town, near the Stubbing Wharf
canalside public house.
Winding its way down through the woods and crossing at Callis Lock is the Pennine Way,
the senior member of Britain's family of long-distance footpaths, both in length and age. A
landmark high on the southern rim of the valley is Stoodley Pike Monument, which was built
to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.
Todmorden was a cotton town. The former Fielden cotton mills were some of the world's
largest and the company even had its own fleet of ships. In August 1842 the millworkers were
involved in fierce rioting. Honest John Fielden became MP for Oldham and promoted the 10
Hours Act of 1847 for women and children, by which time his own workers already had an
eight-hour day. The magnificent town hall and Unitarian church were paid for by Fielden, of
whom there is a statue in the town.
