Halifax Off The Beaten Path

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On the Saturday morning of our meeting we visited this small brewery located in an old pig shed (yes, really!) high on the moors near Hebden Bridge. We drove through some wonderful, if bleak, scenery to get here – it’s really an amazing location in which to find such a thriving little business.

We were welcomed by the joint owners, Wim and Sue, and the latter explained the history of the brewery – their first meeting in Kathmandu (qualifying them immediately as the ideal hosts for a group of Virtual Tourists!), Wim’s training and experience of brewing in the Netherlands, and the early years of the brewery. Then it was time for our tour, which Wim conducted. He took us through all stages of the brewing process – I loved the smell of the hops fermenting, and was excited to see his “beer library” (more properly an archive) where he keeps one bottle from each batch that is made – he may need a new pig shed just for these in time, I reckon!

All the beer is organic, and clearly made with love. As we were visiting so early in the day we had been offered in advance a choice of three (out of eight that they make) to take away, as an alternative to a tasting. But when we found ourselves in the shop / tasting room, it seemed churlish to refuse when a taste was offered, so some of us sacrificed ourselves for the cause! We were given generous tastes of several of the beers (my favourite was the Moor Ale, so I was pleased that I’d selected that as one for my pack). There was also an extra treat: a Trappist-style Abbey Ale that Wim has just recently created, which was really good. A great tour, and excellent hosts – I will be looking out for their beers at any festivals I go to, for sure.

Our tour cost £10 per head, including the carton of three bottles (worth £6.50) and impromptu tasting – what a bargain!

I’m pretty sure you will need a car to get here – see map on the website below (under “Contact us”)

If you’re following the weekend in chronological order, click here for my next tip, a visit to a clog shop.

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Sowerby Bridge (which I learnt over the weekend to pronounce “Soreby Bridge”) lies just to the west of Halifax. It grew up as a market town at the confluence of two rivers, the Calder and Ryburn, and has a pleasant valley setting. There are remnants of former industry here (mainly the production of steam engines for local textile mills) but today it seems to be largely a suburb of its neighbour to the east. Like many of England’s former industrial towns it appears to be slowly reinventing itself. Signs of this can be seen in the former engineering works converted to living or small business accommodation, and in the tourist-focused developments around the canal and river.
I found the shops to be an odd mix of (mostly) low-priced, basic and somewhat dull, with (a few) quirky, privately owned gift-shops with an interesting range of goods.

We came here because of a noteworthy event that takes place here each year on the first weekend in September, the Rushbearing Festival. This is a revival of the ancient custom of bringing fresh rushes, the traditional floor-covering for centuries, to all the churches in the region once a year. To read more, see the festival’s website (below) and my little Sowerby Bridge page for more on this great tradition.

Or check out the more extensive pages of other VTers such as suvanki’s “Sowerby Bridge, Norland and Triangle –Rushbearing” or Gillybob’s “Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Festival – 2008”.

If you’re following the weekend in chronological order, click here for my next tip, our Saturday night dinner back at the Wool Merchant Hotel.

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When I learned we were going to Triangle Cricket Club I assumed that “Triangle” was simply part of the club’s name, and was surprised to discover that it is actually a place here in West Yorkshire – a small village between Sowerby Bridge and Ripponden in the Ryburn valley. Apparently it used to be called Pond (presumably because there was a pond here?) but got its current name from the patch of ground formed when the old road parted with the newer (A58) toll road to Rochdale. They seem to go in for prosaic names in these parts!

Triangle should be famous in VT circles as it is home to Rushbearing Meet organiser and badge-maker extraordinaire, Ricky52! When not undertaking these important duties for us though, I learned that he is equally supportive of and active in his local cricket club. And so our group of VTers descended on this peaceful corner of England on the Sunday lunch-time of the Rushbearing Festival weekend. We enjoyed a traditional “cricketer’s tea” of cold meat (or cheese for the vegetarians), salads, hot snacks such as sausage rolls, homemade cake and a cup of tea or coffee – incredibly good value at £3.50!

We then relaxed outside in the sun, which had put in a welcome appearance after the earlier drizzle in Norland, and waited for the Rushbearing cart to arrive. Some of us took a stroll around the perimeter of the cricket pitch, which is set in a pretty hollow alongside the Ryburn. Some visited the clubhouse, with lots of old photos of cricket teams past on the walls, and very good prices at the bar!

A local band, the Eclipse Jazz Band, played to entertain those waiting, with the somewhat eccentric leader twirling his colourful umbrella (photo three), but otherwise it seemed adding little to the musical output. It was lovely though to see him invite a little girl with a plastic drum to join the band for one number – I think she contributed more to it than he did!

When the Rushbearers arrived I was enjoying a beer (!) so missed seeing them descend the steep road over the bridge. But the sight of the cart encircling the pitch in the warm sun, drawn by the still-energetic team that had been on the go now for almost two days, was almost as impressive. Their arrival was followed by Morris and sword dancing, including the excellent young Red Door Rapper troupe who had impressed Lesley and me the previous day in Christchurch, Sowerby Bridge (see my video of them in action). There was also a Mummers’ Play, though I found it hard to hear and to follow that in the buzz of noise and excitement.

But this was to be our last encounter, for this year, with the Rushbearing Festival. We had a train to catch, and as soon as the cart left the cricket club, we had to do the same. No time to see anything more of Triangle either – that will have to wait till another visit.

If you’ve been following my little tour, please click here to return to my intro page and maybe leave me a comment.

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Triangle is a small village, on the A58 Sowerby Bridge-Ripponden Road.

This is where we went to see Sundays Rushbearing. We arrived too late to see the spectacular arrival of the cart down Saw Hill. Instead we went to the car park, opposite the now closed pub where despite the rain, we enjoyed seeing some traditional dances

We also got the chance to chat to the performers, and take plenty of photos, before the cart went on its way to its next destination St. Bartholomew's Church at Ripponden.

Triangle is also the Manor of one Lord Ricky52 and his good wife Lady Sheila!

Ricky took us to a row of terraced cottages, and confessed about his mishap with a barbeque- which had us in stitches! I've since heard other stories from Ricky and Sheila about Ricky and Fire-Not to be trusted.....

In 2010, we witnessed the Rushbearing cart arriving at it's new venue - Triangle Cricket Club, which is the perfect place to witness the arrival of the cart, negotiating the narrow bridge, then circumnavigating the cricket pitch, which must be in one of the most scenic, quintessentially English settings. It's address is quite quaint too - Grassy Bottoms!

2011, and Triangle was the venue for our 1st Ooop North 'Carry On Camping' VT meet, at Rough Hey camp site - Fun in the rain!!

Easter 2012, After a mornings Clay Pigeon shooting (Ricky and Phil shooting, me and Sheila watching), we were invited to watch the Duck Race!

Looking forward to September, and Rushbearing here again!

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It's nice to stray off the regular city walk and take off the beaten path. So we did while in Halifax. The Shibden Valley is a nice experience. Shibden Valley is to the east of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, where the community of Shibden lies. The name of the Shibden valley comes from scepe dene meaning "sheep valley". The area was heavily involved in wool production.
The Red Beck stream flows down the valley, joining the River Calder at Brookfoot.
Southowram stands on the southern side of the valley, and Northowram stands on the northern side of the valley. Shibden Valley stretches from Halifax through to Queensbury in the south of Bradford.

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A creepy thing! of course we had to go and see it and I stuck my head under it, all the while hoping that the bolts would hold and unaware that Ricky52 had it in mind to loosen them earlier on. What are friends for? You don't have to pay to see this... it's totally free.

They chopped peoples' heads off with gay abandon for stealing cloth... the things people will do to stop you nicking a tea towel....

Nice little list of people beheaded on the website below if you are interested...

If you can keep your head when all others around you are losing theirs. A misquote I think.

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This is a regular Sunday morning activity amongst the members of Ricky's Gun Club. The art is that you get kitted up in warm clothing and welly boots and go to a local field. You then skid, slide and slip your way across said field, avoiding the resident bull who can be a trifle tetchy at times, go to the Trap Hut (a box like structure set carefully in the mud) unload your gun, take your position and fire.

The speed at which the clays come out of the trap are fast. This morning the clays were set to go low and away from you, which required fast reactions to get the buggers before they landed. Clays are different sizes and perform different functions, some are the size of a bumble bee when they are in the air, some go low and roll along the ground. We used the orange ones about the size of a coffee saucer. They are biodegradeable, which is handy as you don't want to be picking chips out of a muddy field all afternoon.

I used to be good at this. I managed a miserly 3 out of 25 shots (oh the SHAME) but at least the guys didn't take the mickey too much. At least not in my presence. I still had the gun.

Cost was 4 quid a session. Ricky got 19. Bleh.

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Hebden Bridge is known as 'The town for great little shops' or 'One of the Worlds funkiest towns!

So, lots of individual, independent shops, and a pleasant canal, with brightly coloured barges to see. Hebden Bridge has a Picture house and Theatre too.

Market Days 09.00 -16.00hrs -Wednesday (2nd Hand goods) Thursday -Fresh produce and general retail
www.calderdalemarkets.co.uk
Telephone 014422 359034
email info@calderdalemarkets.co.uk

Transport
Regular trains and buses leave Halifax for Hebden Bridge - Day Rover tickets available - see my Hebden Bridge transport tips

Hebden Bridge Visitor and Canal Centre (Tourist info)
Butlers Wharf,
Hebden Bridge,
HX7 8AF
Telephone 01422 843831
Email hebdenbridge@ytbtic.co.uk
Open
16.03 - 15.10 Mon-Fri 09.30 - 17.30 Sat 10.15 - 17.00 Sunday 10.30-17.00

16.10 -15.03 Mon-Fri 10.00 -17.00 Sat & Sun 10.30 -16.15