Heptonstall is a Village in the county of West Yorkshire.
Perched on a steep moorland ridge with Hebden Bridge and the Rochdale Canal below, Heptonstall is a captivating old village best explored and enjoyed on foot.
Towngate and Top o’th’ Town forming the main street, are laced with blind corners and are no more than three metres wide in some parts. Packhorses clattered along the streets of Heptonstall after struggling up from the Calder Valley, before the Industrial Revolution cost Heptonstall its prominence as a centre of the handloom weaving trade.
A museum recalling the long history of the village is housed in a former grammar school in Churchyard Bottom. The old school at Heptonstall gave free education to fifty children at a time and was founded by a wealthy clergyman in 1642, rebuilt in the 1720s and closed in 1889. Some of the original school furniture is still in-situ.
One of Yorkshire’s oldest Cloth Halls, now a private house stands near by. Dating from the 16th century it is built of paler masonry than the usual dark stone of other Heptonstall buildings.
Visitors can rest their feet in cobbled Weavers Square where seats overlook the yard of the two churches of St Thomas one in ruins, but with some parts intact that date to the 13th century. The old church suffered heavy storm damage in 1847. The upstanding church a prosperous-looking replacement built in the 1850s. A cockpit, which was still used for cock-fighting during the Napoleonic Wars is said to have been on the site of the vicarage.
Heptonstall’s parish register records the names of Royalist troops who died in a Civil War skirmish in 1643. Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads occupied the village and inflicted heavy casualties on the Royalist forces who battled up the hill from Hebden Bridge to try to dislodge them. The next Royalist assault - massively reinforced found the Roundheads gone
Steps lead down from Northgate to an unusual octagonal church that is said to be the oldest Methodist church in the world still in regular use. Its foundation stone was laid by John Wesley the founder of Methodism in 1764.
Heptonstall postcode: HX7 7
There are great places to visit near Heptonstall including some great cities, villages, woodlands, parks, historic buildings, museums, gardens, country parks, hiking areas, towns, lakes, historic monuments, hills, ancient sites, geological features, nature reserves, shopping centres, airports, bluebell woods, ruins, rivers and streams, castles, waterfalls and boroughs.
Heptonstall's best nearby cities can be found at Bradford, Leeds, and Wakefield.
Villages to visit near Heptonstall include Wyke, Haworth, Oxenhope, Thornton, Manningham, Saltaire, and Ripponden.
Heptonstall's best nearby woodlands can be found at Judy Woods, Chevin Forest Park, Calverley Wood, Middleton Park, and Hardcastle Crags.
There are a several good parks in the Heptonstall area like Lister Park, Cartwright Hall Gardens, Peel Park, Shibden Park, Roundhay Park, Middleton Park, and Park Square.
Historic Buildings to visit near Heptonstall include Cartwright Hall, Ilkley Manor House, Hewenden Viaduct, Halifax Town Hall, North Bridge - Halifax, Halifax Minister, and Wainhouse Tower.
Museums to visit near Heptonstall include Cartwright Hall, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
There are a several good gardens in the area around Heptonstall like Cartwright Hall Gardens.
Heptonstall's best nearby country parks can be found at Penistone Hill Country Park, Ogden Water Country Park, Shibden Country Park, Chevin Forest Park, Golden Acre Park, Bretton Country Park, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Heptonstall's best nearby hiking areas can be found at Penistone Hill Country Park, Colden, The Bridestones on Bridestones Moor, The Chevin, Hardcastle Crags, Withens Clough, and The Salt and Pepper Pots.
Heptonstall's best nearby towns can be found at Ilkley, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Todmorden, Huddersfield, Bradley, and Otley.
The area around Heptonstall boasts some of the best lakes including Chellow Dean Reservoirs, Boothwood Reservoir, Ogden Water Country Park, Ogden Water, Shibden Park, Light Hazzles Reservoir, and Warland Reservoir.
Heptonstall has some unmissable historic monuments nearby like Wainhouse Tower, Centre Hill Beacon Site, The Salt and Pepper Pots, Lund's Tower, and Wainman's Pinnacle.
Hills to visit near Heptonstall include Centre Hill, Stoodley Pike, The Chevin, and The Salt and Pepper Pots.
Stones Lane Standing Stones, Centre Hill Beacon Site, The Bridestones on Bridestones Moor, and Two Lads (Withens Moor) are great places to visit near Heptonstall if you like ancient sites.
There are a several good geological features in the area around Heptonstall like The Bridestones on Bridestones Moor.
Heptonstall has some unmissable nature reserves nearby like Rodley Nature Reserve, RSPB St Aidan's, RSPB Fairburn Ings, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
The area around Heptonstall features a number of interesting shopping centres including Trinity Leeds, White Rose Shopping Centre, The Merrion Centre, County Arcade, and Leeds Kirkgate Market.
There are a several good airports in the area around Heptonstall like Leeds Bradford Airport.
There are a number of bluebell woods near to Heptonstall including Middleton Park.
There are a number of ruins near Heptonstall including Kirkstall Abbey, and Sandal Castle.
Heptonstall has some unmissable rivers and streams nearby like River Dearne at Bretton, Hebden Water, and Hebden Beck.
The area around Heptonstall's best castles can be found at Sandal Castle.
The area around Heptonstall features a number of interesting waterfalls including Greenwood Lee Clough Waterfall, and Lumb Falls.
Boroughs to visit near Heptonstall include Kirklees.
Heptonstall History
There are some historic monuments around Heptonstall:
