DyersCottage, Author at Dyers Cottage Yorkshire - Holiday Cottage Halifax

Easter Availability in Calderdale W. Yorks at Dyer’s Cottage. SPECIAL OFFER just £540/week or shorter breaks available too at £100 a night.

Photo of the Rochdale Canal at Sowerby Bridge with credit to Katie Sykes

We recommend The Choral, another film set in Yorkshire.

Tags: Filming Locations, Saltaire, The Big Six Inn Halifax, The Choral, Yorkshire filming locations

The Choral is a film set in 1916 and is filmed mainly in Saltaire, the model village created near Bradford by Sir Titus Salt. However the millpond swimming scene is shot at Gibson Mill, Hardcastle Crags, near Hebden Bridge which is a beautiful place to visit from Dyer’s Cottage especially if you are NT members as this entitles you to free parking. The railway scenes are set on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway platforms of Keighley railway station and the pub scenes take place in the little changed Big Six Inn near us on Skircoat Moor Halifax. The film is about the mill male choral society which is sadly depleted of members due to the First World War and necessity forces the organisers to accept both women and under conscription age boys. Performing a piece by a German composer for the annual production is out of the question, but they rise to the challenge of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. Written by Alan Bennett and directed by Nicholas Hytner, with Ralph Fiennes as choirmaster, The Choral is not to be missed.

Credit to Hobo Tom Photography for the photos of Gibson Mill and Keighley station.

Stay at Dyer’s Holiday Cottage Halifax and visit the filming locations of Riot Women on BBC tv

Tags: BBC, Come to Calderdale, Filming in Calderdale, Filming Locations, Riot Women

Sally Wainwright has pulled it off again, this time with a bold drama called ‘Riot Women’ about a group of middle aged ladies forming a rock band to enter a local school talent contest. Filmed in the area around Hebden Bridge, it offers spectacular views of the stunning Calderdale scenery which is easily accessible from Dyer’s Holiday Cottage Halifax by foot, car, bus, train or a combination. With many familiar faces from Sally’s previous productions such as ‘Happy Valley’, ‘Gentleman Jack’ and ‘Last Tango in Halifax’, ‘Riot Women’ is a lively, funny account of how menopausal women often feel ignored and unappreciated often to the point of feeling invisible.

Photo of Hebden Bridge by Katie Sykes

For Dyer’s Holiday Cottage latest availability and pricing, please visit www.dyerscottageyorkshire.co.uk

Open all year, weekly pricing from £450/600 and short breaks are available too with any day arrivals.

Watch another Wainwright Wonder called Riot Women starting on Sunday October 12 at 9pm BBC1

Tags: Filming in Calderdale, Filming Locations, Riot Women, Sally Wainwright

Local Sowerby Bridge legend Sally Wainwright has been busy since ‘Gentleman Jack’ writing a contemporary drama about ladies of a certain age forming a rock band. Riot Women is based in Hebden Bridge and showing both urban and rural Calderdale landscapes, this is a must watch series for lovers of our local area. Watch out for some familiar faces from her previous productions like ‘Happy Valley’, ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ and ‘Gentleman Jack’ too. #visitcalderdale #filmingcalderdale #riotwomen #bbc

Halifax and Calderdale Heritage Festival September 6-24 2025

Tags: Day Out, Explore Halifax, History, Wainhouse Heritage

Every year the heritage of Calderdale comes alive to locals and visitors during the fortnight in September when normally closed architectural gems open their doors, or historic buildings waive their admittance fee in addition to special talks and tours which are organised for everyone to attend.

Below are some of the opportunities being offered this year.

Calderdale Industrial Museum HX1 1QG Saturday Sept 6 and 13 10.00-16.00 explains how the industry of the past has shaped Calderdale today.

Todmorden Unitarian Church OL14 6LE is open on several dates and is a magnificent Grade 1 listed building with beautiful stained glass windows.

The Bankfield Museum HX3 6HG was the home of local textile manufacturer Edward Akroyd and became a free museum in 1887. On Sept 13 there is a special military history event but it is open Tuesday through to Saturdays 10.00-16.00

Mt Zion Heritage Chapel Ogden HX2 8XG 13 Sept Told by the Dial, Stories in Stone. Story telling, colouring workshop and more

Shibden Hall HX3 6XG 7/8 and 13/14 Sept free admittance to this historic family home from 1420-1926 made famous by being the home of Anne Lister 1791-1840 also known as ‘Gentleman Jack’. Book in advance.

Wainhouse Tower HX3 0HB is celebrating its 150th birthday; a climb of nearly 400 steps offers tremendous views on Sept 20. Book your place in advance.

Lister Lane Cemetery HX1 5JZ has hundreds of gravestones including many of the great and good. It is holding an open day and tours on Sept 21 between 12.30 and 14.00.

Crossley and Dean Clough Bus Tour leaves Dean Clough Mills HX3 5DX at 10.00 and 12.45 on 13 Sept.

All Souls Church Boothtown HX3 6DR is a beautiful Grade1 listed church with a 236ft spire designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Wonder at the carvings and stained glass. Rarely open, this church will be open on Sept 13,14, 20, 21 from 10.00-16.00.

Halifax Minster, previously known as St John the Baptist HX1 1QL is open every day from 12.00 to 16.00 but on 13/14 September it opens at 10.00. A 15c Grade 1 listed church, it is rich in history with a stunning painted wooden ceiling, the graves of Anne Lister and several involved in the Cragg Vale Coiners. Look out for chairs carved with the distinctive mouse of Robert Thompson of Kilburn.

For more information on Halifax and Calderdale Heritage Events visit https://www.discoverhalifax.co.uk/halifax-heritage-festival-2025-events-tours-free-guide/ and https://www.visitcalderdale.com

An exciting day out in London from Dyer’s Holiday Cottage Halifax

Tags: Dat trip to London from Halifax, Day Out, Explore London from Halifax, Holiday Cottage Halifax, London

Set an alarm for 06.00 and book a taxi for 06.45 to take you to Halifax railway station to catch the 07.12 Grand Central train to London from Platform 1. Book tickets in advance at https://www.grandcentralrail.com

Sit back and enjoy the trip which takes under 3 hours covering 200 miles. Refreshments are available.

Arriving into London Kings Cross station at 10.07, take a quick look at platform 9 and three quarters for a photo with Harry Potter; then follow signs for the Underground Piccadilly Line (Dark Blue) and look out for ticket machines from which you need to buy an off peak zone 1 and 2 one day travelcard.

Then take the Piccadilly line (Dark Blue) south to Russell Square and walk a few minutes across Russell Square to the British Museum (free entry) where we suggest you visit the Rosetta Stone and Parthenon Sculptures (Elgin Marbles) but you may prefer to look at https://www.britishmuseum.org and plan your own short visit of about an hour.

Leaving at about 12.00, return to Russell Square tube station and take the Piccadilly line (Dark Blue) south to Covent Garden station. Explore the Piazza with its street performers and shops and maybe take a look inside St Paul’s Church (the Actors Church) before taking a short lunch break in Neal’s Yard leaving about 13.30.

Walk through Seven Dials to Charing Cross Road and from there to Trafalgar Square to see Nelson’s Column, St Martin in the Fields church and the National Portrait Gallery. From here head up the Mall into St James Park and Buckingham Palace. Return down Birdcage Walk to St James Park tube station by 14.30 and catch a District (green) or Circle (yellow) line train Eastbound to Westminster.

On reaching ground level, the awesome sights of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and Westminster Abbey will greet you.

The Houses of Parliament also known as the Palace of Westminster

The London Eye and Big Ben also known as the Elizabeth Tower

Thirty minutes maximum here before going underground again by 15.45 and continuing eastbound on the District (green) or Circle (yellow) line to either Blackfriars or Mansion House from where it is about a 5 minute walk to see St Paul’s Cathedral. No time to go inside unless you miss out the next 2 landmarks, The Monument to the Great Fire of London 1665 in Pudding Lane and the outside of the Tower of London by the River Thames.

By 17.00 you should have arrived at the iconic Walkie Talkie Building with your pre booked tickets (free for 1 hour but bring ID) for the Sky Garden 20 Fenchurch Street https://www. skygarden.london. A lift whisks you up 35 floors to enable you to access the highest public garden in London with panoramic views of the Shard, the Gherkin, Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Photo from the Sky Garden showing the Shard, London Bridge, the South Bank and also the gold top of the Monument front right.

At 18.00 make your way via the Bank of England to Bank station and from here along the Northern line (black) Northbound to Kings Cross station. All being well you should have time for a wander into Coal Drops Yard which as its name suggests was formerly a coal depot but is now a buzzing area of cafes, restaurants and shops. Maybe grab some street food from one of the vans? Then make your way back to Kings Cross station in plenty of time for your return train. This is the 19.48 Grand Central train to Bradford and you get off at Halifax at 22.13. Then catch a taxi from outside the station back home to Dyer’s Holiday Cottage Halifax having had a grand day out in London.

This photo of the River Thames shows the Shard to the left, Tower Bridge, the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Walkie Talkie Building and the Gherkin.

https://www.tfl.gov.uk is a helpful website

Zone 1 of the London Underground Map courtesy of https://www.tfl.gov.uk

All photos taken by Jane Giorgi and cannot be copied.

Ward’s Cottage Homes Upper Washer Lane Halifax

Tags: Explore Halifax, History, Holiday in Halifax, Richard Dearden Ward, Wainhouse

Richard Dearden Ward 1845-1931 was the husband of Hannah Kenyon 1846-1937. She was born in Dyer’s Cottage and was the second child of William Kenyon and Phoebe Trotter. Richard, like most local people, worked in the Wainhouse Dyeworks but rose from being a Master Dyer to become a bookkeeper, then manager and finally the owner when it was known as Ward’s Dyeworks before becoming part of Bradford Dyer’s Association. With each job promotion came a change of residence, finally settling in the prestigious house further along the road in Masters Lane called Sapling Grove.

He was mayor of Halifax from 1905-1907 and during this time, he built Ward’s Cottage Homes. These consisted of 24 cottages on 2 levels to make use of the steep hillside. Traditionally called ‘up and over’ houses, the main living room would face South West affording a light filled and lovely view of Norland which we also have from our bedroom at Dyer’s Cottage just a few houses further along Upper Washer Lane. Built of the best Accrington brick, each property consisted of a living room, bedroom and scullery with communal toilet facilities outside which was the norm for the time. They were provided free of rent and rates to the over 60’s who were unable to work.

By the 1960’s they were deemed unsuitable for modern living and as the occupants died, the cottages were left unoccupied until they were demolished in November 1982. For photos of the demolition please see www.calderdalecompanion.co.uk/ph4252.html

Since then, native tree species have colonised the site and sadly no trace of these charitable homes exist. When staying at Dyer’s Holiday Cottage Halifax, why not turn left out of the gate and stroll along the opposite side of the road until the row of houses ends and see if you can identify where Ward’s Cottage Homes used to be?

Upper Washer Lane now

Easter Monday climb up Wainhouse Tower Halifax April 21 2025

Tags: Calderdale from the Air, Wainhouse Heritage, Wainhouse Tower

The amazing volunteers of Wainhouse Tower are opening the door to enable you to climb the tallest folly in the world. At 84m or 253 feet, this is an octagonal brick chimney surrounded by a local stone case over 60cm thick. The base is square. Inside a series of loopholes allow light into the circular staircase of nearly 400 steps leading to a viewing platform of intricate design.

Ascents are at 10am,11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm.

Thanks to Peter Davies allowing us to use the photo he took on a clear April day 2025 which shows Dyer’s Holiday Cottage Halifax centre left on this photo. Find the red cars at the top of Gainest and we are immediately to the left on the other side of the wooded hillside. The Wainhouse Tavern, formerly West Air, the home of JE Wainhouse is just above us and across the road, the former Wesleyan Sunday School, now apartments, is towards the left corner. In the distance are the beautiful hills of the South Pennines.

From the top you will have the chance of experiencing fantastic views in all directions, stretching to Kebroyd in the Ryburn Valley, Langfield Moor near Todmorden, Castle Hill near Huddersfield and even Blackstone Edge in Lancashire. Of course the best view is towards Pye Nest and Sowerby Bridge because we are easily visible diagonally opposite from the old Wesleyan Sunday School building with its high roof.

Tickets are on sale at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/visit-calderdale-29603793049

The volunteers are planning to open the door regularly throughout the spring and summer so if you have a head for heights, good knees and plenty of energy, do take up this opportunity.

For more amazing images taken by drone, do buy Philip Fearnley’s book Calderdale from the Air. Our guests at Dyer’s Holiday Cottage can see it on the coffee table.

Dyer’s Holiday Cottage Halifax and our links to the Wainhouse family

Tags: Wainhouse, Wainhouse Heritage, Washer Lane Dyeworks

The earliest knowledge we have is in our property deeds and these mention that the properties now known as 48, 64, 66, 68 and 70 Upper Washer Lane were owned in the 19th century by a Miss Wainhouse. It is possible that she was a sister of Robert Wainhouse 1773-1856 who built the Washer Lane Dying and Finishing Company, later known as the Washer Lane Dyeworks. He was also a local JP. He married Hannah Emmett on June 2 1795 but they had no children. However, on his mother’s death in 1829, his nephew John Edward Wainhouse 1817-1883 went to live with the couple at their home Sapling Grove on Masters Lane. Probate records show Robert Wainhouse left a valuable estate of £45,000 and John Edward inherited most of this along with the business.

The 1841 census shows that the property, identified as top of Washer Lane, was occupied by several members of the Kenyon family, notably John Kennion 1777-1848 who was a Master Dyer and family lore tells us that the cottages were available to the Master Dyers to rent in recognition of their skill and loyalty to the Wainhouse family. Without doubt, John Edward Wainhouse owned the building in 1878, but probably much earlier, as he created or altered a water source in what is now our garden wall with his initials inscribed above it. The previous year he had moved into his newly built mansion, West Air, to the left of our building, where he lived until his death. The site was chosen as it was next to the land of his rival, Sir Henry Edwards The house was designed by Richard Swarbrick Dugdale, the same architect who designed the upper sections of Wainhouse Tower and the house exhibits the same eccentricities as many of his other building projects locally. All the stone was from a local quarry but the roof is slate. West Air is a very interesting building, now Grade11 listed by English Heritage. All the windows have different styles, none of the bay windows match and there are small windows in the chimney breast. There are also a number of cryptic Latin inscriptions referring to aspects of his life such as ‘Spare the lowly and make war upon the proud’ which probably is a link to his feud with Edwards.

Although John Edward Wainhouse did work in the dyeworks before he inherited it, he subsequently left the day to day management of it to Henry Mossman, who leased the building from Wainhouse in 1870 and then bought it in 1873. Wainhouse was much more involved in his property empire, parts of which remain although many are in ruins. There is a heritage walk called The Wainhouse Trail, which provides a fascinating walk around his legacy and a copy of the booklet is available for our guests to borrow at Dyer’s Holiday Cottage.

Washer Lane Dyeworks was demolished many years ago but West Air can be visited as it has been a local pub for many years. Originally called The Royal when it was owned by Thwaites Brewery, since 2014 it has been a freehouse now known appropriately as The Wainhouse Tavern. It has won many real ale awards and is also known locally for the quality of its good value, home cooked Yorkshire fayre.

John Edward Wainhouse never married and so after his death, his substantial property estate was auctioned. James Kenyon 1843-1915 acquired 13 of the cottages to the right of West Air, including 66, the cottage where he had been born, and his brother in law Richard Dearden Ward acquired the land behind. Richard Dearden Ward was also involved in the dyeworks working with Mossmann and his final home was coincidentally Sapling Grove, the former home of Robert Wainhouse.

The Washer Lane Dying and Finishing Company, later known as Washer Lane Dyeworks Halifax Yorkshire is below and the featured image shows The Wainhouse Tavern formerly West Air to the left, then the old farmhouse of which Dyer’s Holiday Cottage forms a part with Upper Washer Lane and Wainhouse Tower to the right.

What a view from the top of Wainhouse Tower!

Tags: Easter 2025 EnjoyWestYorkshire, Explore Halifax, Wainhouse Tower

With thanks to Peter Davies who bravely climbed over 370 steps to achieve a fantastic panorama from the viewing gallery at the top of Wainhouse Tower, the tallest folly in the world. We are in the bottom left corner of the photo diagonally opposite the old Wesleyan chapel Sunday School with the distinctive roof profile. After it ceased its religious use, it became a hosiery factory and is now apartments. Wainhouse Tower was built in the early 1870’s, possibly as a chimney for the Wainhouse dyeworks but more likely to ignite the feud between John Edward Wainhouse and his neighbour Sir Henry Edwards which is why it is often referred to as “the tower of spite”. JEW had a wonderful view of it, as does Dyer’s Cottage, from his own house just 30metres from us, originally called West Air but now known as the Wainhouse Tavern. We are so fortunate to have such a great pub so close to us where the locals are keen to welcome our guests and Andy and his team serve up delicious home cooked food and real ales. Dyer’s Cottage Holiday Home Halifax and the Wainhouse Tavern are just down the wooded slope from the 2 red cars.

For more dates when Wainhouse Tower is open, please visit https:// www.visitcalderdale.com. Tickets for Easter Sunday April 20th and Bank Holiday Monday April 21 are available for ascents at 10am,11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm each day from https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/visit-calderdale-29603793049

#wainhousetower #visitcalderdale #Easter2025 #EnjoyWestYorkshire