DyersCottage, Author at Dyers Cottage Yorkshire - Holiday Cottage Halifax - Self Catering

Out and about at Ogden Water Country Park

Just a 15 minute drive from Dyer’s Holiday Cottage near Halifax is the beautiful nature reserve called Ogden Water. Accessed from the A629 Keighley Road, near the Moorlands Inn, it offers a variety of paths and trails to explore, some of which are suitable for a wheelchair or buggy. Dogs are allowed, there’s parking, picnic tables and a public toilet. Pay for parking at the Visitor Centre (opening hours vary). Owned by Yorkshire Water, and managed by Calderdale Countryside Service, the reservoir can hold over 220 million gallons of water but this is seasonal. Ogden Water covers over 34 acres and is reputed to be the first clay lined dam to be built in Europe when it opened in 1857. It has a maximum depth of 20 metres and this water is supplied from several streams and waterfalls tumbling down the hillside from the moorland above. However swimming, paddling etc is strictly forbidden.

For more about the history take a look at www.ogdenwater.org.uk

Ogden Water is surrounded by many walking trails to explore

The Cragg Vale Coiners

Many books and articles have been written about the infamous Cragg Vale Coiners, such as Clip a Bright Guinea by John Marsh, and The Yorkshire Coiners by Steve Hartley but arguably the best known is The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers. All follow the same true story of David Hartley who inspired a group of local men to embark on a criminal enterprise which brought short term financial gain but ultimately led to his death by hanging on April 28 1770 at Tynburn near York.

David Hartley was a local lad who moved to Birmingham to learn metal working and after he got into a bit of trouble, he bid a hasty retreat back to Bell House Farmhouse in Cragg Vale near Mytholmroyd in the Calder Valley. Using his iron skills, he set up a gold coining business where he trimmed shavings off legal tender and cast new ones which were put into local circulation via the obliging publicans nearby. Soon about 30 other local land workers joined the gang but eventually rumours of their activities reached the local excise man William Deighton so a plot was initiated to get rid of him. He was murdered on November 10 1769 and the government offered a £100 reward for information.

To find out what happened next you need to watch a new 3 part series starting on Wed 31 May at 21.00 on BBC2. Based on the book The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers, Shane Meadows (creator of ‘This is England’) is the screenwriter with Michael Sorcha of ‘This is England’ fame playing “King David” Hartley and also Tom Burke recently seen as Cormoran Strike in ‘Strike’, George McKay, Thomas Turgoose and Sophie McShera. Filmed in Calderdale, this is the latest Callywood drama.

For more information about the Cragg Vale Coiners, we suggest you visit the Bankfield Museum in Halifax and take a look at https://www.visitcalderdale.com

If you fancy a walk around the area where it all took place, take a look at an illustrated 10km walk produced by local cartographer Christopher Goddard which incorporates the main coining locations, ancient woods, stunning moorlands and amazing views.

Enjoying ‘Happy Valley’?

Stay with us at Dyer’s Cottage Halifax and explore all the BBC/Lookout ‘Happy Valley’ filming locations in Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Elland, Ripponden, Hebden Bridge and even Bolton across the border in Lancashire where the court scene was filmed.

There’s been so much media interest in Calderdale/Happy Valley that it’s now referred to as Callywood. Come and see for yourself the rugged natural beauty of the hills around us, explore the historic buildings like Shibden Hall and the Piece Hall seen in ‘Gentleman Jack’ and walk the towpaths of the canals.

Stay at Dyer’s Cottage Halifax and see the sculptures of Sophie Ryder in the Piece Hall

Sophie Ryder is one of Britain’s foremost sculptors. Several of her latest works of art are on display in the Piece Hall Halifax until May 23 2022. This unique magnificent building, built in 1779, was originally used to enable local cottage handloom weavers to sell their 30 yard long pieces of cloth on a Saturday but it subsequently has had many other uses including a wholesale market, small shops, an art gallery and museum. After being closed for several years to enable a massive renovation, it re-opened its huge doors on Yorkshire Day, August 1 2017 and now houses an impressive selection of shops, bars, cafes and galleries as well as hosting a range of cultural events. This is why the outdoors setting is so appropriate and her huge animal representations can be displayed with plenty of space around them so people can get up close. Created from sawdust, wet plaster, old machine parts, old toys, wire, scraps of paper and charcoal, they are clearly very sustainable. This free display of animals and mystical creatures is truly remarkable and should not be missed. In addition to the pieces outside in the courtyard, the Piece Hall Gallery is bursting with many more of Sophie’s unique charcoal drawings, bronze scale models and wire creations which take you into a mystical journey through her style.

Dyer’s Cottage has availability from Monday May 16 to Monday May 23 waiting for you! Please phone 07359 200053 to book directly with the owner.

Lights, camera, action in Halifax and Calderdale

The long-awaited second series of ‘Gentleman Jack’, following the real life of local legend Anne Lister of Shibden Hall Halifax, is planned to return to BBC1 soon. Shot during the restrictions of late 2020 and 2021, filming took place in numerous locations, but the closest to us at Dyer’s Cottage Halifax was just 200m away at the bottom of the cobbled hillside road Wakefield Gate. This area also featured a few times in series one, notably during the introductory scenes of episode one where the carriage accident occurred. This time, social distancing and masks were mandatory but Suranne Jones (Anne Lister) was spotted, but sadly not Sophie Rundle who plays her partner Ann Walker. Series two, again written by Sally Wainwright, promises us more “big, bold stories” about their relationship during the 1830’s, when they lived together at Shibden Hall.

While we wait for this to hit our screens, during 2021 the true story of the Cragg Vale Coiners was being filmed in Calderdale for a BBC drama called ‘The Gallows Pole’. Written by Shane Meadows (of This is England), and based on the book by local author Benjamin Myers, the story follows David Hartley and his 1760’s counterfeiting fraud which also involved many other local individuals from the Mytholmroyd area. With only a few policemen in the Halifax district, their currency clipping activities went unnoticed until the local excise man was sent into the wilds of Calderdale to find out more. Unfortunately, one of the coiners betrayed the gang and what was a peaceful, though illegal, operation suddenly became life threatening. Starring in the highly anticipated series is Michael Sorcha as David Hartley with Thomas Turgoose, George MacKay, Tom Burke, Sophie McShera and more, including many new examples of new local talent. The hilltop village of Heptonstall features both in the drama and real life as the body of “King David” is laid to rest in the graveyard. If you would like to read more, Clip a Bright Guinea by John Marsh also recounts the story (see image below).

Series three of ‘Happy Valley’, reputedly the final one, is another long-awaited offering from our local screenwriter and producer Sally Wainwright. Series two was last seen on TV in 2016, but Sally has been otherwise busy with more of ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ and ‘Gentleman Jack’. This gritty police drama again stars Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, James Norton and Rhys Connah as Ryan, now a teenager, and more familiar faces, as well as multiple new characters. Currently being filmed in the Boothtown area of Halifax, locations likely to be seen again include Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge. No date has yet been set for its release but hopefully it will be before the end of 2022.

Meanwhile series five of ‘Ackley Bridge’, the popular Channel 4 school drama, is returning with ten new episodes. Familiar faces are Rob James-Collier, George Potts and Sunetra Sarker along with younger actors Megan Morgan, Ryan Dean, Robyn Cara and Yasmin Al Khudhair. Filmed largely at the former St Catherine’s Catholic High School, we noticed that the sign at the gate clearly states Ackley Bridge College, but do look out for some outside filming locations in the wider Halifax area too.

Russian Signpost at Dean Clough – credit Jim Duffy/ Piece Hall Marvel Filming photos – credit Richard Hizzard

The huge number of lorries, trailers and camera equipment currently in town has to be attributed to ‘Secret Invasion’ for the streaming service Disney+. Based on the Marvel comics, this is the latest in the Marvel superheroes series and Samuel L Jackson and Emilia Clarke have been spotted in Halifax’s magnificent Piece Hall. Apparently it’s meant to be a Russian setting as Cyrillic script has appeared on new signage here and at Dean Clough.

Watch this space for more news! Halifax and the Calderdale Valley really are Haliwood and Callywood at the moment!

For more information do have a look at these pages in the Halifax Courier and on BBC News.

If you are interested in coming to see Calderdale and Halifax for a holiday, please also take a look at our website. It’s a very comfortable, historic cottage for up to three people, located in the Wainhouse heritage area between Halifax and Sowerby Bridge. You can also find us on Facebook.

Happy Christmas 2021

Tags: Calderdale, Halifax, historiccottage, Wainhouse

We extend Christmas greetings to all our guests, past, present and future and welcome you to stay at Dyer’s Cottage Halifax in 2022. With thanks

We do love to get a Google review!

Our latest review of Dyer’s Cottage Halifax from our most recent guests who came to stay near to family. Many of our guests have local connections and stay here instead of a hotel where you can feel the history of the building and know that it is a really comfortable experience awaiting you. Maybe you are local and are due to have building work? Or are you coming to Halifax to work short term? Or maybe you just fancy a holiday and visit the places you’ve seen on tv in “Last Tango in Halifax” or “Gentleman Jack”? Watch our news soon for the latest productions currently being filmed in and around Calderdale.

We now have a landline! 0149 4580270

Please do feel free to call us if you would like to chat about Dyer’s Cottage Halifax, a self catering holiday cottage in Calderdale between Halifax and Sowerby Bridge in the Wainhouse heritage area close to Wainhouse Tower, the tallest folly in the world.

01494 580270 or 07359 200053

A visit to The People’s Park Halifax

Tags: Come to Calderdale, Day Out, Explore Halifax

As its name suggests, this is a park specially designed for all the people of Halifax to enjoy at a time when only the largest houses had gardens. Situated about a mile from the town centre on the A58 towards Burnley, this 12.5 acre park, opened in 1857, is a very special one. Designed by Joseph Paxton, originally a gardener at Chatsworth House, The People’s Park is one of several public parks and burial grounds he created. However, he is best known for his design of the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition in 1851.

The People’s Park was laid out in an area of open fields but is now surrounded by later 19th century housing. Sir Francis Crossley, a local carpet manufacturer of great fame, donated the park for the enjoyment of the people. It was designed to combine art and nature so that it could provide relaxation and pleasure after a hard days work. It was an area of quiet enjoyment where locals could stroll, meet, chat and enjoy music performed on the bandstand. His own home Belle Vue was just across the road.

It has several impressive entrances with stone gate piers and cast iron gates with curving paths leading from each, through impressive deciduous trees, many of which are now over 150 years old, to the more formal centre of the park. Here the main building is the Grade 11 listed Crossley Pavilion with an arcaded seating area and statue of Sir Francis Crossley made by Joseph Durham 1814-1877. His most famous commission is the Memorial to the Great Exhibition 1851 consisting of a fountain surmounted by a bronze statue of Prince Albert and four figures representing the corners of the world which stands in front of the Royal Albert Hall in London. The water feature within the pavilion walls has bowls shaped like scallop shells above which are heads of sea gods. Water was designed to flow from the heads into the shells and from there into pools.

On the adjoining terrace are 7 (formerly 8) marble statues of classical figures. Unfortunately Apollo arrived broken after his journey from Carrara, Italy and sadly a few of the others have sustained later minor injuries too.

Dominating the lawns is the bandstand constructed in 1882 of cast iron and timber with a zinc roof. It has hosted many bands and entertainers over the years. Close by is a 2om diameter pond. Originally blessed with a fountain designed by Paxton called ‘a nest of jets’, it now features a central statue which was moved from the winter garden of Somerleyton Hall in Suffolk in 1914 by the descendants of Frank Crossley.

Nearby is a most impressive sundial which was donated to the park in 1873. Originally created by John Smith 1807-1895 of Bielby near Pocklington East Yorkshire for a school in North Yorkshire in 1858, it is a splendid example of its type. Another piece of his work is the vertical sundial at Castle Howard near York.

The Serpentine Pools, 180m long with an island and crossed by 2 cast iron bridges, are very popular with the local bird life too. 3 marble urns feature at the entrance to one of the bridges and originally the water here was drinking water supplied from a reservoir nearby.

The Drinking Fountain, donated in 1859, is similar to another in nearby Savile Park but a clean water supply could not be restored to it in 1995 although the stonework has been repaired.

Close by, on the North side of the park and screened by trees is the childrens playground whilst on the South side are examples of exotic trees and shrubs. The South West corner originally had glasshouses but now horse chestnut, beech and ash trees have colonised the area although some conifers were planted as part of the 1995 restoration.

Just a mile from Dyer’s Holiday Cottage, take a walk up Wakefield Gate and across Savile Park for a very interesting discovery and exploration of The People’s Park. The map is provided by Calderdale Council.

Did you know that many companies do offer travel insurance against C19 events?

Our booking terms and conditions make it very clear that we, like most self catering holiday cottages in the UK, strongly advise you to take out a travel insurance policy at or before the time of booking to cover the unexpected eventualities which may arise and preventing you from being able to stay at Dyer’s Cottage Halifax. This is now even more important and there are many companies which now include Covid 19 conditions. Please do your research and find one which covers you against the dreaded ‘ping’ on the app as well as getting ill before your holiday meaning you cannot travel from your home. Or maybe you may become ill whilst staying with us, but government NHS guidance then requires you to return home at once. We are unable to offer refunds for any of these unfortunate possibilities as this is what travel insurance is for. We have always strongly suggested guests take it out but now it is even more important than ever. Many people actually have travel insurance as part of a bank package so why not check it out and see if it covers you fully? If not, do your research and find a policy which does the job. We will only offer refunds in the event of a national lockdown.