Shibden Mill Inn: ‘If these walls could talk they’d have a lot of interesting things to say’ - The historic Yorkshire gastropub that belonged to Anne Lister’s brother

There is so much history to the Shibden Mill Inn ‘if the walls could talk, they would have a lot of interesting stories to share’.

Shibden Inn was originally a mill with some cottages owned by Samuel Lister, owner of Shibden Hall and Anne Lister’s younger brother, in the 1660s.

Anne Lister was a diarist, famous for divulging her personal life for which she was dubbed ‘the first modern lesbian’.

She got married to Ann Walker on March 30, 1834; the first lesbian marriage in Britain.

The Lister and Walker families owned the mill until 1890, when it was passed onto private owners.

Max Heaton, 36, who lives in Halifax, is the second generation to run the inn after his parents bought it in 1998.

It has undergone extensive renovations since the Heatons took it over while maintaining its historic features.

“The top car park we've got now is a mill pond, which was used for boating in Victorian times,” Max said.

“It’s been in my family for 30 years and it has been renovated quite a lot during our time here since 1998.

“[My dad] used to come down with another couple quite a lot and he used to have a nice walk in the valley and go for lunch.

“They've done a lot of work on it; they've converted an old barn into extra hotel rooms. The whole place is completely wonky and off-centre and none of it looks new, that's for sure.

“If these walls could talk, they'd have a lot of interesting things to say.”

The venue was used to film Gentleman Jack which resulted in a ‘booming trade’ for Shibden Mill Inn, Max said.

“[Gentleman Jack] was phenomenal for trade. We did have a big increase in visitors, with a lot more American guests coming over,” he added.

“Anne Lister’s birthday weekend brought a lot of trade for us. There was a phenomenal increase in tourism in Halifax.

“We've got a lot of regulars who say they've been drinking at the pubs there for as much as the last 60 years.

“There used to be an old room that was a cocktail lounge that only served half as beer and was a bit more upmarket.”

The gastropub has something for everyone, Max said.

“We do a lot of the pub classics, but we've also elevated that quite a bit,” he said.

“We’re very popular. On a sunny day we get lots of walkers through the valley just popping in for a coffee, while you've also got people sitting next to them and having a shot of brandy or a pie.

“Then you've got the hotel rooms that are generally full. You can put anything up to like 250 people having Sunday lunch as well. The real little hub of the valley.

“We're very lucky that we've got a beautiful beer garden at the bottom of the valley that can be enjoyed through the summer.

“During the winter with it being such an old country inn we've got three fires and snug areas.”