(Image: Adobe Stock)
Professor Lisa Bradley, a former journalist, now trains the next generation at the University of Sheffield’s School of Information, Journalism and Communication. She is also a published author and has curated 24 hours in Holmfirth featuring indie businesses and gorgeous countryside
The Cheese Shop (Image: Adobe Stock)
MORNING
Weekends in Holmfirth mean one thing for me and my pug… brunch. Life is so hectic, it’s so great to be able to catch up with friends where your canine companions are catered for too. Archive and The Cheese Shop, pictured below, both in the centre of Holmfirth, welcome your four-legged friends with water and treats ‒ give Harper a pat in the Archive if she comes over for a sniff.
I love to have a mooch around the shops, especially the boho hippie ones, buy a new crystal or candle, or grab some freshly-baked rosemary and salt focaccia from Bluebird Bakery. When I get home, the teenagers are only just rousing, so by the time I’ve caught up with their night-before antics, it’s time for Fizzgig and me to take a walk through Hagg Woods. Nestled next to Holme Valley Campsite, I’m lucky to live just over the road from these woods and the river, and they feel almost a world away from the hustle and bustle of the town.
AFTERNOON
If there isn’t a festival going on, I won’t head to the pub just yet (although it’s tempting). There are lots of indie gyms, yoga and pilates studios and classes both in the centre and the surrounding areas. If I’m being ‘good’ I’ll go to one of them, then for a coffee with friends at Root or Bloc. My friend owns Holmfirth Gaming Centre ‒ one of the biggest tabletop gaming studios in Yorkshire ‒ so if you’re into the likes of Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer, there is always something going on there.
Picturedrome, Holmfirth (Image: Adobe Stock)
EVENING
Holmfirth is a great night out no matter how old you are. It’s one of those places where the young people mix with the older generation with ease and no one feels out of place anywhere. There’s the late-night scene in 1014 and the Box Office if you want a 3am finish, Oscar’s, The Winking Stag and Nora’s for cocktails, the infamous Nook and Elephant and Castle for the real ale trail, and places like Cru if you’re after an extensive wine list. When there is a gig on at the Picturedrome it can get really busy, but the big outdoor area of the Bridge is where to go in the summer.
Then the perfect end to a Saturday night for me is a cup of Yorkshire Tea in bed. I used to party like a rock star. Honest.
Last of the Summer Wine
Famed for being the filming location of Last of the Summer Wine, Holmfirth has come a long way since Compo, Cleggy and Foggy were making mischief on the cobbled courtyards.
Those much-loved hallmarks are still there ‒ including Sid’s Café, while Nora Batty’s house is now a self-catering cottage. The town still revels in its TV legacy with the Wrinkled Stocking Tearoom and Compo’s Fish & Chips.
But even if you’re not there for the flat caps, Holmfirth ‒ perhaps best described as Hebden Bridge’s slightly naughtier little brother ‒ is a charming, vibrant market town with an identity that has long outgrown its pesky pensioner reputation.
You won’t find any chain stores lining High Street or Hollowgate. Instead, the town is packed with quirky independents, from No.25 and Read to The Goddess and the Guru and the Crystal Apothecary.
Holmfirth also punches well above its weight when it comes to food, drink and culture. Traditional pubs sit alongside cocktail bars, many proudly serving locally brewed real ales. At the heart of the town’s cultural life is the legendary Picturedrome, one of the country’s oldest working cinemas turned live music venue, which attracts an impressive line-up of artists throughout the year. The arts are woven into the fabric of the town, with the infamous folk festival, Artweek and the Arts Festival ensuring there’s almost always something happening after dark.
Top that off with a breath-taking Pennine backdrop, miles of spectacular walking and cycling routes, its own vineyard and a fiercely proud community spirit, and it’s easy to see why Holmfirth has become one of Yorkshire’s most desirable destinations.