We at Discover Huddersfield are excited to be able to offer a Guided Walks programme each year and hope that you will join us to experience some of the wondrous sites and heritage of Huddersfield town centre and surrounding areas.
Although, regrettably, we had to cancel the whole of our 2020 walks programme, we are now very pleased to be able to offer a number of walks starting in mid-July and continuing to late October this year.
A list of the proposed walks is set out below.
Please note, however, that this programme remains subject to any further changes in Covid-19 restrictions and that all walks must be pre-booked on Eventbrite (see attached links) from approximately 2 weeks prior to the date of each walk.
It is also likely that the number of walkers will have to be limited according to the nature and timing of each walk.
Ticket prices will be £4.00 per walk (except Heritage Open Days events) and this includes the charge Eventbrite makes for its services.
Guided Walks 2021
DISCOVER HUDDERSFIELD
ALL WALKS MUST BE PREBOOKED ON EVENTBRITE, INCLUDING THE 5 FREE WALKS FOR HERITAGE OPEN DAYS
THURSDAY 15 JULY AT 7.00PM
Lindley Chapels, Grand Houses and Mill Workers: A Walk Through Lindley’s Story.
Meet: Lindley Methodist Church, East St, HD3 3ND
Join David Verguson for a walk though Lindley’s past – a village of chapels and churches, mill owners and mill workers, public benefactors and public houses (some of them long gone). There is also some very distinctive architecture. . . and a campaign against the price of meat!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-walk-through-lindleys-story-tickets-161106705493
SUNDAY 25 JULY AT 2.30PM
Building Stones.
Meet: St. George’s Square (Harold Wilson Statue)
Join Ailsa Burrows of Huddersfield Geology Group for a short walk to discover the variety of rocks which helped Huddersfield become known as ‘The Town of Stone’. We view and explain the geological history of the many beautiful examples of the local sandstone and the several exotic, polished stones which adorn buildings in the town. A magnifying glass would be useful but some will be provided.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-stones-tickets-161199908265
THURSDAY 5 AUGUST AT 6.30PM
Sites from Slaithwaite’s Radical Past.
Meet: New Street, Car Park, Slaithwaite (opposite Health Centre)
The walk, led by Cyril Pearce, will take approx. two hours and parts of it may be challenging for those with mobility issues. Note also the earlier start time of 6.30pm.
The tides of English radicalism in the 18th and 19th centuries have swirled through Slaithwaite and in local memories they’ve left more than Victor Grayson and the 1907 by-election. The struggle between landlords with a particular world view and local people who did not share it, began much earlier than that and its marks remain in surviving local buildings, many named for ‘Slaithwaite’ but some of them across the border in Linthwaite.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sites-from-slaithwaites-radical-past-tickets-161202245255
SUNDAY 15 AUGUST AT 2.30PM
Huddersfield’s Radical Heritage.
Meet: St. George’s Square (Harold Wilson Statue)
Cyril Pearce follows the steps of those involved in Huddersfield’s most dramatic, turbulent and radical moments of our local and national history, exploring the buildings and places associated with events such as the campaign for factory reform, the
Luddites, Chartism and the emergence of socialist and co-operative movements. The walk ends at the former Hall of Science on Bath Street.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/huddersfield-radical-heritage-tickets-161207053637
SUNDAY 22 AUGUST AT 2.30PM
Georgian Huddersfield.
Meet: Market Cross, Market Place
We think of Huddersfield as a Victorian town, but its transformation from ‘miserable village’ to ‘handsome town’ went on apace for several decades before Victoria came to the throne in 1837, and there is still much to see from that late Georgian period. Local historian David Griffiths will visit a variety of surviving buildings and the sites of some that have been lost, in and around the town centre.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/georgian-huddersfield-tickets-161207779809
THURSDAY 2 SEPTEMBER AT 6.00PM
The Changing Face of Birkby.
Meet: Outside St. John’s Church, St. John’s Road, Birkby, HD1 5EA
Join Lorna and Frank to explore the history of famous firms such as Hopkinsons engineering and Ben Shaws drinks as well as co-ops, a cinema, grand houses, churches and mosques, transport links, gardens, breweries and a workhouse. You will also discover older heritage sites: the medieval motte and bailey fortification on Beacon Street and the timber-framed Bay Hall; all showcasing Birkby’s development from a green suburb to the densely populated multicultural community we know today.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-changing-face-of-birkby-tickets-161209525029
Heritage Open Days
Heritage Open Days celebrate England’s superlative architecture and culture by offering free access to places that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission. In 2021 the programme of varied activities will cover the period between Friday 10 and Sunday 19 September with Discover Huddersfield offering five free walks. All five walks MUST be pre-booked. Further information can be found here.
SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER AT 10.30AM
Exploring the Town’s Ramsden Heritage.
Meet: Huddersfield Parish Church, Byram Street
In September 1920, Huddersfield Corporation finalised its purchase of the 4300 acres of the Ramsden estate, bringing an end to the Ramsden family’s three-and-a-half centuries as a leading force in the town. David Griffiths will lead a walk to key sites that illustrate their influence on the town’s development. The walk includes
a stretch along the canal towpath, so robust footwear is recommended.
SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER AT 2.30PM
Walking the Banks of the River Colne.
Meet: Steps down to the Riverside Way at Kingsbridge, Kings Bridge Road, HD1 3AY.
The Greenstreams Project has been restoring and upgrading the Riverside Way, improving riverside greenspaces, access to the river and promoting walking and cycling routes. With river water quality improvements, wildlife is also returning to our rivers in urban Huddersfield. Come and find out more along this 1.25 mile one way walk as we follow the river along surfaced footpaths. The walk will finish at the John Smiths Stadium, HD1 6PG.
SUNDAY 12 SEPTEMBER AT 2.30PM
Huddersfield Textile Walk.
Meet: Outside the Hart (White Hart Inn), Cloth Hall Street, HD1 2DX
The label ‘Made in Huddersfield’ became a global brand synonymous with the quality woollen and worsted textile industry.
Join Carol Hardy and Julie Mahoney for a walk that explores some of the major locations associated with the textile manufacturing industry. We begin at the site of the old Cloth Hall and visit buildings and locations that are woven into the textile heritage of Huddersfield, including a mill which opened in 1846 and is still operating today. A stroll along the canal will take us past sites of former mills and converted mill buildings. Our walk finishes at the top of Queen Street South.
SATURDAY 18 SEPTEMBER AT 10.30AM
Buildings of Huddersfield’s 19th Century ‘New Town’
Meet: St. George’s Square (Harold Wilson Statue)
Huddersfield’s mid-nineteenth century planned New Town led to some remarkable buildings through changes in authority, commerce and technology.’ Author Chris Marsden will share stories of significant buildings within the town’s designated Heritage Action Zone, selected from his ‘Huddersfield in 50 Buildings’ – a new way of looking at the town’s development.
SUNDAY 19 SEPTEMBER AT 2.30PM
The Irish in Huddersfield.
Meet: St. George’s Square (Harold Wilson Statue)
John Lambe explores places associated with Irish immigrants who came to work on the canals, in textiles, construction and recently, to study at the University. The walk includes a tour of St. Patrick’s Church. After the walk a free short film, ‘The Connemara Connection’, will be shown at the Irish Centre at 4.30pm. The walk is approx. 1.5 miles around the town centre, finishing at The Irish Centre, 86 Fitzwilliam Street, HD1 5BB and does involve some steps.
SUNDAY 26 SEPTEMBER AT 2.30PM
The Age of Architectural Decoration.
Meet: St. George’s Square (Harold Wilson Statue)
From the 1850’s to the early C20th, decorative features became both varied and prominent on many of the town centre’s buildings. Inspired by the craftmanship of the middle ages and influenced by styles adopted on the continent, architects and their clients were creating a range of highly skilled, as well as weird and wonderful sculptural features in stone, tile, iron and other materials. Join David Wyles to explore this rich and surprising treasure trove of delightful features, often missed by the casual observer.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-age-of-architectural-decoration-tickets-161210844977
SUNDAY 24 OCTOBER AT 2.30PM
Surprising Lockwood – From Elegant Spa to an Industrial Hub.
Meet: Water Street Car Park, Lockwood, HD4 6EJ (adjacent to Grappolo Restaurant)
Join Ian Stevenson on a circular walk starting from Water Street Car Park. See some of the early 19th century buildings which were to be found in the spa village of Lockwood, attracting visitors from all over the country, then later as the Industrial Revolution helped to establish Lockwood as a lively hub of textile and engineering excellence. Please note: the walk will cover approx. 1.5 mile
Please note that a number of Virtual Trails are now available to watch. See accompanying Latest News page for further details.
If you would like to see the walks programmes we ran in 2017, 2018 and 2019 these can be viewed on:
Discover Huddersfield walks programme 2017
Discover Huddersfield walks programme 2018
Discover Huddersfield walks programme 2019
