Buildings
Halifax houses
Fine walks and fine houses
The Calder valley is very well known for its vernacular architecture, and in particular for the fine 'Halifax houses' that were built or clad in stone during the 17th-century. A good number can still be seen today, and are a frequent sight for walkers on the Calderdale Way, which links many old footpaths in a 52 mile circular trail around the borough, or on other rural tracks.
The houses were typically the homes of wealthy yeoman families specialising in a dual economy of farming and textiles, and were scattered all across the valleys and hills. The local textile trade by the 17th-century had reached an intensity where sufficient fortunes could be made, and one of the choice targets for domestic wealth was in creating a substantial home in stone, that symbolised not just the hard work and good fortune of the family, but also its perseverance and endurance through generations; in a sense, they were an ancestral gift to future generations.
Every local township and village has its own fine example of this distinctive local architecture, drawing on local traditions of family and working life; and most of them sport distinctive sculptural motifs which were as much part of the local character as the architecture itself, and we will look at these features in another 'Glimpse'.
To get a flavour of this local style, visitors could take a walk around the old villages of Norland, Barkisland, Midgley and Heptonstall, but a stroll around any of Calderdale's towns and villages, or travelling along any of its many lanes will surely reward you with some of our borough's proudest features. Calderdale Heritage Walks|
organises around 50 walks a year throughout Calderdale. It is run by a group of people who have a vast knowledge of all things Calderdale!
