A slideshow and lecture on Dawson City, the 19th Century Navvy community above Heptonstall, will be held at the White Lion pub at 7.30pm on Monday, June 10.
The labourers lived in temporary buildings with their families while building the Walshaw Dean reservoirs. A book on the subject has been written by Ann Kilbey and Corrine McDonald.
An electricity generator and fuel supply has been installed by the toilets on Townfield Lane due to problems with the power supply to ten nearby houses.
After a powercut on Friday morning, workmen dug up the edge of Smithwell Lane looking for the fault, and realised the fault was in the middle of the road.
Calderdale Council has prevented them from closing the road to make the repairs because of the closure of Lee Wood Road.
The generator was installed on Friday evening as a temporary measure, so no houses are now without electricity. The electricity board are now negotiating with the council about how to proceed.
The new path from Townfield Lane to Heptonstall school is now open, saving parents and children from having to walk on the main road while the traffic is heavier than normal.
Children are enjoying getting to know the ponies. In case you were wondering, they are:
Skye, light brown with white socks.
Aran, very dark brown with a white muzzle and white socks.
Jura, dark brown with a whitish tummy.
Thanks to Rosie for the information.
The owners of the Cross Inn, WJ Turnbull and Sons, have confirmed that the pub will be re-opening in June.
Builders are starting on some repairs and the pub will open again as soon as they are complete.
A spokesperson for WJ Turnbull said they didn’t know an exact date yet but would know more as works commenced.
Repairs to Lee Wood Road, which carries traffic around the village from Hebden Bridge to Slack Bottom and beyond, are likely to take months and cost at least £1million.
The repairs were delayed by heavy snow in March and have now hit technical problems, with the council now refusing to give a date for completion.
Coun Barry Collins told the Heben Bridge Times: “We are having to excavate to a depth of 4.5m below the road level to reach stable ground to find the new wall.
“The poor ground conditions and the depth of the excavation have reduced the length of wall which can be safely excavated to five metres at any one time as the edge of the excavation is unsafe and obviously poses a risk to workers on the site. This restricted working area has reduced the manpower that we can effectively employ at any time.
“We accept that this is obviously a problem and potentially extends the length of the project but that’s what we are facing in a technical sense.
“It is absolutely clear from the seriousness of the problems that we have uncoered on the hillside that this is going to be extremely expensive.
“I understand people’s concerns on the timescale and the disruption it is causing but given the scale of the problems we are uncovering, I’d prefer not to put a timescale on this.”
He told the HB Times that the council was awaiting the findings of a geotechnical report on Tentercroft and Hollins before it made any further decisions on additional works that may be required.
The council has conducted traffic surveys using speed guns and found that on average 93 cars passed through Heptonstall in an hour at an average speed of 12 miles per hour. The maximum speed recorded was 18 miles per hour.
Customers at the Cross Inn have been considering applying for the historic pub to be listed as a Community Asset by Calderdale Council.
Sarah Manfredi, local school governor and council officer, explained would give the community the “right to bid” if the pub was put on the market, and an extra six months to raise the money.
She said: ” It does not mean that he/she has to accept the bid, but it does delay any sale by six months and gives the community the chance to put the money together to try to buy it themselves.
“If an owner is thinking about selling something rather than running it as a successful business, this kind of impediment to selling might make them think again.
“It might also be something a planning committee could take into account when considering change of use.”
Applying for registration has to be done by a community group or parish council – not by an individual. The group would then have to explain why this asset is important to the community.
Full details are here: http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/community/advice/community-rights/bid.html .
If anyone would like to take this forward, Sarah can email them a simple form to fill in.
Calderdale MBC have developed proposals for the management of woodland in Colden Clough and details can be seen on the CMBC webpages at http://forestplans.co.uk/colden-clough/.
There will be a short, informative walk around the Colden Valley at 10:00am on Saturday 13 April 2013, starting from the Bowling Club.
Council officers will be available afterwards from 12 noon to discuss the plans, again at the Bowling Club.
Further information can be obtained from;
David Wilson,
Area Countryside Officer Upper Valley
Clegg Nook, Cragg Road, Mytholmroyd, HX7 5HR
Tel 01422 886371.
Age UK Calderdale & Kirklees Health and Community Services team are working with ‘Good Neighbour Scheme’. They aim to alleviate a lot of the problems associated with later life.
A project which the people of Heptonstall are likely to hear a lot more about is ‘LOCAL LINK’.
Local Link is managed by Andrew Fearnley, who has a network of Community Volunteers, mainly in rural areas of Calderdale, who act as ‘eyes and ears’ of their local communities, to support isolated older people. Mary Cockcroft and Jean Leach are our volunteers in the Heptonstall area.
Andrew also runs a scheme called ‘SAFE & WARM’, offering Home Energy Information and Advice, with support in applying for grants and reducing fuel poverty amongst vulnerable older people.
The ‘ACTIVE BEFRIENDING PROJECT’, co-ordinated by Christine Henry offers ‘one to one’ support for isolated people throughout Calderdale. Trained volunteers are linked with lonely older people who feel depressed and socially isolated. The scheme is focused on engaging people in activities with their befriender, in order to restore confidence and gain more out of life.
People are referred to the scheme through various channels; usually by Health Professionals, but often by family or neighbours and sometimes by the person who actually needs the support.
Andrew and Christine can be contacted at Age UKCK Choices Centre, Woolshops, Halifax. For further information Tel 01422 399830.
The Calderdale MBC Neighbourhood Co-ordinator has advised that there will be important changes to the bus services in Hebden Bridge and Todmorden from Sunday 24 June 2012.
New timetable details can be downloaded from
By Rosie, Class Three
Class three made some games like Crown Hoopla , Pin the Crown on the queen and so on. Every child brought in picnic food with an extra piece of food for the adults. The hall was crowded. Class Four did a treasure hunt. Everyone wore red, white and blue. The school was decorated with bunting that the children made. Class Three did a show with a hip hop dance with “whatever” faces and music.
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The Good Neighbour Scheme (+ Voluntary Driver) Group have been successful in recruiting a number of local community volunteers – as drivers for the Community Car Service. If you have mobility problems and/or experience problems in using public transport then this service may be of help to you. You might be able to use it, for example, to get to:-
If you think that you – or someone you know – might be interested and/or you would like to find out more, then please contact Phil Kelly on 01422 847328.
3rd Monday of each Month
Pick up 12 o’clock;
There are a few vacancies.
If anyone is interested please contact
Margaret Coupe – Tel: 842550 or e-mail: margaret.coupe12*mypostoffice.co.uk (change * to @).
First Thursday of each month 12.00 to 12.30 start – (None in January & August)
Membership – No need to book or to attend on a regular basis.
2 Courses – Choice of menu – main course and dessert. Tea or Coffee. Cost £4.00.
For further information or to arrange to attend contact:
Mary Livesey: 845405 or Phil Kelly 847328.
At Good Shepherd Centre (by railway viaduct on New Road).
Every Wednesday 12.45 (not in school holidays). For catering purposes regular attendance is preferred, but it is recognised that members won’t always be able to make it and that is not a problem.
Sample menu: Cauliflower-cheese soup, pork cooked with cider, mushrooms and onions, and spiced apple and raisin crumble. Tea of coffee. Cost £3.50. Bar drinks are available should Luncheon Club diners wish to purchase them.
For further information or to arrange to attend contact: Mary Livesey: 845405 or Phil Kelly 847328.
Visitors to our village can buy a copy of the Heptonstall Trail at the Post Office (for opening times see Post Office information on this website) or from the Birchcliffe Centre in Hebden Bridge.
The Trail is a short, self-guided exploration of the village – only about a mile in length but full of information that brings Heptonstall history alive. A clear map gives you a route and 29 points of interest, with brief explanations of each, plus photos. A copy of the map can be seen here.
Alternatively, follow this google map version:
You can also walk a little further; there are two recommended extensions of short, easy walking in the booklet – which may tempt you into exploring the many pathways and open hills beyond! (If you do, make sure you have sturdy boots and a map…) Or you may be enticed to find out more about this area’s rich history.
**Google Heptonstall or Colden Clough and you’ll find a wealth of both local history and well described longer walks out of, and including, Heptonstall village.
The latest edition of the Parish Newsletter is now available from the usual places, or can be downloaded here – Parish Newsletter – February 2012
Sunday at 10.45am -Village Remembrance Service at Methodist Church.
Monday 14th. November at 8pm – Ladies Evening in the Sunday school – speaker Roger Benn on travel and holidays.
Saturday 19th. November – Christmas Fayre in the Sunday School 11am with lunch served from 1pm. A slight change from the bazaar with more things for children but still some traditional stalls. Note new time.
Sunday 18th December at 10.45am – Nativity Service in the Methodist Church. Children from the village and the school are warmly invited to take part in this enjoyable event.
Sunday 18th December at 6.30pm – Village Carol Service in St Thomas` followed by tea or coffee and mince pies.
Sunday 25th December at 9 30am – Village Christmas Day Service at the Methodist Church.
Sunday 1st January 2012 at 10.45am – Annual Covenant Service at the Methodist Church.
Heptonstall Parish Website 