Ripponden

Ryburn Reservoir

Rishworth · 1.2 miles

Ryburn Reservoir is a supply reservoir operated by Yorkshire Water close to Ripponden in the Yorkshire Pennines, England. It lies in the valley of the River Ryburn and is the lower of two reservoirs built in the valley to supply Wakefield with water and was completed in 1933. The upper reservoir is Baitings Reservoir.

Baitings Reservoir

Rishworth · 1.9 miles

Baitings Reservoir is a large water supply reservoir operated by Yorkshire Water close to Ripponden in the West Yorkshire Pennines, England. It lies in the valley of the River Ryburn, is the higher of two reservoirs built to supply Wakefield with water and was completed in 1956. The lower reservoir is Ryburn Reservoir.

People's Park

Bell Hall · 4.3 miles

A gift to the citizens of Halifax in 1857, People’s Park provides a historic green space in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, close to the settlement of Bell Hall. The land was presented by local carpet manufacturer Sir Francis Crossley, who intended the area to give working men a convenient place for a stroll after a hard day’s labour. The original layout is attributed to the celebrated garden designer Joseph Paxton, and the park today holds a Grade II* entry on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. Following a period of neglect in the late twentieth century, a major restoration programme began in 1995, reviving both the landscape and the built structures within the park. Central to the restoration is the Crossley Pavilion, itself recorded as a Grade II* listed building, which reflects the Victorian ambition to combine art and nature for public enjoyment. The park’s design and its listed status make it a point of interest for visitors who appreciate historic urban green spaces. Access is via the surrounding streets of Halifax, and as a public park it remains freely open to all, with the open-air setting offering opportunities for walking and informal recreation.

Shroggs Park

Lee Mount · 5 miles

Spanning 9.7 hectares on the outskirts of Halifax in West Yorkshire, the green space known as Shroggs Park lies close to the town of Lee Mount. Its designation as a Grade II listed site recognises historic interest, while the name reflects the original “bushy scrub” that covered the area before formal development. The park’s origin dates to a promise made on 22 November 1872 by Colonel Edward Akroyd, a local businessman, who pledged to create a public amenity after intervening to keep the land from railway use. At a committee meeting in the House of Commons he outlined the effort, and on 25 June 1879 he transferred the partially completed ground to the public on the condition that the municipal corporation finish the work and maintain the area solely as a park. Completion followed, and the venue opened for public use in 1881. Today visitors encounter a pond surrounded by mature evergreen trees and assorted bushes, alongside informal footpaths and woodland trails that wind through the site. A gothic drinking fountain adds a decorative touch. Regular activity includes the Halifax parkrun, which gathers participants each Saturday. The layout encourages leisurely walks and casual recreation within a historically protected landscape.

The Piece Hall

Woolshops · 5 miles

The former cloth hall stands in Halifax, West Yorkshire, close to the settlement of Woolshops, and is protected as a Grade I listed building. Erected in the late eighteenth century to bring together handloom weavers and merchants, the structure surrounds a central open courtyard with three hundred and fifteen individual rooms that once displayed woollen pieces for sale. Its quadrangular form of freestone, two upper storeys and a rusticated basement is punctuated by interior colonnades that lead to the arched chambers, a layout intended to provide both security and privacy for transactions. Although the architect has never been definitively identified, the building’s scale and craftsmanship reflect the prosperity of Halifax at the time of its opening on 1 January 1779. After a period of decline, the hall was taken over by Halifax Corporation in 1868 and adapted for wholesale market use, with some rooms combined and new entrances created for vehicle access. The twentieth-century saw the removal of nineteenth-century sheds, the addition of a museum and art gallery, and a re-opening to the public in July 1976. Following the closure of the museum in 1998, a major restoration funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Calderdale Council began in 2014, culminating in a reopening in August 2017. Today the Piece Hall operates under the stewardship of the Piece Hall Trust, hosts cultural events, and offers limited wheelchair access for visitors.

Calderdale Industrial Museum

Woolshops · 5 miles

Calderdale Industrial Museum is a museum in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, dedicated to the industrial heritage of the area. The museum contains a number of working machines built between 1850 – 1930 all of which were either built or used in Halifax.