Located in the heart of the beautiful Holme Valley, Holmfirth is a small town that sits just north of the Peak District in West Yorkshire. The town is better known as the location for the popular BBC TV series Last of the Summer Wine, with thousands of fans making the journey every year to visit such locations as Sid’s Café and Nora Batty’s Steps.

Whilst Last of the Summer Wine is a major visitor attraction, it certainly isn’t the only reason people visit Holmfirth year in and year out. With it’s breathtaking scenery across the Holme Valley, Holmfirth is also popular with walkers and wildlife enthusiasts alike, and if that isn’t enough there are some wonderful attractions to be seen in the town itself.

With the CragRats Theatre and Café Bar located on Dunford Road, and the popular Picturedrome Cinema showcasing all manner of live acts and contemporary films, there’s always something to see and do in the evenings. During the day Sid’s Café provide an unmissable Summer Wine Exhibition and TV location tour that’ll see you visit some of the other popular locations used in the series, such as the White Horse Pub.

Holmfirth is also home to a wide range of eating places, including restaurants, wine bars, pubs take-aways that cater for a wide variety of tastes. The most popular amongst visitors being Hervey’s Wine Bar in Norridge Bottom, The Carniceria in Victoria Square, and the Old Bridge Hotel beside the river.

Centred around the activities and shenanigans of three elderly men, Last of the Summer Wine is a gentle comedy about the pleasures of growing old. The cast has changed my times over the years with the original trio
consisting of Bill Owen as the scruffy and child-like Compo, Peter Sallis as deep-thinking, meek Clegg and Michael Bates as authoritarian and snobbish Blamire.

Over the years the original cast has grown to feature a wide variety of supporting characters, with each helping to contribute to their own unique subplots and often finding themselves somehow involved in the daredevil stunts and boyish pranks of the trio.

Whilst the trio has changed over the course of the show, Peter Sallis as ‘Clegg’ has remained a constant character as was Bill Owen as Compo for some 26 years until his death.

Often seen as ageing delinquents, the three men have never seemed to have grown up. With their often youthful stunts and japes aimed at wooing their lady friends or getting male chums out of trouble.

Last of the Summer Wine continues to raise a large viewing audience on the BBC, and has been awarded in the past for it’s positive portrayal of older people and it’s family-friendly humour and content.

On the 26 June 2009 the BBC announced that it had recommissioned the show for its 31st series, consisting of 6 episodes to be broadcast in 2010.

Last of the Summer Wine Video Tribute

A truly enticing market with a wonderful range of stalls brimming with antiques, collectibles, jewellery, retro, shabby chic and plenty of hidden gems.

Vintage Market
Wednesday 10.00am until 4.30pm

A truly enticing market with a wonderful range of stalls brimming with antiques, collectibles, jewellery, retro, shabby chic and plenty of hidden gems.

General Market
Thursday 9.00am until 4.30pm

A busy weekday market bursting with fresh produce including local meats, eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables, bread and cakes, plus a wonderful selection of plants and flowers, all the essential household items, superb silver jewellery and much more.

Craft and Food Market
Saturday 9.00am until 4.30pm

A wonderful combination of hand-made crafts and fresh food.

Craft stalls include hand-made basketry, jewellery, cards and stationary, knitwear, sewing and embroidery, glassware, photography and more. Alongside the traditional crafts, the market is full of fresh foods, including local meats, cheeses, seasonal fruit and vegetables, biscuits, breads and cakes.

Special Markets & Events

Food & Drink Festival
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September

Join us for the fourth year at one of the best festivals in the North.

Halloween Spooktacular
Saturday 31 October

Ghostly goings on at the market with themed craft activities and spooky treats.

Holmfirth Art Market
Sunday 22 November

A unique event where selected artists and designer makers sell beautiful homewares, garden sculpture, jewellery, paintings, fashion, photography and more – direct to the public.

Christmas Craft Market
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 November

Take a break from the high street and indulge in some traditional Christmas shopping perfecto for those unique gifts.

Sunday Christmas Shopping
Sunday 6 & Sunday 13 December

Squeeze in time for extra shopping with Sunday opening at the market.

Farmers Markets

Every third Sunday from 8.00am until 2.00pm

Take a trip to the farmers market where you can buy fresh, nutritious, good quality food direct from the person who produces it.

The selection of produce available at the Farmers Market will vary with season, however you are likely to be able to find a delicious selection of vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, bread and cakes, jams, fruit juices and dairy produce.

Farmers Markets Dates & Timetable:

• Sunday 20 September
• Sunday 18 Ocober
• Sunday 15 November
• Sunday 20 December
• Sunday 17 January
• Sunday 21 February
• Sunday 21 March
• Sunday 18 April
• Sunday 16 May
• Sunday 20 June
• Sunday 18 July

Market Cafe & Children’s Zone

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch at the superb market cafe. Offering the very best in fresh local produce, the cafe is also home to our free children’s play area.

Activities change throughout the year, and range from bouncy castles, ball pools, and soft play to craft tables, activity centres, and much more.

Look out for special attractions throughout the yearincluding face painting, balloon modelling and Punch & Judy.

The Children’s Zone and cafe are also available to book for children’s parties.

Over a 1,000 years ago the first inhabitants began to settle in the are we now know as Holmfirth. Back in Saxon and medieval times, the lords of Wakefield used the area as a hunting forest, the name Holmfirth means ’sparse woodland belonging to Holme’.

By the 13th Century more settlers began moving to the area, with early records depicting a corn mill and bridge with a few houses are already appearing around the mill.

By now Holmfirth the village can begun to take shape, with residents opting to build their homes higher up into the valley rather than the valley bottom. This continued well into the 1700’s with the ever increasing population remaining particularly rural, and continuing to live and work on the farms and cottage industries higher up the valley.

It took until the end of the 18th century for this to begin to change. In 1784, a woollen clotheir named John Fallas begun acquiring property in the valley bottom and the mills. Ofcourse the mills needed to be built around the rivers

which in turn would require a workforce that lived nearer the rivers. This marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution for Holmfirth that would see this small rural village transformed into a thriving mill town.

Holmfirth’s fast flowing water supply which was great for the mills, was also a cause of tragedy in the flood of 1852.

The area was of course prone to flooding, and had been numerous times in the past. But before the Industrial Revolution the valley bottom was virtually empty as homes were built higher up the valley. In 1738 and 1777 the village suffered a number of floods, but none where to be as severe as the flood of 1852.

The flood of 1852 saw some 81 lives lost, whole families wiped out, with property destroyed and thousands left homeless and jobless.

Between the late to 18th century to the 20th century many people living in Holmfirth and surrounding areas made their living in the textile industry. Even as late as 1941 Holmfirth was still known as a ‘town busy with wool’.

Whilst the town still has strong ties with the textile industry today, Holmfirth’s main source of prosperity now comes from the success of The Last of the Summer Wine television programme which saw the town become a tourist attraction for the show’s many fans.

But The Last of the Summer Wine wasn’t the first time the town had seen TV cameras. In the early 20th century, the streets of Holmfirth were the backdrop for James Bamforth’s moving pictures. James Bamforth was a talented local artist who began painting the backgrounds of life models for lantern slides. Know as the ‘king of the lantern slides’, Bamforth later went on to producing films and his company was the first in Britain to make films purely for entertainment purposes.

His filming saw the streets of Holmfirth brought to a virtual standstill, with locals often seen in the streets getting plastered with custard pies, being drenched by fire hoses or buckets of whitewash.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of Holmfirth through the ages.

Holmfirth History Timeline

1000 – 1200: First recorded settlers, although it is likely that the area had been inhabited prior to this.

Late 1300s: There were 175 taxable inhabitants in Holmfirth (a married couple counted as one).

1476: The first stone church was built. It is probable that there had been a wooden one on the same site prior to this.

1500: A chapel-of-ease is built in Holmfirth. Worshippers no longer had to travel the four or five miles to Almondbury Parish Church.

1597: Th’owd Towzer is believed to have been built in this year. Th’owd Towzer is a building near the Holy Trinity Church. It was originally the church lockup. It has had various roles over the years: a mortuary, an ambulance station, a jail and a fire station.

1642: The English Civil War begins. Holmfirth sends 100 musketeers to join Oliver Cromwell’s armies (the Roundheads).

1650: Holmfirth people petition for the chapelry of Holmfirth to be a separate parish.

1651: Holmfirth becomes a separate parish.

1660: After the Restoration Holmfirth loses its status as a separate parish and reverts to a chapel-of-ease. Perhaps a punishment for Holmfirth’s role in the Civil War!

1738: Sunday, May 7 – first recorded Holmfirth flood. Fortunately, there was no loss of life.

1776: The first Spinning Jenny is introduced in the area.

1777: Wednesday, July 23 – a thunderstorm causes the River Holme to burst its banks. Three lives were lost as a result of this flood.

1788: The present day Holy Trinity Church is built.

1801: Th’owd Genn is erected to mark the end of the war with France.

1812: Luddite activity begins in Holmfirth and the surrounding villages.

1821: September 21 – heavy rainstorms cause yet another flood. Again there was no loss of life.

1838: The Town Hall is built by public subscription.

1850: Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company open the branch line to Holmfirth. The Druids’ Hall is built for the Ancient Order of Druids Friendly Society at a cost of £1,800. It has since been used for various purposes: entertainment, a hotel and a drill hall but is now the home of the Freemasons.

1852: February 5 – `The Great Flood’. This flood has been described as `probably the greatest single disaster ever to befall the Holme Valley’, claiming 81 lives.

1858: The population in Holmfirth had increased so much that it once again became an independent parish.

1860: Victoria Bridge is built. Prior to this Upper Bridge and Toll House was the main entrance to Holmfirth.

1865: A wooden railway viaduct at Mytholmbridge collapsed causing the Holmfirth railway line to be shut for one and a half years.

1867: The train service resumes when a new stone viaduct is completed to replace the wooden one.

1870: The firm Bamforth & Co is established by James Bamforth.

1872: On July 8, one thousand weavers went on strike.

1911: Death of James Bamforth. He was described in one local newspaper as `one of Holmfirth’s most honoured townsmen’.

1912: The Valley Theatre opens its doors.

1914: Steam wagons from B Mellor and Sons help with the transportation of troops.

1944: Whit Monday. The last of the Great Floods. Called the `Forgotten Flood’ because it occurred a few days before

the Allied invasion of Normandy. There was a news blackout at this time and it was ten days later when the flood was reported. By the time it was reported it was a minor event – the news being all about the Allied invasion.

1959: October 31 – Holmfirth passenger line closes. The goods service continues for another six years.

1995: Digley Reservoir was almost empty as a result of a drought.

1999: July 12 – Bill Owen, who played Compo in Last of the Summer Wine, died. His character died as well – the rest of the cast attending both his real life funeral and the funeral of his character Compo a few months later. He is buried at St John’s Church, Upperthong overlooking Summer Wine Country.

The scenery across Holmfirth, the Holme Valley, and surrounding areas is spectacular all year round. From snow covered hills and valleys in the winter, to bluebell-carpeted woodlands, the area is ideal for blowing away those winter cobwebs or simply having a lazy summer picnic. Pull on your walking boots or cycling shorts, pack the camera and head for the hills, where you will be rewarded with peace, fresh air and panoramic views.

Here’s some of the more popular routes and walks for the Holme Valley and surrounding areas.

Digley Reservoir

Located towards the south-west of Holmfirth are two popular circular walks around the Digley Reservoir. For those looking for a short stroll alongside woods and through fields, the short walk is approximately 1.2 miles long and is an ideal walk for families. Just follow the path that runs around the edge of the reservoir. For a more invigorating walk across open moorland, the route can be extended to cover nearly five miles, taking in some fantastic scenery.

Blackmoorfoot Reservoir

To the north of Meltham, this reservoir is popular with birdwatchers and is fully wheelchair accessible.

Holme Valley riverside Way

Starting from Magdale, this six-mile walk is more accessible than some other rural and hillside walks. This is a linear walk going through villages including Holmfirth and Honley.

Holme Valley Circular Walk

Starting from Berry Brow near Huddersfield, you will take in a variety of scenery from quiet villages to rolling fields and wooded valleys.

There are panoramic views from the many vantage points along the route, including historic Castle Hill. The full route covers 24 miles, but divides into 13 short sections.

Holme Moss View Point

525m above sea level, Holme Moss is every cyclist’s nemesis, but boy are the views worth the climb!

Holmbridge and Holme Walk

Explore Pennine moors, Peak district hills and quaint villages on this 5 mile walk past digley, Ramsden and Yateholme Reservoirs.

Ramsden Reservoir

There are a series of paths at Ramsden that provide walks in the valley and over moors near Holmfirth. The route includes a mixture of moorland and unsurfaced paths, presenting beautiful views across the valley and up onto the higher moors where the Holme Moss transmitter mast is a prominent feature.

The walk is 4 miles long, but there is an option to shorten the route.

The Holme Valley has always been susceptible to flooding, with the earliest recorded flood dating back to 1738 in which severe rainstorms caused the River Holme to burst its banks and flood the valley. Luckily on that occasion damage was limited to farmland and no lives were lost.

But on 5th February 1852 the Holme Valley and indeed Holmfirth experienced the worst flood in its History.

The Bilberry reservoir was built in 1840 over a stream that had not been properly diverted, because of this the reservoir wall was weakened over the years. Following nearly a fortnight of storms and heavy rain, on 5th February 1852, the reservoir banks broke releasing 86 million gallons of water down the River Holme, down the Holme Valley and into Holmfirth.

The force of the water swetp away Mills, cottages, animals and people, even tearing up graves in the graveyard at Holmebridge.

In total the flood caused some 81 deaths, destroyed included four mills, ten dye houses, three drying stoves, 27 cottages, seven tradesmen’s houses, seven shops, seven bridges crossing the River Holme, ten warehouses, eight barns and stables.

An inquiry after the disaster concluded that the reservoir was “defective in its original construction” and that “the Commissioners, in permitting the Bilberry reservoir to remain in a dangerous state with the full knowledge thereof, and not lowering the waste pit, have been guilty of great and culpable negligence”.

Here are two eyewitness accounts from the floods of 1852 and 1944:

Holmfirth Flood of 1852 – Story 1

Once in 1852 Mrs Pots the waiter who worked in the elephant and castle was just going to sleep.  But just as she closed her eyes she heard a big bang!!!  She went to look and she couldn’t believe her eyes because the street was full of water.  So she went to the kitchen table and broke the top off it and then the water gushed  in through the window and she climbed on the table top and floated out the window.  When the flood was over she went to the pub where she worked and it was wrecked, the walls, tables, every single thing and it took along time to repair the pub.

Holmfirth Flood of 1944 – Story 2

On Whit Monday May 29th 1944 after a hot, sunny afternoon a sudden storm with a violent cloudburst at about 6:30pm caused the Bilberry reservoir to burst its embankments again.  It released even more water than in the 1852 flood and had a devastating effect along the Holme valley and into Holmfirth.

Some people were returning to their homes after the Whit Monday processions and singing in Victoria Park, others were in the local Valley Theatre when a flood warning flashed onto the screen.

Bridges were washed away, shops and other buildings were damaged or swept away.  Thirteen factories were seriously damaged and 107 people had to be evacuated from their homes.  Three people lost their lives.

The river in Holmfirth rose to a height of 18 feet.

Holmfirth Flood of 1944 – Story 3

On Thursday Sarah’s grandma came to visit us.   She talked to us about the flood and she told us her story.  She was in her house.  Suddenly it started to rain very heavily.  An old lady was having trouble getting out of the house.  A boy named Geoffery Riley came out to her rescue.   Geoffrey’s dad saw that he was having trouble and he went to help.  Suddenly the rain stopped and they all got swept away.  Geoffery’s dad and the old lady drowned but a man spotted Geoffery’s hand and threw a rubber pipe in to rescue him.   He got awarded.

Holmfirth Flood Timeline 1738 – 1944:

1738: Heavy rain caused the River Holme to burst its banks causing flooding in the Holme Valley. Damage was limited to farmland and no lives were lost.

1777: The River Holme burst its banks again on Wednesday 21 July 1777 following more severe weather. A stone church built in 1476 was swept away and 3 people drowned in the flood. The following year money raised from local clothiers helped to rebuild the church.

1852: The Bilberry reservoir burst its banks due to severe weather and faults in the reservoirs wall. 81 people died in the flood with countless homes destroyed by the flood.

1944: On Whit Monday, 29 May 1944, a severe thunderstorm and flash floods caused the deaths of 3 people in the Holme Valley. Due to reporting restrictions in place because of World War II, it was not widely reported and was overshadowed by the invasion of Normandy a week later. This led to some confusion as to the exact cause of the flood but it was confirmed that Bilberry reservoir was not to blame. It was suggested that the reservoir prevented the flood from being more severe. German prisoners of war, housed in the area, assisted with the rescue of local residents and property. There was extensive damage to properties in the valley: 17 mills, 61 shops and 109 homes were flooded.