Hebden Bridge
Moyles is proud to call home the quirky Pennine market town of Hebden Bridge, a small town which very definitely punches above its weight in terms of its reputation and what it has to offer visitors. In April 2005, Hebden Bridge was declared the fourth funkiest place in the world by British Airways Highlife magazine and was described as "modern and stylish in an unconventional and stylish way".
Hebden Bridge has cool liberal credentials and is stacked with organic cafes, delis and well supported independent local shops. In fact the town's official motto is 'a town for great little shops'. A recent survey by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) found that Hebden Bridge has the best range of locally owned shops in the UK, making us the leading anti-clone town.
Hebden Bridge lies close to the Pennine Way and the well-conserved National Trust of Hardcastle Craggs. The challenges of the hilly terrain make it popular for outdoor pursuits such as walking, climbing and cycling.
For boaters, Hebden Bridge's hospitality make it a popular overnight or lunchtime stop on the Rochdale Canal - a through route across the Pennines. Sit back and relax in our bar or restaurant and watch the world go by at the newly-revived wharf just a stone's throw away from the tourist information office and the Picture House, Britain's only council-owned arthouse cinema.
The town also boasts an action-packed calender of events, including the world-renowned Hebden Bridge Arts Festival which takes place every year during the summer. The traditional Pace Egg Plays are an annual Easter event and thousands of spectators throng the town for the keenly-anticipated Duck Race in August. There's also the spectacular bonfire and fireworks display every November which has become a main fixture in the region.
Hebden Bridge takes its name from the packhorse bridge built across Hebden water in 1510. The town developed in late medieval times as a river-crossing and meeting point of packhorse routes from Halifax to Heptonstall, Burnley and Rochdale.
Much of the town’s charm comes from the way in which former industrial buildings of the textile trade have been put to new uses. Many are now occupied by artists, musicians and other creative people, drawn to the area because it successfully blends rural and urban living. Ten minutes from the town centre and you can be walking alone by the river in one of the many wooded valleys. Half an hour’s walk uphill and you can be in open moorland.
