Calderdale
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about Calderdale from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover your local listed buildings and places
Introducing some of Calderdale's most historic sites, included in the National Heritage List for England. Some of these captions have been summarised by AI. Click through for the official List entry.
Piece Hall, Westgate, Halifax
Halifax
Cloth market. 1775-1779, attributed to Thomas Bradley. Built of local, finely grained sandstone with stone slate roofs.
The Halifax Building
Halifax
Office, formerly head office. 1968-1974. Designed by the Building Design Partnership (BDP) for the Halifax Building Society.
29, Rochdale Road
Todmorden
Co-operative shop, early C20, originally constructed as a house probably in early-mid C19, stone, 3-storeys plus lower ground floor and attic, 2-storey shopfront.
Vaccary Walling
Calderdale
A length of c100m of orthostatic walling of the medieval period, associated with a vaccary or cattle stock farm.
Dobroyd Castle
Todmorden
Country house, 1866-9 by John Gibson for John and Ruth Fielden. Minor later-C20 alterations.
Hollins Mill
Todmorden
Hollins Mill, built in 1856-58 by the Ormerods, is a historic site emphasizing its significant role in cotton manufacturing in Todmorden.
Peoples Park, Halifax
Halifax
Peoples Park in Halifax, designed by Joseph Paxton and opened in 1857, features historical architecture including the Crossley Pavilion and statues by Francesco Bienaime, and is undergoing...
Church of St John the Baptist
Halifax
Minster Parish Church mainly of early C15 date with some C12 fragments.
Bandstand, Centre Vale Park
Todmorden
Bandstand of unusual theatre type, 1914 by the Borough Engineer, restored in 1999.
Kirklees Park
Calderdale
Landscaped park, pleasure grounds and gardens for Kirklees Hall, the principal phase of development being the late C18 to the design of Richard Woods for Sir George Armytage (3rd baronet),...
31 Square Road
Halifax
A pair of wool warehouses of 1864 by John Hogg for Isaac Cooper and John Crossley, on a triangular plan and faced with buff sandstone.
Mill dam, mill race, weir and sluice gates for the former…
Ripponden
Water management system comprising weir, mill race, mill dam and sluice gates associated with Rishworth Mill, mid C19.
Borough Market With Shopping Arcade to North
Halifax
Covered market. 1891-5 by Leeming and Leeming for the Borough of Halifax.
Ring cairn known as the Ring of Stones on Ringstone Edge …
Ripponden
The Ring of Stones is a prehistoric ritual monument on Ringstone Edge Moor, likely from the Bronze Age and holds significant archaeological value despite recent damage.
Enclosed Bronze Age urnfield 200m north west of Hanging F…
Todmorden
The enclosed Bronze Age urnfield is a rare burial site providing insight into beliefs of the Middle Bronze Age, located 200m northwest of Hanging Field Farm.
Meg Dike late prehistoric enclosed settlement
Ripponden
Meg Dike is a late prehistoric enclosed settlement with surviving earthworks, providing insights into settlement types from the Late Bronze Age to Romano-British period.
Wadsworth War Memorial
Wadsworth
First World War memorial, 1923, by Dent Parker, with Second World War additions.
Halifax Railway Station Signal Box
Halifax
Railway signal box, 1884, by the Railway Signal Company for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, sited on a platform of the Grade II-listed railway station.
Shibden Hall
Calderdale
Shibden Hall, a 15th-century manor house, was managed by Anne Lister in the 1830s. It's now a public park and museum.
Former Heath Grammar School and associated drill shed, fi…
Halifax
Former grammar school, now training centre, drill shed, fives court building, front boundary wall and entrance gateway. School and drill shed 1878-9 by Joseph and John Leeming.
Old Town Mill
Wadsworth
Old Town Mill is a former worsted mill of 1851 and later, with spinning mill, warehouse, boiler and engine rooms, chimney and north light sheds, constructed of stone with slate roofs and now...
Bowling Dyke Mill at East End of Dean Clough Mills
Halifax
Spinning Mill, 1849 and 1851, for James Akroyd and Sons, in coursed dressed stone with pitched slate roofs, built in two phases.
Facade of Former Syon Sunday School
Halifax
Former Syon School facade, 1866, now the eastern facade of Bus Station.
Corona Chimney, Dean Clough
Halifax
Mill chimney, 1857, in coursed dressed stone with a brick lining. The chimney stands at the extreme western edge of the Dean Clough site.
Town Hall
Halifax
Halifax Town Hall, designed by Sir Charles Barry and E.M. Barry, and opened in 1863, is in a free Italianate, high Victorian style.
Shrogg's Park
Halifax
Shrogg's Park, established in Halifax in 1881 by Colonel Edward Akroyd, offers recreational facilities amid a beautifully landscaped environment and remains a cherished public space.
Wayside cross known as Mount Cross
Todmorden
Mount Cross, a gritstone wayside cross, exemplifies medieval religious and sculptural traditions, showing intact preservation of its cross-head, essential for understanding historical...
Brow Pit mine shaft, gin circle, spoil heap and tramway, …
Calderdale
Brow Pit features well-preserved earthworks, gin circle, and tramway, offering significant insights into early 19th-century coal mining's regional, social, and economic impacts.
Enclosed Bronze Age urnfield 160m west of Overgreen Royd …
Calderdale
The enclosed Bronze Age urnfield west of Overgreen Royd Farm, Mixenden, provides insight into Middle Bronze Age beliefs, featuring rare burial enclosures significant to Yorkshire's...
Somerset House
Halifax
Town house and two warehouses, subsequently a bank, now commercial, local authority, and residential premises.
Steeple of Former Church of St Paul
Halifax
Church tower with spire of 1847 by R D Chantrell in stone.
Wayside cross known as Abel Cross
Wadsworth
Abel Cross is a post-medieval wayside cross with two shafts on Shackleton Moor, likely marking an ancient route. It is a good example of historical religious monument.
Machpelah House
Hebden Royd
Machpelah House is a detached, double fronted stone built house dating to 1842.
E Mill
Halifax
Spinning mill, 1857, by Roger Ives for Crossley and Sons, in hammer dressed stone with ashlar dressings.
A and B Mills
Halifax
Spinning mill, 1841 and 1844, in hammer dressed gritstone with ashlar dressings and slate roofs.
Calderdale through time
This timeline shows the first period of use for buildings and places on the National Heritage List for England, just one of the details recorded for every list entry. Click around to see how Calderdale changes over time.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of Calderdale
Aerial photography helps reveal secrets of England's changing landscapes that are impossible to see from the ground.
Bailiff Bridge
Victoria Mills J.F. Firth and Son, Bailiff Bridge, 1933
Bailiff Bridge
Branxholme Mill, Bailiff Bridge, 1950
Halifax
People's Park and environs, Halifax, 1925
Halifax
The People's Park, Halifax, 1931
Halifax
The Old Station and environs, Halifax, 1931
Halifax
Halifax Old Station, surrounding mills and the town, Halifax, 1950
Halifax
North Bridge, North Bridge Station and environs, Halifax, 1931
Halifax
Burdock Way roundabout and environs, Halifax, 1973
Ripponden
The Ripponden and District Motors Ltd Depot and Garage, Ripponden, 1949
Ripponden
The Ripponden and District Motors Ltd Depot and the surrounding countryside, Ripponden, 1949
Calderdale in the Historic England Archive
The Historic England Archive cares for over 15 million images, dating from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of Calderdale's past.
Charles George Harper Collection
Calderdale
Date created: 1892 - 1933
Two men looking at the Stoodley Pike Monument
Eileen ‘Dusty’ Deste Collection
Mytholmroyd, Calderdale
Date created: 1966 - 1974
Looking west along Burnley Road from Maud's Clog Sole Works (not visible) with Bank Buildings in the distance and the sign for Mytholmroyd across the...
John Gay Collection: Modern Architects
Halifax, Calderdale
Date created: 1971 - 1976
A view looking across to the modern terrace of shops at numbers 23 to 43 Market Street in Halifax showing the Tesco and Halfords shop fronts
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Halifax, Calderdale
Date created: 1962 - 1976
View showing a group of children sledging down a snow covered road in Halifax
John Gay Collection: Counties
Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Calderdale
Date created: 1962 - 1976
A view across the River Calder towards Hollins Mill, with the weir sluice mechanism in the foreground.
John Laing Collection
Calderdale
Date created: 08 Mar 1971
View of the Halifax Building Society Headquarters during construction
London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company
Calderdale
Date created: 06 Apr 1936
A view looking south-east along Burnley Road from close to the junction with Blind Lane, with a number of blurred figures walking along the pavement
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Centre Vale Park, Calderdale
Date created: 1910 - 1916
GENERAL VIEW OF GARDENS
John Gay Collection: Counties
King Cross, Halifax, Calderdale
Date created: 1962 - 1966
A view down Stoney Lane from Gainest in King Cross, Halifax.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company
Calderdale
Date created: 06 Apr 1936
A view looking south-east along Burnley Road from close to the junction with Blind Lane
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Todmorden, Calderdale
Date created: 1900 - 1905
GENERAL VIEW SHOWING LOVERS WALK AND CARRLAITH
Stories about heritage in your local area
Historic England publishes news, blogs, research, videos, and podcasts celebrating England's rich heritage. Discover the stories we have about Calderdale.
A Brief Introduction to Bandstands
Mentions Bandstand in People's Park
In Victorian Britain public parks were developed to promote health and wellbeing, and bandstands became focal points for communal entertainment.
Pioneers and Rebels: 7 LGBTQ+ People in History
Mentions Shibden Hall
Here are the stories of seven LGBTQ people who pioneered progressive ideas and rebelled for the benefit of future generations.
9 Reasons to Look Up in Yorkshire
Mentions Todmorden Town Hall
You may think you know a place well, but if you take the opportunity to look up, you may be surprised at what you discover.
A Brief Introduction to Ancient Paths and Highways
Mentions Blackstone Edge Roman road
From main roads connecting towns and cities to meandering green lanes and mysterious paths to nowhere, our highways and byways are steeped in history.
Mentions Calderdale
In 1779, the West Riding of Yorkshire ruled the cloth trade. The Grade I listed Piece Hall is a monument to this time.
Restoring the Piece Hall in Halifax
In 1779, the West Riding of Yorkshire ruled the cloth trade. The Grade I listed Piece Hall is a monument to this time. Claire Slattery undertook a complex project to restore the beauty of the Georgian building and return it to a place of pivotal importance in Halifax.
New Interactive Centenary Map of UK Buildings and Places That Have Defined the BBC
Mentions Shibden Hall
Launched by Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Historic Environment Division, Northern Ireland Communities Department and Cadw.
England's Queer History Recognised, Recorded and Celebrated
Mentions Shibden Hall
'Pride of Place' research project uncovers and celebrates LGBTQ heritage across England
Calderdale's social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about their local area.
Zion Chapel, Wade Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
This former Congregational chapel was built in 1819. Its imposing ashlar facade incorporates four Doric columns. The site is now a transport yard.
Zion Chapel, Wade Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire
Yarn Warehouse, Wellington Mills, Elland, West Yorkshire
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
The picture shows the warehouse at Wellington Mills in the 1930s.
Yarn Warehouse, Wellington Mills, Elland, West Yorkshire
Workers' housing, Robinwood Mill, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
These regular streets of terraced houses were constructed in 1864 for the workers at Robinwood Mill.
Workers' housing, Robinwood Mill, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
Winding Yarn, Wellington Mills, Elland, West Yorkshire
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
These women are winding yarn onto bobbins for use on machines in the next stage of the spinning process.
Winding Yarn, Wellington Mills, Elland, West Yorkshire
Wellington Mills, Elland, West Yorkshire
Period: 1930s (1930 - 1938)
This picture from Wellington Mills shows women operating machines while men work as mechanics.
Wellington Mills, Elland, West Yorkshire
United Reformed Sunday School, Elland, West Yorkshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
United Reformed Sunday School, built in 1853 by Joseph James. It is of a good, substantial Jacobean design.
United Reformed Sunday School, Elland, West Yorkshire
Underbank Dye Works, Stansfield, Blackshaw, West Yorkshire
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
This mill was originally known as Jumble Hole Mill. It was first mentioned in 1788.
Underbank Dye Works, Stansfield, Blackshaw, West Yorkshire
Todmorden Town Hall, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
Town Hall opened on the 3rd April, 1875 by the Postmaster General, Lord John Manners.
Todmorden Town Hall, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
Visit grant-aided places near you
These places and buildings have been helped by Historic England's financial grants. Find local heritage in your neighbourhood that you never knew existed! Please note that opening times may vary.
Kirklees Priory Gatehouse, Brighouse, Calderdale, West Yorkshire
The Gatehouse to Kirklees Priory, dating from the early 16th century, is a timber-framed structure partially encased in stone.
Mytholmroyd Station, Mytholmroyd, Calderdale, West Yorkshire
The mid-19th-century booking hall and stair tower at the railway station is Grade II listed.
Discover more
Ready for more local stories? Take a look at these other places nearby
