Hebden Bridge

On Remembrance Sunday, in the relentless drizzle, I decided to make the most of the atmospheric conditions with a walk along the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge. (I am, as you know, quite partial to a walk along a canal towpath! 😉 ) The view above is the iconic panorama, looking east from the bridge near the centre of the town. Whoever had the idea of painting those windows frames, in the weaver's cottages backing on to the canal, in different colours was a genius! 

The building with the chimney (above) was once a mill, but was damaged in a fire in 1964. It was rebuilt around the chimney and now serves as a nursery, where my younger granddaughter happily spent some of her pre-school years. 

This area (above), in the centre of town, is known as Butlers Wharf, presumably at one time an area where boats unloaded and goods were stored. The existing building, whilst resembling a local mill or warehouse, may I suspect be a new-ish build. It holds retail premises, a restaurant and some apartments, and at one time the local visitor information centre, though whether that is still open, I'm not sure. 

The canal continues west towards Todmorden (and ultimately Rochdale and Manchester), passing various repurposed mill buildings and rows of Victorian terraced houses. It has a very different character from my local Leeds-Liverpool Canal but is equally interesting and scenic in its own way.