Hebden Bridge, "one of the world's funkiest towns" has been voted as "the greatest town in Europe" by The Academy of Urbanism. Hebden Bridge's people have been instrumental in creating and maintaining the town's character, with a strong community spirit,  the town is renowned for its creative culture, with a fascinating history and a mission for sustainability.

Unique double decker "over and under dwellings" hang on the leafy green hillsides above the town. Houses were built in terraces with 4 to 5 storeys because space was limited by the steep valleys and lack of flat land. The upper storeys face uphill while the lower ones face downhill, with their back wall against the hillside, each with seperate entrances. 

Hebden Bridge's 18th century core and Victorian streets spread from the 16th century packhorse bridge over the Hebden Water that gives the town its name. The wavy steps, leading to Hebden Water alongside the bridge are a great place to stop and feed the ducks!

Stroll along the Rochdale Canal, linking the Railway Station to Calder Holmes Park, the town centre, Little Theatre and Alternative Technology Centre. Try one of the Walkers are Welcome routes up to the National Trust Hardcastle Crags, and the sustainable Gibson Mill. Sample the vast array of great independent shops or the pavement cafes, a result of the award winning pedestrianisation scheme. There are many events in Hebden Bridge throughout the year, such as the annual Arts Festival, Handmade Parade and Vintage Car Rally, with numerous smaller events, exhibitions and displays at the many local galleries and shops.

Set atop the hillside, hundreds of feet above Hebden Bridge, Heptonstall is one of the most historic villages in the Pennines. Don't miss the Heptonstall Museum, housed in the Old Grammar School building, telling the story of the infamous Cragg Vale Coiners and Heptonstalls' part in the English Civil War. Nearby 'Weaver's Square' is a fine example of different types of Yorkshire paving, from cobbles to flagstones and becomes an open air theatre for the Pace Egg Plays at Easter.

Uniquely, Heptonstall has two churches within one graveyard. At the centre of the village are the ruins of the Church of St Thomas a' Becket, founded between 1256 and 1260 and severely damaged in  a great storm of 1847. The present day parish church was built in 1854. The graveyard is the final resting place of both the poet Sylvia Plath, wife of the late Ted Hughes and of David Hartley, leader of the notorious Cragg Vale Coiners, who was executed in York in 1770.

For stunning views of the Calder Valley take a steep but picturesque walk from Hebden Bridge up The Buttress to Heptonstall and back down by way of Hell Hole Rocks.

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