Photo: Sally Wainwright at Shibden Hall

If you’re anything like us, you’ll be awaiting the newest Sally Wainwright BBC drama ‘Riot Women’ with bated breath – but did you know that this and lots of Sally Wainwright’s other shows were filmed in Calderdale?

BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright was actually made a Freewoman of the Borough of Calderdale  in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the area – placing the beauty and distinctiveness of Calderdale firmly on the international map.

Check out this 2-day itinerary in Calderdale which explores filming locations from Sally Wainwright’s iconic TV dramas—such as Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack, and Last Tango in Halifax. And as Riot Women premieres this October, why not plan a visit to our Happy Valley, and see if you can spot its on-screen locations in real life!

🎬 Day 1: Halifax & Surroundings – Drama & History

Morning: Shibden Valley

• Location 1: Shibden Hall and Estate, Halifax
• Used for: Anne Lister’s home in Gentleman Jack
• Experience: Walk through the actual rooms where Anne Lister lived and where Suranne Jones filmed many scenes. The estate and Cunnery Wood were also used extensively.
• Location 2: Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax
• Used for: Last Tango in Halifax Christmas special
• Experience: Take a scenic walk through the Shibden Valley, finishing with a spot of lunch at Shibden Mill Inn. The 17^th century building was originally a corn and spinning mill, and once owned by Anne Lister’s lover, Ann Walker.

Afternoon: Halifax Town Centre

• Location 1: The Piece Hall
• Used for: Gentleman Jack. The Piece Hall was used as a setting for a scene in Gentleman Jack series two, when it was transformed into a Georgian Street where dignitaries addressed the crowds from a podium.
• Experience: Soak up the atmosphere in The Piece Hall, the oldest remaining Georgian cloth hall in the world, now housing unique and boutique independent shops, bars, cafes and a restaurant. Opened in 1779, the Piece Hall was a focal point of trade and commerce during Anne Lister’s lifetime, when Halifax was industrialising rapidly.
• Location 2: Harveys of Halifax
• Used for: Last Tango in Halifax
• Experience: Visit this 100 year old, family-run department store, just as Alan (Derek Jacobi) and Celia (Anne Reid) in Season 5 Episode 1 of Last Tango in Halifax, when they are seen buying items for their house.
• Look out for: Familiar facades from Riot Women in Halifax, where filming also took place!

Evening: Holdsworth House Hotel

• Location: Just outside of Halifax
• Used for: Filming location in Last Tango in Halifax and accommodation for Riot Women cast. Holdsworth House Hotel was the used as the venue for Alan and Celia’s second wedding in Series 2 of Last Tango in Halifax.
• Experience: Stay overnight in this historic manor and dine where Sally Wainwright herself stayed during filming!

🎬 Day 2: Sowerby Bridge & Hebden Bridge– Grit & Charm

Morning: Sowerby Bridge

• Location 1: Wainhouse Tower
• Used For: Happy Valley
• Experience: While not a main filming site, the 275-foot folly features in the drama’s opening shots, offering dramatic viewscapes emblematic of Calderdale’s cinematic beauty. And if you time it right, you could even climb up the Tower! Make sure to check Visit Calderdale’s Eventbrite page for the Tower’s opening times.
• Location 2: Sowerby Bridge Wharf and the Moorings Pub
• Used For: Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax
• Experience: Wander along the Wharf (filmed for the second series of the Last Tango In Halifax) and take in the industrial heritage at this excellently preserved canal basin, whose 200 year-old buildings have been restored to good condition and active use. Pop in for a coffee at The Moorings, which was used as a filming location in Series 2 of Happy Valley. Neil Ackroyd (Con O’Neill), a recovering alcoholic, is arrested outside the pub (The Moorings) by Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) (his girlfriend’s sister!).

Late Morning: Hebden Bridge

• Location: Hebden Bridge Railway Station, Rochdale Canal, Hebden Bridge towncentre
• Used for: Happy Valley and Riot Women
• Experience: Get the train over to Hebden Bridge and appreciate this charming railway station, where a scene with Ryan Cawood (Rhys Connah) is set. Ryan is seen boarding a train to Leeds, to go watch his father, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), face a jury at the Crown Court in Leeds. Take a stroll along the Rochdale Canal towpath, taking in the pretty narrow boats – not forgetting, of course, the scene in Happy Valley (S1 E6) when Tommy Lee Royce hides out on a narrow boat on this very canal!
• Look Out For: Stroll the cobbled streets in Hebden Bridge where Riot Women was filmed. Enjoy a bite in one of the town’s charming cafés—many were used as filming backdrops in the upcoming drama.

Afternoon: Heptonstall

• Location: St Thomas A Beckett Churchyard
• Used for: Fictional burial site of Rebecca Cawood (Happy Valley). On occasion throughout the three series Catherine Cawood visits her daughter Becky’s grave and in the final episode when Catherine visits the grave say a last goodbye.
• Experience: Take the short but hilly walk up to Heptonstall, using the old packhorse route ‘The Buttress’. Heptonstall is a historic village sat on a hillside above Hebden Bridge. With cobbled streets, stone cottages and panoramic views, it is full of charm and history. Notable sites include the ruins of a 13^th century church and Sylvia Plath’s grave, which actually featured in series one of Happy Valley.

So what are you waiting for? With stunning landscapes, rich heritage, and welcoming communities, Calderdale is the perfect destination for film lovers and travellers alike.  And if this itinerary has inspired you, don’t forget to check out the Film Calderdale Movie Map, a guide to the region’s most iconic filming locations. Pick your favourite productions and build your own personalised film trail of Calderdale, helping you to uncover the stories woven into Calderdale’s landscape and history, all at your own pace.