You might have heard about it, Happy Valley? Yes? Well it was all filmed right here in our ‘happy valley’, Calderdale and we are so proud to see our unique place on prime time TV with such a fantastic viewership. Millions of people nationwide have been gripped by the chilling story of murdering psychopath, Tommy Lee Royce and the trials and tribulations of Sgt Catherine Cawood and her grandson Ryan.
Filming for the hit BBC One programme began in 2022 in a range of locations around Yorkshire but mainly focused on Halifax, and surrounding locations including Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Luddenden, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge , Elland and Wainstalls.
If the final episode leaves you with a Happy Valley shaped hole in your life, you can visit all of the locations that were used for filming in Calderdale. Our towns and villages each offer a different experience, and are surrounded by breath-taking, rugged landscapes and stunning countryside.
Read on to discover where Happy Valley was filmed in Calderdale:
Holdsworth House Hotel in Halifax is where Richard went to meet Darius for an interview.
Joanna and Faisal had a meeting at the Shay Café on Hunger Hill.
Clare and Catherine appear to park on the streets of Sheffield before their epic showdown in a café, But the location is a Ackroyd Place in Halifax.
Eight Sixteen at The Engine room at Dean Clough was used for a location of the filming of the meeting with Catherine and Richard.
Knead was the restaurant location for a dramatic meeting between Catherine and Richard.
Dean Clough was used as the interior of the police station and the (now closed) Halifax Swimming Pool as the exterior.
The homes of aggressive teacher Rob and Pharmacist Faisal were filmed in Ripponden, which has beautiful views over the Ryburn Valley.
Brooksbank Pharmacy, from which chemist Faisal sells stolen prescription drugs in the show, uses an end-of-terrace house on Albert Street in Elland for its external shots.
The Nisa shop is where Neil works, and is located in Hebden Bridge.
The home of Catherine and the Flat of Clare and Neil is also in Hebden Bridge.
Heptonstall is the fictional burial place of Rebecca Cawood.
Ryan visits Hebden Bridge Railway Station.
Boothtown
Bath Place, Catherine is on the trail of organised crime – and the arrest of one suspect leads to personal injury.
The outside, inside and playing fields of Ryburn Valley High School, are used as the school that Ryan attends in series three.
Tuel Lane is the location of the flats, where officers had an unfortunate incident with a flying microwave.
Rishworth School – Faisal is seen dropping his girls off at the school.
The empty warehouse where Ivan and Matija met the violence and rage of Darius Knezevic.
Warley Moor reservoir
Tommy pedals his way to Warley Moor Reservoir, having successfully broken out of prison to take in the air and views of what is known as Fly Flatts, the vast body of water which is a 90-acre drinking-water reservoir built in 1872 and located near Ovenden Moor, Mixdenden. Halifax Rowing Club uses the site, making it the highest sailing club in the world, at 410 metres.
Cold Edge Road / Withen Roads near Wainstalls is a scenic moorland road that heads past Warley Moor Reservoir to Oxenhope. It is used for a number of drone shots and driving scenes, including the opening scene in the first episode.
Tommy’s safehouse is located in Warley View, Halifax
If you’ve enjoyed watching Happy Valley, have you seen ‘Gentleman Jack’ starring Suranne Jones as Halifax’s own Anne Lister? You can read more about this award-winning drama and the real life Anne Lister here. Calderdale will also soon be on your TV in The Gallows Pole, a six part adaptation of Ben Myer’s book of the same name telling the story of the infamous Cragg Vale Coiners and Marvel Cinematic Universe series Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L. Jackson.
If you’re coming to visit Calderdale, then you’ll be keen to know where you can stay and what’s on whilst you’re here – visit our What’s On page for dozens of events, festivals, gigs, galas and more!
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