Walks

Organised and self-guided walks are good ways of finding out more about local history.

Jointly published by the Society and Huddersfield Civic Society is Huddersfield Heritage: a town centre trail. Funded by Kirklees Council, this offers a 17-stop history and architecture trail around the town centre and is available from libraries, the railway station and other outlets, or you can download the on-line version here.

A shorter version, focusing on historic buildings, is published by Discover Huddersfield, which offers a range of other town centre trails and guided walks (the 2017 season runs from March to October). The trails include three prepared by Local History Society members – a Radical Heritage Trail,  a Ramsden Trail and a European Exiles trail. On the latter theme, Huddersfield Local Studies Library has published a guide to the heritage places of the Polish community, by Frank Grombir; click here for the booklet and map.

As part of Huddersfield High Street Heritage Action Zone, Kirklees Council have published the Huddersfield Heritage Mile Trail (PDF) which explores ten historic buildings that tell the story of Huddersfield’s past.

As part of the Luddite bicentenary commemorations in 2012, the Society published a three-mile walk from Huddersfield to Milnsbridge, ‘William Horsfall’s last journey’.

Two walks to significant sites of the women’s suffrage movement, by Jill Liddington, are available here with the permission of herstoria magazine, where they first appeared in autumn 2009. One is in Huddersfield town centre and one in the Colne Valley.

The Edgar Wood Heritage Group (Yorkshire) has produced a guide and map to the noted architect’s buildings in Lindley and Birkby. Details of a Lindley trail covering some of the same ground are available in Lindley Library.

There is also a map of Greenhead Park, prepared by the Friends of the Park, showing where the Park’s ten history information boards can be found.

Kirklees Countryside Volunteers run a programme of public walks throughout the year. While the main aim is to encourage people to walk and enjoy the countryside, walk leaders often point out features of historical interest. The programme is detailed in Signpost, published twice a year and available free in libraries and other public buildings, and on the KCV website.

A little further afield, Calderdale Heritage Walks run an extensive year-round programme of walks in their area.

We would be happy to publicise further information on local history and heritage walks; please contact us with details.

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