Inside one of UK's 'prettiest towns' - hippies, BBC drama and house price drop
Just a stone’s throw away from the moors of West Yorkshire's Bronte Country and surrounded by the rolling hills of Calder Valley lies the small market town of Hebden Bridge. If it looks familiar, that’s because it is, Hebden Bridge and the neighbouring areas of Todmorden, Heptonstall and Halifax were filming locations in Sally Wainwright’s widely acclaimed crime drama Happy Valley, which had five million of us gripped to our TV’s earlier this year.
The huge success of the BBC drama has made the former mill town even more popular with locals and tourists alike - and it’s not difficult to see why. As well as a relaxing part of the country to enjoy a staycation, it’s bustling with independent shops and art galleries and has recently been named as one of the UK’s prettiest towns for Christmas shopping by The Times. Whether it’s designer crafts at Wood & Wire, ethical gifts at Spirals or smellies at the Yorkshire Soap Company, one of the reasons it was deserving of the accolade - judges say - is because Hebden Bridge hasn’t been taken over by the big chains.
Hebden Bridge has an unusually large number of independent shops (Getty Images)Hebden Bridge - then and now
The town has, however, had to move with the times. Back in the 70s, hippies took advantage of cheap houses and spent the following decades making it their own. Hebden Bridge became famous for attracting those who enjoyed alternative lifestyles, and for years, it has been known as the Lesbian capital - because it apparently has more lesbians per square foot than anywhere else in the UK.
These days, it still has an independent spirit and has an unusually high number of independent shops for a UK town its size. Many of its post-industrial mills and factories have been converted into galleries by local artists and for such a small area it is bustling with cafes, pubs and restaurants. The Fox and Goose, West Yorkshire's first Co-Operative pub, was bought by 262 residents of Hebden Bridge in March 2014.
The home of Happy Valley's Catherine in Hebden Bridge. (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)Property prices
There’s no doubt houses are cheaper up north - a two-bedroom terrace house in Hebden Bridge will set you back £150,000, considerably less than the average UK house price of £290,000 (figures correct as of July 2023). The fictional 'home' of Catherine Cawood - Sarah Lancashire's character - is said to have doubled in price from £200,000 to £400,000. It may not all be the Happy Valley affect - Hebden Bridge's is also perfectly located halfway between Manchester and Leeds.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
However, other reports suggest the TV series has had a negative effect on house prices, causing them to plummet by up to 15 per cent in 2022. Jonathan Rolande of the National Association of Property Buyers said when an area becomes famous because of a TV show, it can become ‘gimmicky’ - which can have a detrimental affect on property prices. "It could be what you call "The Last of the Summer Wine" effect, it becomes an absolute tourist trap,” he said. “There's similar things with shows like Escape to the Chateau that generate all this interest. So then there are two things going on, you've got the locals who won't like it, and people just turning up for day trips."
Things to see and do in Hebden Bridge
It's not just Happy Valley fans who flock to the area. The National Trust’s Hardcastle Crags is a South Pennines beauty spot with over 400 acres of unspoilt woodland and a 19th-century Mill which is popular with families and hikers. Hebden Bridge Little Theatre is a small performing arts venue where you can watch a play or get involved in the production behind the scenes if you live locally. Meanwhile, there's a load of pubs, micro breweries and restaurants - 20 at the last count - and the Trades Club regularly hosts live music performances with the likes of The Fall and Patti Smith gracing the stage.
Sarah Lancashire as Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley (BBC/Lookout Point/Matt Squire)Crime in Hebden Bridge
Happy Valley may have made it look like murder, rape and fights were an everyday occurrence but in reality, Hebden Bridge is much quieter. According to statistics, Hebden Royd (which includes Hebden Bridge) had 77 crimes per 1,000 people in 2021 – well under the West Yorkshire rate of 113. And it’s not just Happy Valley that has put Hebden Bridge on the map - Filmmaker Jez Lewis made a documentary in 2009 about the town’s high suicide rates after he lost 15 of his friends – around the same time that Hebden was in the news for having a suicide rate 50 per cent higher than the national average.
His documentary Shed Your Tears and Walk Away exposes the dark side of Hebden Bridge and was allegedly the inspiration for scriptwriter Sally Wainwright – who lived nearby – to set about writing her crime drama. Referring to crime and drugs, she said: ““Like a lot of people I guess I thought those kind of things just didn’t happen in a place like Hebden Bridge, but of course they do.
"I’m not saying it’s worse than anywhere else, but everywhere – even market towns with lovely cafés and restaurants – has its dark side. The Calder Valley is a beautiful place. I grew up there. But the police call it Happy Valley because of the drug problem.”
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