Huddersfield

Huddersfield is a town in Yorkshire that sits next to the South Pennines and the Peak District National Park. The town has some beautiful surrounding scenery from the dramatic moorland and hills of the Peak District to the woodland of Beaumont Park. The scenic countryside and parks of Huddersfield make it ideal for people who enjoy the outdoors. You can take it easy with a short stroll across one of Huddersfield’s three parks or go for a challenging hike in the Peak District.

Huddersfield has a reputation for its excellent textile industry and customers worldwide demand the products created in this town. Huddersfield has some stunning Victorian architecture, including the town hall and the railway station. Huddersfield has many impressive qualities, including some impressive architectural buildings, fascinating attractions, excellent shopping opportunities and award winning festivals.

Attractions

An area of Huddersfield well worth visiting is Castle Hill. It has been occupied since the Stone Age and contains the Victorian Tower, built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1898. Castle Hill is popular for its spectacular scenery as you can see stunning views of Huddersfield and the surrounding countryside.

You can learn about the traditional activities and life of the workers of the mid 1800s at the Colne Valley Museum. Museum members demonstrate crafts and activities and you can visit the spinning room, loom chamber and a gas-lit cobbler’s shop.

You can also learn about the history of Huddersfield at the Tolson Memorial Museum. You can see the hunting tools used by early settlers to the modern day collections of the locals. You can discover how Huddersfield has changed over the centuries and learn about how the woollen industry changed the lives of local people.

The Huddersfield Art Gallery holds an excellent collection of British Art from the past 100 years. The work of artists such as Frances Bacon and LS Lowry are a permanent attraction of the art gallery, and a changing program allows artists working over the country to display their collections as well.

Located in St. George’s Square are some of the finest architectural buildings in Huddersfield such as the town hall, railway station and many Italianate style offices.

The canals in Huddersfield are peaceful places to walk and enjoy the natural and industrial heritage. You can visit the Aspley Basin, which is the terminus of the Huddersfield Broad Canal. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs from the Aspley Basin and has many attractive architectural buildings, pubs and restaurants along side it.

Sport is big in Huddersfield, as it is where the Rugby League was born. You can watch the Huddersfield Town football players of the Huddersfield Giant Rugby League Club at the McAlpine Stadium, which seats 24,000 people. The Huddersfield Sports Centre offers a great place to swim, bowl, play squash, badminton and has available fitness classes. Huddersfield also has six golf courses and provides an excellent opportunity for enthusiastic golfers to touch up their skills.

Huddersfield contains three excellent parks that attract many visitors and locals for their stunning scenery and tranquil atmosphere. Greenhead Park is located northwest of Huddersfield town centre. This an excellent park for families as it has a playground, crazy golf, tennis courts, bowling greens and a large paddling pool. It also has a bandstand and hosts regular musical performances. Ravenknowle Park is a good place to do a spot of sight seeing with local monuments from the Roman times up to the Industrial Revolution. The most popular monument is the former Cloth Hall, which has an attractive domed clock tower. The last of the three parks is Beaumont Park, this is the place to go to be one with nature as it’s filled with mainly woodland.

Shopping

Huddersfield has much to offer for shoppers, with arcades, markets and shops to suit all tastes. The town centre is well designed for pedestrians and has many high quality modern shops and chain stores.

The Byram Arcade was built in 1880 and has a traditional Victorian atmosphere. The arcade has three floors offering a variety of products to suit every liking. The Queensgate Market Hall is also a great place to shop; it has many stalls and offers great value for money. A general market is also at hand on Brooks Street.

Nightlife and Eating Out

There are many places in and around Huddersfield that offer an excellent night out. You can hear all varieties of music such as jazz, folk, dance, alternative and many more. There are many pubs and nightclubs in Huddersfield, a small nearby town called Marsden also hosts a jazz festival each year that is very popular with locals and visitors alike. The major city of Leeds is well known for it’s outstanding nightlife, and is just a short train journey away from Huddersfield.

As well as clubs and pubs, there are many other places in Huddersfield where you can have a superb night out. You can see late night music, cabaret, small-scale theatre performances and drama at the Lawrence Batley Theatre. St. Paul’s Concert Hall is also a good place to visit for music with performances by solo and group professional artists. Another way to spend your night is to visit the purpose-built nine-screen UCI cinema next to the McAlpine Stadium.

You can find a large variety of cuisine in Huddersfield, with food from all over the world. Some of Yorkshires most luxurious restaurants can be found in Huddersfield. Many pubs offer an excellent menu of traditional English food, and the fish and chip restaurants are thought to be some of the best in the UK. There are also many restaurants that serve food from many countries, including Thai, Indian, Chinese, Italian and American.

Tourist Information

Airport

Huddersfield does not have its own airport, the closest one is Leeds Bradford Airport that is close to the town and is just 9 miles northwest of Leeds, just off the A658. The airport is also well signposted from the M1, M62 and the Yorkshire section of the A658. It is also easy to get to Leeds Bradford Airport by bus or train; the nearest train station is in Horsforth and is just a ten-minute taxi journey away. Most flights from this airport are domestic. Manchester Airport is the closest airport that offers international flights. The contact details for Leeds Bradford Airport are below.

  • Leeds Bradford International Airport, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS19 7TU
  • Telephone: 0113 250 9696

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