I spent last Saturday afternoon in Hebden Bridge, visiting a few of the pubs and bars. And whilst it was in no way an exhaustive tour, it did provide a snapshot of the town on a typically busy weekend....
Hebden Bridge is situated in the narrowest part of the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire, surrounded by steep, wooded hillsides that climb up to the Pennine moors high above. Here the Hebden Water and various streams flow off the moors into the River Calder, a location that has led to serious flooding over the years, most recently on Boxing Day 2015, although various conservation efforts to slow the flow of water off the hills along with work on the river have reduced the threat somewhat. It was the local abundance of water and the wool from the sheep who roamed the local hillsides which led to the growth of weaving in the cottages in hilltop settlements like Heptonstall when Hebden Bridge was nothing but a cluster of cottages beside the old pack horse bridge which still crosses the Hebden Water today. When first the canal, and then the railway came to the town, mills grew up in the previously-marshy wastelands of the valley leading to the growth of the town. In the 19th century clothing manufacture developed, leading to the nickname of Trouser Town. With land being in short supply due to the narrowness of the valley, distinctive over-and-under dwellings of 4 or 5 storeys were built on top of each other on the slopes rising from the valley floor, the lower house facing downhill with its back against the hillside whilst the upper property faced uphill.
 |
| The Canal at Hebden Bridge |
In more recent times Hebden Bridge has attracted artists, writers, musicians, and others attracted by the location and over the years the place developed something of a bohemian reputation. It is a popular commuter town due to the frequent trains to places like Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, and Preston, whilst the outstanding scenery of the moors and valleys and the town's quirky shops, pubs, and restaurants draw a wide variety of visitors. The Trades Club is both a major events venue which punches well above its weight in attracting artists from both the UK and further afield, and an important community hub.
 |
| Hebden Bridge Trades Club |
Last Saturday, I came here on a Saturday for the first time for a while. Most of my recent visits have been to the Trades Club on a weekday night for a gig. In fact my last visit had been in early May when I went to see the exciting punk/dance band Fat Dog play an exhilarating and boisterous set which had had the whole place rocking. Outside the Trades, the town streets are generally pretty quiet on a midweek night, but come the weekend and visitors from Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and further east descend on the town, spilling out of the trains and filling up the car parks. The pubs and restaurants are busy all day, whilst you are just as likely to hear the rolled r's and twang of a Blackburn accent as the local Calder Valley variant of the Yorkshire dialect.
So what had made me come here on a Saturday lunchtime? Well, I was meeting a couple of friends from the Buffet Bar in Stalybridge, that's why. The original plan had been to go Scarborough, but had then been scaled back to a more practical venue that involved less traveling time for all concerned. There were to be five of us originally, but with a couple of the guys unable to make it now, I was meeting Will and Andy for an afternoon visiting a number of the town's pubs, which gave me chance to see how they were all getting along. There are plenty of places where you can get a drink in the small and compact centre of this town of around 4,500 people. Not all of them sell real ale, and what follows is just a small selection.
We had arranged to meet at Vocation & Co as it was the nearest place to the railway station. I was there a few minutes after noon as my train from Halifax had been a little late, but the lads were already sat with a pint. Handshakes and greetings were exchanged, a pint of Heart & Soul was soon in front of me, and the conversation started to flow, how everyone was, the trials, the life and times of the Stalybridge Buffet Bar, and so on. Despite the early hour, the place was already quite busy with a few tucking into burgers, which make up the majority of a more simplified food offering than at one time. I'd had one on my last visit which I had thoroughly enjoyed. Over the years, the place has had a few dips in form, but on my last few visits I have been impressed by the quality of the beers, which are predominantly from Vocation across 4 cask beers on hand pump and up to 16 on tap, with one or two guests from the likes of Deya and Left Handed Giant often available, details of which are displayed on a board on the wall above the back of the bar. Today the Heart & Soul was drinking well (NBSS 3.5), which you would automatically expect in a brewery tap, but rest assured, it isn't always the case! Another plus is the current team of staff here are very friendly and welcoming. So overall it made for a strong start to the afternoon in Hebden Bridge.
 |
| Vocation & Co, Hebden Bridge |
Next up we ventured just around the corner to a pub I hadn't been in for quite a while, but I was curious to see how it was getting on. Just around the corner is the Albert, or the Famous Albert, as one of the signs outside referred to it. Now this is one of those affectations like when the pub name is followed by the name of the place such which smacks to me of pretentiousness. But to be fair, the Albert is not pretentious, but has been done up over the last few years, and has a chintzy look, which is in contrast as to how it was in the past when it was a rather quirky and bohemian place where you would bump into all walks of Upper Calder Valley life. It has an unusual, almost triangular shape with the bar facing you as you walk in, with separate areas to the left and off to the right, which I felt had more tables in than was comfortable so that it has a somewhat cramped feel to it. There were six hand pumps on the bar featuring beers from the usual pub company suspects, so it was Black Sheep Bitter for the lads and a pint of Boltmaker for me, which was on decent enough form (NBSS 3). The clientele was mainly couples to the north of middle age, most sat side by side in silence, possibly sedated by a middle of the road soundtrack coming out of the speakers. The beer was ok, but in terms of the customer experience, I preferred it in the days when it was full of quirky characters and serving interesting beers from random breweries.
 |
| The Albert (photo courtesy of Will, much better than my effort!) |
We finished our drinks and headed off through the busy streets, past the bustling market, and over the old cobbled pack horse bridge and onwards to the Old Gate. It was not yet 2pm but as usual this large pub, set back on a corner on the main road, was busy and we struggled at first to find a free table, ending up eventually sat with a couple who were in the process of the ordering food, with him going for the lobster. From the bar we were able to order from a choice of 8 hand pumps which included beers from Vocation, Taylors, Saltaire, and Turning Point. I went for a pint of the 4.7% blonde Chaff from the Farm Yard Brewery from near Lancaster, which I'd had before and enjoyed, and likewise it was in fine form here (NBSS 3.5). As the food was delivered to the couple at the other end of the table, Andy announced he'd had the winner in the first race at Newcastle. The guy then took a picture of his lobster, and began to tuck in. I looked around: the Old Gate is always busy as it offers comfortable surroundings in which to enjoy some decent beer and food. There is a lounge-like room off to the left as you go in, whilst upstairs there are spaces which can cater for functions. And to they do most things pretty well, so I was surprised to see a notice inviting bookings for Father's Day on the 16th June, which had been two weeks ago! Oops! Lobster man and his partner left, so we had the table to ourselves to finish our pints before it was our turn to move on.
 |
| The Old Gate, Hebden Bridge, in quieter times |
I had planned that we would visit the popular bar and bottle shop, Drink, just a little way beyond the Old Gate, but it didn't appear to be open which seemed a little odd for a Saturday afternoon, but from the other side of the road there was certainly no signs of life. I'd already decided that attempting the Fox and Goose at the bottom of the road up to Heptonstall wasn't really a viable option with it being a little further away and with us having limited time available. Which was something of a shame, given that this serial award-winning community-owned free house has been well worth the trip on most of my recent visits.
So it was straight along to the Hebden, the former Calan's, and later the Pub, whose name is still on display outside. This former sweet shop set at the end of a yard off one of the town's busy pedestrianised streets was the first micropub in Calderdale when it opened in 2015. Over the years the bar has been extended to incorporate the former lounge but otherwise the layout of the inside seating area is similar to how it used to be. Much use is made of outdoor seating, some of it covered out front, and in the small yard beyond. Inside, there were 6 hand pumps on the bar, as there had been when I'd last called in around a year ago when owner Paige had taken the place over only a week or two earlier. She wasn't here today, but the young couple behind the bar were doing a fine job. Here we encountered what was by common agreement the best beer of the day, Bell Hotel from Round Corner Brewing who are based in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. I had not come across their beers before, but this 3.9% pale golden session IPA offered citrus and pine notes from a number of New Zealand hops, with some underlying lime and a light floral aroma from dry hopping resulting in an aromatic and delicious beer with a caramel malt base, an easy bitterness, and a dry finish (NBSS 4). We found a small booth close to the entrance in which to drink our beers as people came and went. Meanwhile, Andy had just got the winner in the second race at Newcastle, and we decided to go back for another pint of this excellent beer. And it was great to see the Hebden is doing well - it is though generally only open Thursdays to Sundays these days when the visitors are more numerous.
 |
| The Hebden formerly the Pub |
Next up we made for Nightjar, the de facto taproom for the brewery of the same name who are based down the road in Mytholmroyd. The bar, which is situated within the listed Hebden Bridge Picture House, was pretty busy with most of the seats occupied both inside the single-roomed bar and the covered tables outside at the front. The bar generally has three of their own beers and two guests on cask, along with a few more on keg, but due to the scrum around the bar I didn't get to see what the guests were this time. So we ordered pints of the brewery's best-known beer, Lost in IKEA, which is generally available here. This 4.2% session New England Pale dry hopped with Ekuanot and Mosaic is an easy-drinking hazy beer with a pillow-soft feel and hints of melon, mango, and tangerine, and was on decent form today (NBSS 3). We managed to find a corner to sit in to enjoy our pints in what is one of the best bars in town, which has a particularly cool vibe when the evening comes and the lights go down. Like the Pub though, it doesn't open every day, normally just from Wednesdays through to Sunday.
We were on the homeward straight now just as Andy's horse won in the third race at Newcastle. We decided to check out the Railway just along the road on the other side from Nightjar, but the only beer on hand pump was Jaipur, which was stronger than anything we'd had all day, so sensibly we decided to give it a miss. This pub is often busy due to its main road location opposite the canal basin, tending to attract more of a local crowd than most in the town. So we headed back to Vocation for a final pint of Heart & Soul before the lads had to get off for their train back to the other side of the hill, although I did manage to have a quick half of the Pale Ale from the self-styled brewers of Leith, Newbarns, before it was my time to go. This 4.8% beer, which was on keg, features Citra, El Dorado, and Cashmere hops and was a most pleasant way with which to conclude the afternoon.
 |
| Will and Andy enjoying their final pint at Vocation & Co |
It had been a great afternoon catching up, lubricated by some great beer and punctuated by much laughter, and I look forward to making the return trip to the Buffet Bar in Stalybridge in the not too distant future. In terms of today's location, Hebden Bridge is very busy on a Saturday though and I have to say I prefer visiting when you have room to move around and better appreciate the undoubted charms that this little town in the Pennines has to offer....
Follow me on twitter/X:@realalemusic
Comments
Post a Comment