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SEPTEMBER
43
CONCIERGE
TRAVEL TIME
Calderdale is named after the River Calder which
flows down the Calder Valley. At the western end of
the valley, towards the Lancashire border, is the
market town of Todmorden, a suitably industrial-
looking place which sits deep in the Pennines
amongst the most unusual scenery. Take, for example,
the Burnley Road, west of Todmorden, which cuts
through hills towards the villages of Portsmouth and
Cornholme. The sides are so steep in places it feels
like a gorge which sees little daylight in winter. Equally
interesting is the road south from Todmorden around
the village of Walsden. Take a footpath into the hills
here for a view of the bizarre rugged landscape.
Whilst in the Todmorden area, don’t miss the
‘Bridestones’ which are found off Kebs Road. Not to
be confused with the Bridestones of the North York
Moors National Park, these giant lumps of millstone
grit are seldom visited. They are found in an area of
remote moorland and some are impossibly narrow at
the bottom, looking like they should have toppled
centuries ago.
The most popular walk in the area, however, is up to
the giant monument at Stoodley Pike. This structure
was built at the end of the Crimean War, and sitting at
1300ft in the open moorland, it can be seen for miles
around. Pick a clear day for the best of the views and,
Above:
Halifax at dawn