CROWS starting work again on Monday 7th December. After looking at Tier 3 rules and government guidance, and having done a thorough COVID risk assessment, CROWS has agreed they can restart next week. Read more

Christmas Trees at Hardcastle Crags The sustainably sourced, British-grown Christmas trees will be available to buy from the National Trust Midgehole Road car park on weekends from 5th December. More info (1 Dec)

Handmade Parade: We are Here - a collaborative film made by over 1400 participants, from the UK and further afield. A story of hope and healing for 2020, brought to life by handmade artwork from all over the world. See video - updated 2 Dec

Calderdale issue COVID-19 warning Cllr Tim Swift, Calderdale Council's Leader and Deborah Harkins, Director of Public Health at Calderdale have asked for the public's help. "Calderdale is ranked 19th in England for COVID-19, with an infection rate of 488 cases per 100,000. This is the highest the rate has ever been in Calderdale. " Read more (19 Nov)

Hebden Bridge e-bike firm featured on BBC Delivering everything from vintage clothes to cheese, the cargo electric bike company Cargodale, set up during lockdown, is seeing its trade soar. See BBC video (17 Nov)

Lockdown Street Art, Valley Road, Hebden Bridge, Sunday, 15 November 2020. Click image to enlarge.

Cars before people, cars before homes is a discussion contribution, arguing that current Calderdale proposals will increase traffic, traffic speed and pollution in Hebden Bridge. Update: Hebden Royd to oppose. Read Forum thread. (11 Nov)

HebWeb Small Ads - received today: Please take this ad down as we have been indundated, and now have the perfect person.

Funding bid to support Hebden Bridge and Erringden Hillside flood schemes On Monday 9 November, Calderdale Council's Cabinet will be asked to approve plans to pursue a bid for an additional £4.5million of funding from the European Structural and Investment Fund. Read more (6 Nov)

New Councillors Wanted Are you community spirited, do you care about what takes place on your doorstep and would like to contribute to your community's future? Then becoming a Wadsworth Parish Councillor might be for you. Read more

Free School Meals: Our MP for the Calder Valley, Craig Whittaker voted against funding free school meals over the school holidays until Easter 2021. More info

Keighley Road to re-open The final stage of work to improve the A6033 from Hebden Bridge to Oxenhope is now underway, with a completion date currently scheduled for the end of October. Read more (20 Oct)

Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme: October Update and an online map allows selection of a location to access the description and approximate duration of the work taking place. Read more (13 Oct)

Two houses at the top of the cuckoo steps, Heptonstall Road. Comments have been extended to 6 October. See Planning Watch

Roe deer near Heptonstall. Click to enlarge.
Photo with thanks to Andrew Smith

Extra local restrictions to continue throughout Calderdale, including Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Tod, the Government announced Friday 25 Sept. More info.

Covid-19 in Hebden Bridge
The number of cases in Hebden Bridge has risen to 4. More info (27 Sept)

Hebden Bridge Street Art - at the former Hole in the Wall as you approach the old bridge.

Delays as Mytholmroyd Flood Scheme completes final phase On Monday 21 September, work will begin on Burnley Road in Mytholmroyd to carry out repairs to the surface water drainage system. The work is expected to take 1-2 weeks. More info (19 Sept)

Hidden in the valleys around Hebden Bridge

Keighley Road closure - update Progress has been delayed by a combination of poor weather and the discovery of a collapsed culvert. More information about closure dates (27 Aug)

Extinction Rebellion Calderdale Photo documentary. The past week has seen disruptive action by Extinction Rebellion in London and elsewhere. Over the past year, the activity of the local group - Extinction Rebellion Calderdale - has been recorded in a series of photographs. See the online book here. (Thanks to Gerard Liston) (7 Sept)

Camera Club Exhibition online The August Bank Holiday weekend saw the start of the popular Hebden Bridge Camera Club Annual Exhibition which this year, owing to Covid 19, will took place on their website. Above: last year's winner - 'Winter Steam' by Graham Speak. Read more

Blackshaw Parish Council supports nuclear weapons ban - Peace activists celebrated this week when Blackshaw Parish Council became the latest local authority to formally pledge support for a global ban on nuclear weapons. Read more (26 Aug)

Artist "John the Barber" who cut hair (and painted) for many years at his premises in Innovation, Hebden Bridge has sadly died, having stopped work through illness earlier this year. See this video portrait from 6 years ago. Photo: Bruce Cutts. Add your memories to the Lives Remembered page. (10 Aug)

Hebden Bridge's Joan Pearce (100) recovers from Coronavirus - see YouTube video of Joan being clapped as she left hospital.

Funding for flood-hit communities The Calder Valley was the worst hit area in England during the recent floods. For details of grants, council tax relief and the flood resilience scheme, see this news page.

Flood relief The Government has now confirmed Calderdale Council will receive funding to help support residents and businesses affected by Storm Ciara. Read more

THE 9 FEBRUARY FLOOD Photos and links to info and support, news and media reports and HebWeb reports of five previous major floods since the millennium. This page will be updated with further info as it comes in.

Daily Mirror report "Labour MP for Halifax, Holly Lynch, said there was a 'sense of absolute devastation' as the Environment Agency comes under fire for taking so long to complete flood defences." (11 Feb)

Morning Star report: Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker voted against extra funding for flood defences following 2015’s Boxing Day deluge

BBC report - Storm Ciara aftermath: Calder Valley assesses flood damage. Barry Greenwood said, "Something had to be done to stop repeat flooding."

Latest Flood News During Storm Ciara, more than 100mm of rain fell between 11pm on Saturday 8 and 11am on Sunday 9 Feb - the second highest flood event recorded in the Calder Valley, second only to the Boxing Day flooding of 2015 - more than a month's rainfall over 48 hours (129.8mm). Read latest news.

Flooded six times since 2000 - there have now been six major floods, and many more smaller ones in the past 20 years. Links to HebWeb reports of previous floods.

Guardian Report "Mytholmroyd community members say slow progress left properties unprotected. . . . Sourena Jowkar was totting up the damage at his Persian cafe, Leila’s Kitchen, which opened four months ago. He was full of praise for local people who were helping him with the clear-up." (11 Feb)

Virus numbers falling in the Upper Valley and in Calderdale generally- 16 cases in Hebden Bridge (173 per 100k), 17 in Mytholmroyd (199 per 100k) and 18 (105 per 100k) in Tod for the week to 3 Dec. There were 30 new cases in Calderdale (211 per 100k) as a whole over the past 24 hours - the lowest daily rate for over 2 months. More info. (8 Dec)

Hebden Royd Heroes award winners The awards shine a spotlight on the everyday heroes, individuals and groups, who have gone above and beyond to deliver the highest level of support and assistance within their community during 2020. Read more

Christmas Tree in the Square

Hebden Bridge goes into Tier 3 from 2 December, along with the rest of Calderdale and West Yorkshire. Source (11.30am 26 Nov)

'Hebden Bridge leads the way in a bid to beat lockdown shopping slump' according to this ITV news report. Around 70 traders have signed up to 'totallylocally'- a unique scheme which allows shoppers to buy online from local shops all on the same website. See the ITV video (19 Nov)

Town Council backs Marcus Rashford campaign to end child food poverty. Hebden Royd Town Council unanimously passed a motion at the Full Council meeting formally supporting the campaign led by Marcus Rashford to extend free school meals. Read more. (6 Nov)

Online Portrait Club for Lockdown Since March, Hebden Bridge Portrait Club has taken place on-line every Friday morning from 10.30 to 12.30. More info (5 Nov)

Flood alert was in place for Upper River Calder catchment for the first couple of days of November.

Director of Public Health Calderdale, Debs Harkins tweeted Sunday, 25 October at 6.07pm: "Calderdale C19 case rate per 100,000 for tests carried out 7 days prior to 20/10 was 378 rise from 354 on 19/10. This is very serious"

What's On - exhibtion, theatre streaming at the Picture House, talks and more.

TIER TWO - Hebden Bridge, like the rest of Calderdale, is from Wednesday, 14 October in the second Tier of the Government's three tier system of Covid restrictions, announced 12 October. More info. (13 Oct)

The canal, Hebden Bridge. Click to enlarge.
Photo with thanks to Andrew Smith

Last chance for flood resilience funding Residents and businesses affected by the flooding in February 2020 now have until the end of October to express an interest in flood resilience funding. More info (24 Sept)

Living with COVID 19 and how we can fight back The local U3A asked Dr Zania Stamataki, a Senior Lecturer in Virology, to give them a better understanding of what Covid-19 is doing in our bodies and an insight into how our bodies fight back. Read report of U3A talk (24 Sept)

Discussion Forum: Face masks: Do you touch your mask? Why some people cannot wear a face covering. Do others exploit this? How wearing masks will help keep the virus at bay. Read more. And how do you like Crown Street?

Small Ad house sale response: "offer received within a week of listing on HebWeb. Brilliant, thank you!"

Flood Alleviation Scheme for Hebden Bridge. The Environment Agency is working with Calderdale Council to design and build a Flood Alleviation Scheme for Hebden Bridge. More info

Local History Talks programme now available. Talks will be by Zoom for the time being and include Women of Property, the Fieldens, a local suffragette, common land in northern England, building Hebden Bridge, the 1918 General Election, Sylvia Plath and more. See What's On (4 Sept)

Hebden Bridge Library to re-open from Weds, 16 September, with restrictions to allow for social distancing.

Disability Access Forum updates Map and Guide - the group has issued the third edition of its Town Centre Step-free Access Map and Guide. More info (29 Aug)

No new cases in the Upper Calder Valley were reported for the fourth week in a row, according to figures released Thursday, 27 August - no new cases in Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd or Todmorden between 16 and 22 Aug. More info

Local restrictions continue in Calderdale. It was announced Friday, 21 August that the pandemic restrictions introduced at the end of last month are to continue. North of England: local restrictions.

Community grant applications welcomed - The Town Council welcomes applications from community groups to apply for a grant from the Community Funding Budget to support projects which benefit local residents. More info (20 Aug)

A Contemporary Home in the English Countryside - Stunning views, quiet road and peaceful surroundings. For many, living in the English countryside is the dream. This article explore the possibilities of creating a contemporary home in areas of the countryside. Read more (21 Aug)

HebWeb Small Ads positive feedback: 1. "Brilliant as ever. Thank you. Ads fulfilled". 2. "We've been inundated with enquiries from potential tenants."

Virus Restrictions remain in place - Calderdale's director of public health, Debs Harkins, said infection rates in Calderdale were increasing faster than in any other borough in Yorkshire. More info (14 Aug)

The Guardian reports that Calderdale "has the sixth highest infection rate in England". The total number of cases in Calderdale is now 991, including 207 new cases in July. More info

Calderdale hit by new Covid-19 restrictions. Separate households are not be able to meet indoors from 31 July.

Lives Remembered - George Guest remembered by Matt Hilton.

Slow The Flow harnesses the power of nature to reduce flood risk. Here's their response to the Government's policy statement on flood and erosion risk management, arguing that more of the £5.2 billion should go to natural flood management. Read more

New car park at Stubbing Holme, 44 new parking places at Hebden Bridge Station, 200 places at Mytholmroyd Station and the abolition of the proposed one-way system in Hebden Bridge are the latest changes announced by Calderdale Council.

Raw sewage discharged into rivers Storm overflow spilled into the Hebden Water 27 times in 2019 (65 hours) and 60 times into Cragg Brook (417 hours). There were significant spills into the Calder at Cornholme, Todmorden and Brearley. See this interactive map.

Hebden Bridge Flood alleviation work delayed: Work is now expected to start in summer 2021, but it is not expected to be completed before summer 2024, taking three instead of the planned two years. Read BBC news report

Keighley Road Closures and Improvements The works are scheduled for weekdays from Monday 6 July until to Friday 20 November. For the first six weeks, the road will be closed between Hebden Bridge and Oxenhope with local access only between Hebden Bridge and Pecket Well. Read more

Wild garlic in May: many of our wooded valleys are revealing seas of wild garlic. Click photo to enlarge.

HebWeb Small Ads: "We've had lots of responses and have found some great tenants."

Hebden Bridge Picture House to re-open in Autumn - Whilst our cinema remains closed due to the continuing risks of Coronavirus, they are re-assuring customers that they will be re-opening our doors in early to mid Autumn. Read Picture House statement

Bluebells: Our valley woods swathed in bluebells. Click photo to enlarge.

New Caldene Bridge opened Monday The opening of the new bridge, at 10am, Mon 18 May, is a major milestone for the Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme. The old bridge was a serious constriction to flood flows and contributed towards the Boxing Day 2015 floods. Read more.

Channel 4 News - report from locked-down Hebden Bridge, on Weds, 8 April 2020.

Before the bug: In the absence of very much news during the lockdown, the HebWeb is taking the opportunity to celebrate our area by digging into our archives. Most days, our home page will be updated with HebWeb articles from the same date from the past 25 years. See articles posted since 1 April

Sand in your Eyes thank the NHS - with their latest creation, all 100 metres of it. Click image to enlarge. See ITV News report and Sandinyoureyes FB page.

HebWeb Small Ads. Message received about ad for 2 bed house: "I've had so many people message about this I can't keep up with replying."

HebWeb Forum - opinion is divided on the proposed "traffic improvements."

HebWeb Small Ads - The HebWeb is brilliant. Found tutor within 3 days. The response was excellent as was the calibre of the candidates.

HebWeb coverage of the 2019 General Election is at caldervalley.org.uk along with info on general elections back to 1997.

Hebden Bridge Camera Club Exhibition Winners The Club’s annual exhibition was an extremely successful week as in previous years. Over 1200 visitors from near and far viewed the 66 prints on display at the Town Hall and almost 900 of those took part in the vote for the ‘People’s Choice’. Read more

Yorkshire Post on Hebden Bridge: "A Yorkshire town with an independent streak… Hebden is a striking town in an even more striking location."

Mytholmroyd this morning, Sun 9 Feb. Posted in Hebden Bridge Flood Action Group Facebook group

Opposition grows to "traffic improvements" which include making the Keighley Road at Commercial Street one way, banning commuter parking on the A646 between Hebden Bridge Station and Mytholmroyd, and banning parking on Market Street. The HB Business Forum is campaigning against the changes. Read more

Small Ads - "We filled the vacancy thanks to the Hebweb, brilliant service"

Hebden Bridge on Woman’s Hour (from around 28 mins in) - our area is praised for being friendly to lesbians the liberal minded, creatives and progressives, for its co-operatives, hippies and Sylvia Plath’s grave. And they plan to do a Woman’s Hour from Hebden Bridge. (27 Nov)

"Britain at its best: Hebden Bridge where Ed Sheeran was born is a true northern star,” declares Mail Online article. Apparently, our town is  'just right side of gentrified’. Read article

More tree cover still needed in Hebden Bridge, say Friends of the Earth. The organisation claims trees can act as effective flood defences, helping to reduce peak water levels by as much as a quarter. See ITV report.

BBC1 Countryfile at Hardcastle Crags "We're in West Yorkshire and this is one of its true hidden gems." And featuring the work of Slow the Flow Calderdale. (17 June)

Banking in Hebden Bridge: 'The only banks left in Hebden Bridge are grass ones down by the river'. See this weekend's article on the bankless town of Hebden Bridge in This is Money

The National Geographic’s Cool List for 2019 has West Yorkshire at number 7. The Calder Valley is highlighted - "with hippyish Hebden Bridge as its epicentre" - as a "burgeoning hub for restaurants and independent shops." )

Small Ads: "Hebweb scores again! I have sold my electric lawnmower today"

HebWeb Small Ads We've been overwhelmed with the response and quality of applicants! Thanks so much!

Small Ads - 3 two bed houses to rent, all announced the same day, on the HebWeb Smalls Ads page

Small Ads message - "Once again, great success by placing my house to rent on HebWeb!"

Huffington Post on Hebden Bridge: "You will find a town that was almost abandoned, but brought back to life by hippies, artists and lesbians looking for a place to make a life." Written by Sean Pert, who continues: "The town doesn't just tolerate its LGBT+ community, it values and embraces us." Read more

No banks. No petrol. Lloyds Bank was the last bank left in Hebden Bridge. It closed this month. Shepherds was the last petrol garage still open in Hebden Bridge. It stopped selling petrol this month.

Hebden Bridge artist Kate Lycett featured in Yorkshire Post feature

Hebden Bridge: How a thriving town lost its last bank: This Guardian article reports that, "Residents feel angry and let down as Lloyds departs, but one man (David Fletcher) has a plan to fill the gap." Only a few years ago, Hebden Bridge had five full time banks. The last one, Lloyds, closed last week. Read article (26 Jan)

Hebden Bridge is Cool - Hebden Bridge has made National Geographic's Cool list. "The Calder Valley - with hippyish Hebden Bridge as its epicentre - is a burgeoning hub for restaurants and independent shops." See article. (4 Dec)

Fox and Goose one of top 50 pubs according to The Guardian

Hebden Bridge features in The Spectator "The Yorkshire town that’s gone from dirty old buildings to New Age nirvana" by William Cook.

Swimming pool latest. It's still going ahead but, because of the 2015 Flood, not yet. And not in Hebden Bridge. Read the latest statement from the Swimming Pool Association, and follow the links for how the HebWeb has covered this controversial issue over many years. More

Small Ads: "Please can you remove small ad. I had a response within an hour of the ad going live and the first viewer took the house. I had 8 requests to view in 24 hours. Brilliant!"

Small Ads message - "Just to say that my cottage has now been let. Thanks once again to HebWeb!"

Less than an hour from Hebden Bridge: try these halls, houses and galleries which many may not have heard about. Yet they are just on our doorstep. If you can't find anything to do locally (see What's On), have a look at this new HebWeb Feature.

Hebden Bridge, the UK's second city, BBC article by Evan Davis. "Hebden Bridge is an inverted city with a greenbelt centre and suburbs called Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool." Read the article

Small Ads: "House successfully rented through Hebweb. Fantastic posting wall!"

Selling my house on HebWeb was "extremely successful - I hope to complete on the sale in 2 weeks time, and I think I could have sold it a few times over."

Smll Ads: "I had so many wonderful responses to my ad for someone to help me re-organize my house post-flood, I wanted to employ everyone! Thank you." - Susan

Small Ads - I just wanted to let you know that through my small ad on your site I found my ideal new home, meeting all my requirements. Thank you very much for such a great resource

Small Ads: "Ad posted Monday, lease to be signed Saturday and tenant moving in Sunday. Thanks HebWeb."

"Unbelievable result Hebweb. So many enquiries in response to the small ad on your site and now have lovely new tenants. What a success - Thank you Hebweb."

HebWeb also available on the slightly shorter hebdenbridge.uk as well as hebdenbridge.co.uk

Small Ads - "We placed a job ad on the Hebweb recently, intending to keep it there for 2 weeks, but we had to take it down after 3 days due to the huge response generated"

Britain's favourite market town? Hebden Bridge has been shortlisted in the 'Britain's favourite market town' category in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2013. Read more

Guardian Northerner: Hebden Bridge the UK's coolest place? The Yorkshire Paradise has won its fourth accolade in a decade. Born, brought up and living here, Rachel Pickering is loyal, but has one or two cautionary thoughts.

Small Ads - "I am very pleased to say the response was terrific and both properties are now let." (Less than a week)

Small ads: "We've successfully rented our house. Thanks for an excellent service - I'll heartily recommend Hebweb, as our house was previously listed through an estate agent who didn't manage to get us a tenant in 3 months - through Hebweb we had 4 prospective tenants within a week."

Small Ads: We had a prospective buyer view it, she loves the house and has put in offer we've accepted. So, thank-you!

"In a world where style often triumphs over substance, Hebweb is reassuringly informative, reliable and clear. An invaluable community resource and public information forum reflecting the independent spirit of Hebden Bridge. Lesley at Elmet Farmhouse.

Small Ads: "Amazing but my house in Tod got rented out within 30 minutes after putting the house on Hebweb."

Small Ads success - "Hi there I have found lovely tenants for my house in less than 24 hours. Amazing!" Re house to let in Mytholmroyd.

Small Ads - "Choosing to advertise the house for rent on the Hebweb was incredibly effective. The perfect tenants were found within 48 hours"

From Steve Farrell, now living in Mysore, India: "As someone who lives abroad, the Hebweb site has always been critical for keeping in touch 'back home' in Hebden. I've just needed to re-advertise my home for rent, so where to turn to? The Hebweb, of course. The Ad was up within minutes and there were 10 enquiries within 24 hours. Superb!" See Small Ads.

'Greatest Town in Europe' - as well as being the 4th funkiest town in the world, Culture Trip gives 12 Reasons why Hebden Bridge 'is known as the greatest town in Europe'. Read article

Far more than a large home page, the HebWeb is now an essential local resource. It has been around for nearly 23 years, covering local news, events, opinions, tourist info, small ads, where to stay and much, much more. Updated every day. Read more and go deeper into the HebWeb.

Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire crowned best place in the UK - 'Machine learning' used millions of data points to discover top locations. Read more

From the archive: The Times listed the 30 coolest places to live in Britain. Number one was Hebden Bridge.

Let's move to Hebden Bridge From the Guardian. If the roots of its liberal and creative image are a mystery, its appeal is obvious. See also: HebWeb report from Sept 2005

HebWeb Small Ads message: "Please could you close the advert? We've been overwhelmed with the response and quality of applicants! Thanks so much!"

Hebden Bridge Station car park to expand: Calderdale Council is working with Network Rail, which owns the land to the east of the existing station car park to create 46 extra places. Read more.

Some years ago in the Guardian, Martin Wainwright wrote, "Witness current comments on the community website, the Hebweb, which is one of the best of its kind in the country. No, world." 25 Oct 2012

Guardian Northerner: What the UK can learn from Hebden Bridge? The BBC's Mind the Gap asks how London's success can be replicated elsewhere: Claire Donnelly argues that our small town could have the answer. Read more

"Many thanks Hebweb, the Small Ad asking for Volunteers to cook and help at Wadsworth Lunch Club has already had success. We now have someone coming to help cook. We'd still welcome a washer up, and occasional helpers please."