Hebden Bridge Web

Pennine Heritage, established in 1979 to preserve the heritage of the Upper Calder Valley, is based at the Birchcliffe Centre in Hebden Bridge, a Grade II listed former Baptist chapel. We are home to South Pennine Archives, which includes the Pennine Horizons digital image collections and the physical collections of the Hebden Bridge Local History Society. Without this funding from the Heritage Fund, the stories held in our collections would remain unheard.

The National Lottery funded project will enable the creation of a new website for South Pennine Archives to host not only the images on the current Pennine Horizons website, but also a range of documents from our physical archive which will be digitised under the project. In addition, the project will fund vital preservation work to the front of the Birchcliffe Centre, thereby creating a museum space to display artefacts from our wonderful collections that illustrate the history of the upper Calder Valley.

Volunteers will play a part in helping to preserve and celebrate our archival collections through the digitisation process, making our archival collections more accessible than ever before. The process will also provide an environmentally sustainable way of engaging with our resources, while also celebrating Pennine Heritage's history in promoting environmental causes.

In the long term, the restoration of the front of the building, as well as the development of South Pennine Archives, will make our history more accessible, preserve the building and celebrate the stories and collections that we have gathered over the past 40 years. It also allows us to safeguard the charity into the future, providing future volunteers with the tools to carry on the work of those that have gone before them.

Dr Andrew McTominey, Heritage Manager from Pennine Heritage told the HebWeb, "We are delighted to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players which allows us to continue the good work that Pennine Heritage has been doing in the past few years and go much further."

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, "Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we are delighted to be supporting the restoration of the Birchcliffe Centre and digitising the archive.  This will ensure that the South Pennine Archives are preserved for years to come, and this important heritage will be enjoyed by both local people and those further afield."

About Pennine Heritage

Pennine Heritage was founded in 1979 following the rescue of the Birchcliffe Centre, a Grade II listed former Baptist Chapel scheduled for demolition.

Since then, Pennine Heritage has been committed to protecting and celebrating the heritage of Hebden Bridge the Upper Calder Valley.
Today, the Birchcliffe Centre is a multi-purpose space, hosting a number of small businesses on a permanent basis, as well as events and activities.

They are also home to South Pennine Archives, which includes the digital Pennine Horizons website, the collections of Alice Longstaff, and the physical holdings of the Hebden Bridge Local History Society.

For further information, images and interviews please contact Dr Andrew McTominey at Pennine Heritage on 01422 844 450 and info@pennineheritage.org.uk.

See Pennine Heritage website which includes the Pennine Horizons archive of older photos of our area - 45,000 digitized images, with 25,000 available to view online.

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Alice Longstaff -  End of the Roll 

Pennine Heritage has also announced the forthcoming publication of a new book of images from renowned local photographer Alice Longstaff. End of the Roll contains 40 images showcasing all aspects of life in Hebden Bridge, from the grand sweeping landscapes that Alice enjoyed so much to the tedium of waiting around for wedding parties.

While many will be familiar with the work of Longstaff, the images in this book come from a series of recently discovered negatives. All the images have been painstakingly restored by Pennine Heritage trustee Alex Taylor to show them in their true glory.

Copies of the book are available for pre-order for £25. The first 25 copies of the book are available to buy for £30, which includes a limited edition of the book and a full print of either the front or back cover image. For a chance to see these images for yourself. Email, or call 01422 844 450.