Two themes provide a guide to a trip to Greetland: walking in Calderdale and the architectural history of the wool textile industry. Greetland is the official starting point of the Calderdale Way, a circular walking route through Calderdale’s hills, moors and valleys. The route follows old packhorse trails through hillside villages and historic mill towns. If you are considering Greetland as a destination, you can decide whether an extended walking route or historic buildings should play a greater role in your trip.
Walking trails, woodland and landscape
North Dean Woods lies on the edge of Greetland and offers an extensive network of footpaths, including a section of the Calderdale Way. The entire circular walk is 50 miles long. This gives you two different scales to consider: the Calderdale Way as a circular route through Calderdale, and the woodland trail network, which includes one section of the route. This highlights how the woodland and the circular walk offer different perspectives on walking.
More than 60 different bird species have been recorded in North Dean Woods. The visible rocks date from the Upper Carboniferous, which formed around 250 million years ago, and belong to the Millstone Grit series. This brings together two distinct aspects of nature: birdlife and geological history. For travellers interested in nature as well as walking, this combination complements the trails with wildlife and geological context.
Mills, architecture and local history
North Dean Mill and Prospect Mill are both Grade II listed buildings. North Dean Mill is a former wool textile mill dating from the second half of the 19th century, built of stone with slate roofs. The building illustrates an important phase in the development of West Yorkshire’s nationally significant wool textile industry. This connects the mill’s construction with its importance to the region’s industrial history.
Prospect Mill is also a Grade II listed building. Apart from the chimney, the original buildings remain, including the spinning mill, engine house, boiler house and warehouse; relatively few modern additions have been made. The different buildings represent the various functions within a mill complex. While North Dean Mill illustrates an important phase in the regional wool textile industry’s history, Prospect Mill draws attention to the surviving parts of a complex.
Clay House was built around 1650 for John Clay and the Clay family. The house contains a replica of a Roman altar discovered nearby at Thick Hollins. Together, a house built for a family and a nearby archaeological find represent different aspects of the area’s history. St Thomas’ Church has fourteen Stations of the Cross, which were dedicated on 3 July 1988. The dates provide a clear contrast: Clay House dates from the mid-17th century, while the Stations were dedicated in 1988.
Discover more destinations: Denby Dale, Rishworth, Mirfield, Ripponden, Normanton, East Morton, Clifford, Skelmanthorpe
For the main travel overview: West Yorkshire.
