Hawden Hole, Hardcastle Crags, Hebden Bridge. - WMH01099

Postcard with April 1949 postmark. Hawden Hole is situate on the south Hebden Dale hillside on today’s Lee Wood Road between Midgehole and Hebden Hey and above the lower part of Hardcastle Crags. It was the site of the locally infamous murder of Samuel Sutcliffe in February 1817. After the First World War it was turned into Hawden Hall Holiday Camp and Tea Rooms by William Holt. The old whitewashed farmhouse has now been demolished and the former barn behind it, already converted into a house by the time of this photo enlarged, and gentrified and now known as Hawdon Hall.

The card is rather confusingly labelled as this is not the usual path, or The Drive, to Hardcastle Crags from the gates at Midgehole and the walkers, in scout uniforms, are in any event going in the wrong direction! They are coming down from the camp site at Hebden Hey from where a path does run down to stepping stones to cross to the riverside path in Hardcastle Crags.

Pennine Horizons Digital Archive

PHDA - William Henwood Collection

Pennine Horizons Digital Archive

WMH01099.tif