Plans in place to attract visitors to the Calder Valley once lockdown is over

Roger Benn, owner of Benchmark Travel, who trade locally as the Travel Centre Mytholmroyd, is hopeful he has one or two ideas that will help attract tourists back to the area once life returns to normal after lockdown.

He is hoping a new resource will be created where tourism-related businesses in the Calder Valley can advertise under one roof, and has plans for a film and TV tour of filming locations for popular recent shows made in the area.

TV shows filmed in Calderdale include Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack, Last Tango in Halifax and Ackley Bridge.

Gentleman Jack was filmed mainly at Shibden Hall and nearby locations, including The Fleece Inn, Elland and outside the Lord Nelson, Luddenden, while the 2016 re-make of the film Swallows and Amazons was shot in Heptonstall.

Mr Benn said: “There’s now no local tourist information offices because of the lockdown, everything’s online.

“But they enabled local tourism-related businesses to advertise there and have leaflets there for people who called in once they arrived.

“There’s different meetings about the recovery plan for HX7, and one of the group’s I’m part of are trying to come up with a plan to advertise Hebden Bridge and make it easier for people to find out what’s happening there under one banner.

“Hopefully in the next few weeks something like that will be launched, whether it’s in conjunction with an existing website or some other, so people in Blackpool or Middlesbrough or wherever, can find things that might attract them to the Calder Valley.

“Visitors might have their preconceptions of what Hebden Bridge can offer but there’s a lot more the town and the surrounding area has to offer than people might be aware of.

“It’s hoped that once lockdowns are relaxed and people are allowed to move around more, safely, then Hebden Bridge will become a focal point because it’s got so much to offer, particularly as exercise and walks is at the forefront now.

“One of the things Benchmark Travel is looking at is to do some tours of the area.

“There are a lot of films and TV programmes that have been produced in the Calder Valley, so we’re looking at a film and TV tour visiting the sets people might recognise. We’re hopeful it will be ready for the release of lockdown, and it will bring people to the area and then, of course, we’ll be looking for people to hopefully stay over and use the guest houses and places for people to stay.”