Despite living and studying in Sheffield for three years, I’d never made the effort to visit any of Yorkshire’s smaller towns. Other than visits to Leeds and York, all of my admiration for anything in Yorkshire other than a city had been done from the inside of a car - and yes, I’m ashamed to admit it.
It’s not necessarily that I didn’t want to - I’d always admired Yorkshire’s smaller towns on rural drives from Sheffield back home to Cheshire - but I’d just never made the effort, or time, to actually stop off and visit one.
So when the opportunity arose to go visit Holmfirth, I was more than excited to go on a little adventure and see how it compared to the Yorkshire I had known and loved for three years. Spoiler alert: I left wishing that I’d made the effort to go sooner.
Armed with my list of must-visit spots in Holmfirth, I set off on the 60-mile drive from Cheshire. For someone who’s used to treacherous drives through Snake Pass in all kinds of weather conditions, the journey there certainly felt a lot more relaxed, while still showcasing an abundance of green scenery and rolling hills that signals you’ve arrived in Yorkshire.
Holmfirth welcomed me with rain - but being from the North anyway that didn’t come as any surprise. On first impressions it did feel, and look, like a very ‘Yorkshire’ town, especially when I was greeted by a steep downhill drive into the town centre.
The aptly named Crown Bottom Car Park, located right in the centre, was almost completely full, to the point where I struggled to find a space. For a Monday morning it was a surprise but also a welcome sight - I instantly knew that there must be something about Holmfirth which makes it worth visiting.
The town was already making a good impression on me, something which instantly grew as soon as I saw the car parking prices. At just 60p for two hours or £4 for anything over four hours I was overjoyed.
For someone who’s used to paying over £15 a day to park in Sheffield, I already felt like I was on to a winner. And if you buy anything from the Co-op store which is located at the edge of the car park then you’re able to get your car parking ticket refunded - a bonus!
First up on the agenda was coffee. While there wasn’t a chain coffee shop in sight - you won’t find a Costa, Starbucks or Caffe Nero in Holmfirth - there were a lot of independent cafes and coffee shops to choose from, so it wasn’t an easy choice. But as always, I knew Google would lead me in the right direction.
Two of the top rated coffee shops in Holmfirth, both rated 4.8 stars out of five, are Ribbles and Holme Coffee House. One reviewer of Ribbles had confidently proclaimed that they have “without a doubt the best coffee you’ll get in Holmfirth bar none!!”, which instantly made it shoot to the top of my list.
But sadly, they’re closed on a Monday, so Holme Coffee House would have to do.
Conveniently located on the edge of the car park, there was no faffing around to try and find where I was going. It might have been the second choice initially, but it didn't disappoint in any way. It was only small inside, but it had a cosy feel which made it the perfect place to tuck away and hide from the rain outside.
People were constantly coming in and there was never a table left empty - which goes to show how much of a hit it must be with locals. The staff were really friendly too and I couldn’t fault the customer service, they even suggested I wander up to see the Picturedrome and St John's Church once I’d finished.
The menu was varied and offered everything from American pancakes to eggs benedict, bailey’s hot chocolate, mimosas and a counter of freshly baked sweet treats. I opted for a cappuccino, which came adorned with a chocolate ‘H’ on the top (the coffee there was so good, I couldn’t recommend it more) and the smashed avocado toast with halloumi. In terms of brunch spots, it’s one of the best that I’ve been to anywhere and it was really well priced for what you got, at just £12 altogether.
Fuelled by coffee, it was time to take a wander around the town and seek out some of Holmfirth’s most famous spots. Luckily, everything that I had on my list to visit was well within walking distance of each other, with the majority of spots even located on the same street.
With a population of just over 5,000, I was surprised at the variety of shops on offer. Other than a Co-op and Sainsbury’s local, there were no retail giants or chains to be spotted and honestly, that coupled with the large number of independent shops was a welcome sight.
I don’t think you’d struggle to do anything you wanted to get done in Holmfirth. It’s a small town with a lot of character, but it doesn’t make you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. It seemed to have everything you could need from tattoo shops to florists, gift shops packed with unique presents, pizza restaurants, cocktail bars and cafe’s - although it was a sad sight to see the Holmfirth Market Hall completely empty and shut down.
With something new around every corner, I was constantly spotting new places I’d like to come back and try from So Dough Pizzeria, to Nora Cocktail bar and if it had been ice cream weather (which certainly wasn’t on that day, as the rain continued to pelt me in the face), then I would have made sure to stop off at Lick, a dairy free ice cream shop.
Walking around the town it did feel very ‘Yorkshire’ - if the distinct building brick didn’t give it away then it was the amount of hills - something which living in Sheffield for three years had helped to prepare me well for.
Heading away from the centre to find St John's Church, it was very clear that you were walking on a steep incline, but the view of the houses and the rolling hills in the distance made it all the more worthwhile.
And its verticality seemed to be something which Holmfirth used to its advantage - as there were plenty of shops located underneath one another, and hidden gems set down narrow staircases, one of which was Nora’s cocktail bar, set down a stone staircase big enough to fit just one person through at a time - it’s a spot I would definitely want to visit if I wasn’t driving.
I did manage to navigate my way through the rain to find three of Holmfirth’s most recommended attractions:
Magic Rock Tap
If I wasn't driving, or for the fact that it’s closed on a Monday, then I would have paid Magic Rock Tap a visit. The popular tap room and cocktail bar also sells street food. housed in a grand Victorian building hailing from 1844 - it truly is a stunning sight to look at (even if it was only from the outside this time). As soon as I typed Holmfirth into Google this place came up, which makes me think it would definitely be worth a visit.
Picturedrome
One of the girl’s from Holme Coffee House recommended I go and take a look at Holmfirth’s infamous picturedrome, coined ‘The North of England’s finest music venue’, the centuries old picture house is a 650 seater music venue which stages touring bands and is currently advertising its Ibiza Live New Years party.
Last of The Summer Wine Exhibition
Even though I was only 11 years old when the last ever episode aired, I must confess that when I was younger I was partial to watching an episode of The Last of The Summer Wine, so it did feel a little surreal walking around the place it was filmed. I did take a walk to the exhibition and gift shop but sadly, it’s closed during the winter months.
As I was walking around, I couldn’t help but think how much nicer the visit would have been had it not been such a wet day. But despite the rain and grey skies, it was clear to see that the Kirklees town has so much potential.
Holmfirth is living proof that a place doesn’t have to be overpopulated with chains to thrive as into the afternoon the shops started to get quite busy, as friendly chatter was exchanged between owners and familiar locals - whether that’s what a Monday in Holmfirth is like, or it was because everyone was feeling the pressure of the seven-day-countdown to Christmas, I guess I’ll have to visit again to find out.
I would definitely consider taking a diversion to stop off at Holmfirth next time I find myself driving between Yorkshire and Cheshire. And if anything, it’s provided me with the inspiration to visit more smaller Yorkshire towns in the future.
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