Attractions in West Yorkshire

Polly Checkland Harding

Encompassing Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax and Hebden Bridge, the county of West Yorkshire has not shortage of stand-out attractions, from National Trust properties Hardcastle Crags and Nostell Priory to landmark cultural venues such as £35m art museum The Hepworth and the recently reinvented Piece Hall. Community-focused ventures such as the Trades Club music venue and Picture House cinema can be found in Hebden Bridge, while Halifax‘s attractions span Eureka! The National Children’s Museum and magnificent historic house Shibden Hall. Huddersfield boasts an award-winning literature festival, while Wakefield‘s cultural hotspots spill out from the Cathedral and Theatre Royal in the city centre to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Sandal Castle and the National Coal Mining Museum for England in the surrounding landscape. Read on to discover more.

  • 1. Hardcastle Crags

    Hardcastle Crags
    https://www.visitcalderdale.com/

    Hardcastle Crags, Gibson Mill, Midgehole Road, Hebden Bridge, HX7 7AW - Visit now

    Hardcastle Crags is a spectacular wooded valley with 19th-century Gibson Mill at its heart, once known as the ‘Switzerland of Yorkshire’.

  • 2. The Hepworth Wakefield

    The Hepworth Wakefield

    The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield, Yorkshire, WF1 5AW - Visit now

    Winner of the world’s biggest museum prize, the 2017 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award, The Hepworth in Wakefield is a cultural highlight in West Yorkshire.

  • 3. Wakefield Cathedral

    Wakefield Cathedral, Northgate, Wakefield, WF1 1HG - Visit now

    Wakefield Cathedral is set in the heart of the city and strives to offer a warm welcome to all who live in Wakefield and beyond.

  • 4. The Piece Hall

    The Piece Hall

    The Piece Hall, The Piece Hall, Blackledge, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 1RE - Visit now

    Think Somerset House meets one of the great historic squares of Europe for the North. The Piece Hall is the beating heart of Halifax.

  • 5. Shibden Hall

    Shibden Hall in Halifax
    Image courtesy of Calderdale Museums/ Calderdale Council.

    Shibden Hall, Lister's Road, Halifax, HX3 6XG - Visit now

    Nestled within the picturesque Shibden Valley, Shibden Hall is a magnificent historic house dating back to 1420.

  • 6. Hebden Bridge Picture House

    Image courtesy HebdenBridge.org. Credit: Sarah Mason Photography.

    Hebden Bridge Picture House, New Road, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8AD - Visit now

    Hebden Bridge Picture House is a thriving, independent, not-for-profit cinema operated by Hebden Royd Town Council.

  • 7. Eureka! The National Children’s Museum

    Eureka!
    Eureka

    Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Discovery Road, Halifax, HX1 2NE - Visit now

    Eureka! is the UK’s only national children’s museum with a more immersive and interactive approach to traditional museums.

  • 8. The Victoria Theatre, Halifax

    The Victoria Theatre, Halifax
    Image courtesy of The Victoria Theatre, Halifax.

    The Victoria Theatre, Halifax, Fountain Street, Halifax, HX1 1BP - Visit now

    The Victoria Theatre sits within the Victorian architecture of Halifax town centre on the corner of Fountain Street and Commercial Street.

  • 9. Hebden Bridge Market

    Hebden Bridge Market
    Hebden Bridge Market - Facebook page

    Hebden Bridge Market, St. George's Square Car Park, Hebden Bridge, HX7 7BZ - Visit now

    Hebden Bridge Market is open four days a week selling a medley of new goods, second-hand antiques, arts and crafts and local produce.

  • 10. Nostell Priory and Parkland

    Nostell Priory and Parkland
    National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

    Nostell Priory and Parkland, Doncaster Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 1QE - Visit now

    Nostell Priory and Parkland is an 18th-century architectural masterpiece surrounded by 300 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland.

  • 11. The Viaduct Theatre

    The Viaduct Theatre
    Image courtesy of The Viaduct Theatre, Dean Clough.

    The Viaduct Theatre, Dean Clough Mills, Dean Clough, Halifax, HX3 5AX - Visit now

    Nestled deep underground beneath the Dean Clough Mills, The Viaduct Theatre is home to acclaimed theatre company Northern Broadsides.

  • 12. National Coal Mining Museum for England

    National Coal Mining Museum
    National Coal Mining Museum for England

    National Coal Mining Museum for England, Caphouse Colliery, New Road, Overton, Wakefield, WF4 4RH - Visit now

    National Coal Mining Museum for England keeps stories of coal mining alive with underground tours and thought-provoking exhibitions.

  • 13. Sandal Castle

    Sandal Castle
    Wakefield Council

    Sandal Castle, Manygates Lane, Sandal, West Yorkshire, WF2 7DS - Visit now

    The setting for one of Shakespeare’s plays, the ruins of Sandal Castle stand in a commanding position overlooking the Yorkshire countryside.

  • 14. The Art House, Wakefield

    The Art House, Wakefield
    Courtesy of The Art House. Photo by Jules Lister

    The Art House, Wakefield, Drury Lane, Wakefield, WF2 9DS - Visit now

    With exhibition spaces, meeting rooms and a cafe, The Art House is a visual arts development agency and registered charity in Wakefield.

  • 15. The Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin

    The Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin
    Courtesy of The Friends of the Chantry Chapel of St Mary Wakefield

    The Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, 3 Calder Vale Rd, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 5DL - Visit now

    One of only three surviving bridge chapels in England, the Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin is a fascinating Grade I listed building.

  • 16. Hebden Bridge Little Theatre

    Hebden Bridge Little Theatre
    Hebden Bridge Little Theatre

    Hebden Bridge Little Theatre, Holme Street, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8EE - Visit now

    Hebden Bridge Little Theatre is a small, dynamic and welcoming theatre group producing a programme of five plays annually.

  • 17. The Mental Health Museum

    The Mental Health Museum

    The Mental Health Museum, Fieldhead Hospital
    Ouchthorpe Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3SP - Visit now

    The Mental Health Museum in Wakefield is home to a variety of mental health–related artefacts from the 19th century to the present day.

  • 18. Pontefract Castle

    Pontefract Castle
    Wakefield Council

    Pontefract Castle, Castle Garth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 1QH - Visit now

    A valuable heritage site, the ruins of Pontefract Castle occupy a commanding position overlooking the historic market town of Pontefract.

  • 19. Wakefield Museum

    Wakefield Museum
    Wakefield Council

    Wakefield Museum, Burton Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2EB - Visit now

    The Wakefield Museum, situated in the Wakefield One building, is packed with local treasures and stories of people’s lives through history.

  • 20. Theatre Royal Wakefield

    Theatre Royal Wakefield
    Jessica Rooney

    Theatre Royal Wakefield, 12 Drury Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2TE - Visit now

    Hosting a mix of music, drama and comedy, The Theatre Royal Wakefield is a Victorian theatre with an important architectural heritage.

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