Hebden Bridge

[Gildashairflick]

Just that really. Can anyone give me the pro's and con's of living in Hebden Bridge? We love to visit and think it may be good for one of our boys schooling wise as he won't be the only quirky kid in the class. House prices are similar or slightly cheaper than where we are now and there are so many lovely old houses with original features but sadly gardens are lacking.

I love visiting Hebden Bridge, but I think it has had some serious flooding in the past. I remember the centre being completely under water.
You could live on the hilly bits and they may have flood control in place now.

Yes the whole the valley area suffered with the flooding but then so does where I live now (although thankfully we were untouched). From what I can understand it's not a regular issue and 2015 was an exceptional year. I wouldn't buy at the bottom of a hill though just to be sure haha!

Bumping! Surely the good people of HB are on here?

We looked into buying there a while back, but everything costs £100k more just cos it's HB (and the local stores are pricey too) and I'm not convinced it's worth that much more. I love the landscape and the arts there but it can be quite insular and a bit of a parody of itself with the alt lifestyle vibe. We ended up staying south but if we had gone back I'd more likely have gone for Todmorden which has many of the positives for a lot less money and less extreme.

(I'm from that area originally btw, so not an outsider view. Just been away a while now and not sure I can go back. The commute to Manchester and Leeds is good though, but again, good from Tod too).

The 2015 floods were exceptionally high, but flooding in Hebden Bridge is a very real, and frequent event. Recovery works are still underway for the 2015 flooding. Previous significant property flooding was 2012, prior to that I think it was 2007, 2000 and 1998. It’s a very steep sided, quick response catchment, and flood warnings are sometimes only sirens as there is no time for anything else.

The Upper Calder Valley is lovely though. If you look at property well out of the 2015 flood zone and can live with roads, schools etc bring closed for weeks if they are damaged by flooding, then the altenative vibe could suit you. Just remember, mill towns developed in the bottom of valleys precisely because of fast flowing water.

Nice place Seems likely that flooding will be a problem again in the future though.

It used to be populated by hippy dippies and inbreds in equal measure.

We looked at moving to Hebden Bridge but ended up in Todmorden, just down the valley. The infrastructure is so much better - we have a sports centre, several primary schools, a high school and a couple of supermarkets, as well as a lovely little market hall. Plenty of quirky types here too though.

NC as I don't normally discuss where I live.
We too looked at moving to Hebden Bridge, but the houses weren't in our budget tbh. We moved to Todmorden and have been really happy here. Love the sports centre, park, good schools, Morrisons instead of a small co-op and the new bigger Lidl is supposed to open soon (although it can be a heated topic with locals).
The only thing Todmorden doesn't have is the reputation and maybe a few less quirky shops.

We also looked at the other side of Hebden, as we moved from that side but didn't like it as much as Todmorden.

Isn't it where Last of the Summer Wine was set?

Oh and the flooding is awful.
We've been here about 7 years and Hebden and Todmorden has flooded most years. We hear the siren and get an automated phone call. Luckily we're set back a bit so (touch wood) haven't been hit but the main road is closed so we are often trapped in unless we wade through it (which we have never had the need).

Last of the Summer Wine was set in Holmfirth. Hebden Bridge and Holmfirth are often viewed as similar and both get a lot of tourists. Not that far from each other either.

Happy Valley was set in Hebden Bridge and the area, although I only saw filming being done in Sowerby Bridge (which isn't quite as nice IMO). Another good place to live though, again nice park, nice little town, shops, train station and less than 30 mins from Hebden.

That's an understatement scotty, about Lidl being a contentious issue

I live in Hebden and moved here the week of the flooding! It came right up to the end of our street but luckily did not reach our house....
The centre of the town was gutted though it was really sad.... it did bounce back relatively quickly overall but some people were taken completely out of business.

It is a lovely place to live. We live up near the Birchcliffe Centre and the views are incredible.

Weve only been here a few years but have found people to be incredibly friendly. Made some great friends amongst our neighbours.

The primary schools are all pretty good.... but I am a bit worried about secondary schools... ive heard some bad things... and I have noticed that things seem to get a bit ropy for teenagers around here... theres a lot of drug use.... but I suppose you could say that of anywhere perhaps?

I love how well connected to cities Hebden is (Manchester is only around 30mins on the train and if you book in advance you can get a ticket for 3 quid!) and yet you also have this beautiful rural landscape on your doorstep.
It also has a cinema and a theatre and the trades club, and many quite vibrant and quirky bars etc It kind of feels like you are in part of a city... like Headingley or Didsbury.
I think thats what made us decide to live here, that you get a great mixture of the cosmopolitan and the rural.

I do also like Tod but it feels a little different... im not sure if it actually is bigger but it feels bigger and the centre is more patchy... feels a bit hostile and rough in some places but it is still quite quirky and friendly in others.

and yeah there are some 'alternative' people here... but its sort of sad that thats not really what its about here any more.... its more second homes for people from London and very middle class and trendy... its just getting more and more expensive to live here... the severe flooding knocked prices down a little but they have risen back up quite a lot now

Is anyone able to advise if it would be a silly move to buy a house in Hebden Bridge given the flooding? Are there areas of Hebden that never flood & so would be a safe bet? I keep gazing online at the beautiful houses but - like most people I imagine! - couldn’t afford to buy & then have to spend a small fortune on refurbishing, or worse, lose all of my money via my home becoming uninhabitable. If there are roads/parts of the town that are unlikely to experience flooding, it would be super helpful to know road names rather than a more general higher ground/west of the town etc - I’m afraid I’m rubbish at looking at maps & applying descriptions to them unless they’re very specific! (I am aware of the contention around HB prices/left of centre liberals moving in & making property prices unaffordable to locals etc but I’d rather not enter in debate on that; I simply want to know if I’d be silly to put my only asset, the equity in my flat, into a house in Hebden). Thanks in advance for any advice.

I don't know any specific road names, but I'd get hold of an OS map and look at contour lines. Also visit, and ask at a friendly cafe?

Or if you really want to be certain of being safe look at Heptonstall instead!

Or if you like Hebdon, but feel that flooding isn't worth the risk, have you had a look at Todmorden instead?

Todmorden also regularly floods these days

My FIL lives up a hill in Hebden (i.e. Not on the town right on the bottom of the valley) and he had terrible flooding problems in 2015. I love the town though!! We pass through the village of Friendly on the way in. Always makes me smile!

Thanks all, I really appreciate the advice & you all taking time out of your days to give it. That’s a sensible point on asking locally but I’m in London so not easy to pop in to local establishments, both time-wise & money-wise - train fares from here to Hebden are eye-wateringly expensive! Though it would be a good excuse to have a weekend up there

Perhaps I should check out there too - if only to have the best address, ever!

There being Friendly - I’m not familiar with this site hence replying to my own post by mistake