Brighouse

Brighouse on the Calder & Hebble Navigation takes its name from Bridge House a house on or by the bridge over the river Calder.

As is so often the case for canalside towns, Brighouse grew and developed at the time of the Industrial Revolution.  A large number of mills and factories were built in the area, manufacturing woollens, silk and cotton.

The basin was an important inland port just off the river on a cut made up to Sowerby Bridge mostly alongside the river Calder.  There were terraced houses around the basin where the bargees and their families lived.

 

 

 

 

Millroyd Island Apartments used to be Mill Royd Mill, a textile mill.

 

 

 

The river Calder runs close to the navigation with mill buildings beside it.

The Old Ship Inn was a popular pub for the working men of Brighouse although in those days it was called The Prince of Wales Inn.  It was demolished in 1926 when the road was widened and rebuilt as the Old Ship Inn with ship’s timbers from HMS Donegal fitted to the frontage with decorative heads and owls above, keeping the fleur-de-lys from its former days.

 

This grand building, I first thought was a maltings or brewery or similar, but no it was Park Chapel, a Methodist Church, but now a Wetherspoons.

 

 

 

 

Incredible Edible has come to Brighouse!  We first saw the Incredible Edible idea at Todmorden, along the Rochdale Canal 2 years ago. The scheme aims to encourage the local community to grow and cook local produce, using public spaces in the town to grow herbs and vegetables to which you can help yourself.

There were new young cabbage plants here, beetroot, chard, sweetcorn, strawberries and lots of herbs.

I think it’s a great idea.

 

Tuesday

Huddersfield – Calderdale Nature Reserve, 8 miles, 16 locks, 1 bridge