Holmfirth trip planning. Many questions, help is welcome.
- Thread starter RickAns
- Start date
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
Oh our Nora !
what can I do
I want to go to the pub with Sid
but I'm stuck in the house with you .
You'll send me to the White Horse
As quickly as you can
No Chance our Nora???? What a stupid man I am .
[with acknowledgement to Frank Launder composer of Oh Mr Porter]
Rick it was on the left going out of town from the bus station, just after bridge lane, the old station building is still there
barmpot
LOTSW Fanatic
Hope this all works out well. You have been given some sound advice about local trains. Best to get to Huddersfield, as stated, and then a bus. Dependent upon what days you are in the area I too love somewhat near so let me know - although at present I seem to be spending a lot of time at railway stations training staff.
RickAns
Dedicated Member
Hi barmpot, would be nice to meet up with you if we have the chance. If the station you are training at is not too far away maybe I can be a volunteer trainee for the day. As not as it is not training to be a bump stop!
Thanks, maltrab. I was hoping if some part of the structure was still there to swing by and have a look at what was the old train station.
Thanks, maltrab. I was hoping if some part of the structure was still there to swing by and have a look at what was the old train station.
Hi Rick, found this thread looking back through the posts.
You've really been given a huge amount of good advice and I hope you'll be able to make the trip this year or if not, definitely next!
If there is any specific question I might be able to answer please fire away, but I will mention anything that occurs to me. Coming from Scotland by train all the way (this is a 9 hour trip and quite tiring, but does have the advantage of coming in at the lovely Brockholes station used in "The Flag and its Snags", from which it is a short taxi trip to Holmfirth ) I'm not really much of a help to you with travel advice from the direction you are coming.
I bought a "Metro" ticket from Huddersfield bus station for getting around, this is GBP 2.00 plus 24.00 for each week. This is really handy if you are using the buses a lot, as I was. You can use it anywhere in West Yorkshire and that includes Calderdale which I visited a couple of times for interests unconnected with LOTSW. If visiting "Seymour's house" and the neighbouring Foxhouse it is necessary to pay a very small additional sum as these places are just over the border into South Yorkshire! The Huddersfield buses are very frequent, but going anywhere else needs careful forward planning and an eye on the time.
One cannot travel directly from Holmfirth to Marsden by bus, but there is an (infrequent) bus that goes to Slaithwaite and from there it is just a short second bus ride to Marsden along the main Manchester road. Of course Slaithwaite itself it is well worth a visit.
I stayed at the Old Bridge Inn as I had been there before and it was what I knew, plus it is right next to the bus station which was a plus point for me, but if you choose there it is really advisable to try to get a room that is not facing out onto Norridge Bottom. This is a very narrow street with nightspots at either end (Yolanda's and The Box Office) and they can sometimes get noisy into the small hours - due to the acoustics of the place, I think, the noise seems to travel straight up to the hotel's bedroom windows, whereas at the front of the building, which is a much more open space, noise disperses more and you do get a more peaceful night's sleep (IMO, although some people don't like the noise from the buses). If I ever get back I might be tempted to try another place like The Nook. Breakfast at the OBI is very nice - dinners are expensive though and I only ate them a couple of times. Compo's fish and chip shop in Burnlee Road (go up Modd Lane off the A6024 Woodhead Road) is a good place for a traditional British fish supper and you only need to go through the Summer Wine map to find ideas for lots of places to enjoy lunch (although sadly many pubs are now closed - The White Horse in Jackson Bridge, The Carriage House outside Marsden, The Swan in Marsden, The Bay Horse in Hade Edge to name a few although the latter is undergoing extensive refurbishment, and will be opening again in due course)
I chose July due to the length of the days giving a lot of daylight hours for exploring, but it does sound sensible to go at a time like early Autumn when it will not be so overpoweringly hot (I landed in a heatwave). Even wearing sun cream I got a touch of sunburn up on the hill outside Jackson Bridge on my second day. But when it rains it really DOES rain.
As for places to visit - again you cannot do better than consult the Summer Wine map. If visiting Hade Edge it is a good idea to strike out beyond the reservoir into the woods where the ruined village of "Hades" is situated, this is interesting as well as an enjoyable walk in good weather.
As someone else remarked, the hills are very steep and this takes some getting used to, one needs plenty of puff! Comfortable (broken-in) footwear is a must. I am so grateful to my Podiatrist for the insoles he provided me with 2 years ago as I could hardly do a ten minute walk then due to pain from an arch problem in my left foot.
I do hope you will manage your trip soon.
You've really been given a huge amount of good advice and I hope you'll be able to make the trip this year or if not, definitely next!
If there is any specific question I might be able to answer please fire away, but I will mention anything that occurs to me. Coming from Scotland by train all the way (this is a 9 hour trip and quite tiring, but does have the advantage of coming in at the lovely Brockholes station used in "The Flag and its Snags", from which it is a short taxi trip to Holmfirth ) I'm not really much of a help to you with travel advice from the direction you are coming.
I bought a "Metro" ticket from Huddersfield bus station for getting around, this is GBP 2.00 plus 24.00 for each week. This is really handy if you are using the buses a lot, as I was. You can use it anywhere in West Yorkshire and that includes Calderdale which I visited a couple of times for interests unconnected with LOTSW. If visiting "Seymour's house" and the neighbouring Foxhouse it is necessary to pay a very small additional sum as these places are just over the border into South Yorkshire! The Huddersfield buses are very frequent, but going anywhere else needs careful forward planning and an eye on the time.
One cannot travel directly from Holmfirth to Marsden by bus, but there is an (infrequent) bus that goes to Slaithwaite and from there it is just a short second bus ride to Marsden along the main Manchester road. Of course Slaithwaite itself it is well worth a visit.
I stayed at the Old Bridge Inn as I had been there before and it was what I knew, plus it is right next to the bus station which was a plus point for me, but if you choose there it is really advisable to try to get a room that is not facing out onto Norridge Bottom. This is a very narrow street with nightspots at either end (Yolanda's and The Box Office) and they can sometimes get noisy into the small hours - due to the acoustics of the place, I think, the noise seems to travel straight up to the hotel's bedroom windows, whereas at the front of the building, which is a much more open space, noise disperses more and you do get a more peaceful night's sleep (IMO, although some people don't like the noise from the buses). If I ever get back I might be tempted to try another place like The Nook. Breakfast at the OBI is very nice - dinners are expensive though and I only ate them a couple of times. Compo's fish and chip shop in Burnlee Road (go up Modd Lane off the A6024 Woodhead Road) is a good place for a traditional British fish supper and you only need to go through the Summer Wine map to find ideas for lots of places to enjoy lunch (although sadly many pubs are now closed - The White Horse in Jackson Bridge, The Carriage House outside Marsden, The Swan in Marsden, The Bay Horse in Hade Edge to name a few although the latter is undergoing extensive refurbishment, and will be opening again in due course)
I chose July due to the length of the days giving a lot of daylight hours for exploring, but it does sound sensible to go at a time like early Autumn when it will not be so overpoweringly hot (I landed in a heatwave). Even wearing sun cream I got a touch of sunburn up on the hill outside Jackson Bridge on my second day. But when it rains it really DOES rain.
As for places to visit - again you cannot do better than consult the Summer Wine map. If visiting Hade Edge it is a good idea to strike out beyond the reservoir into the woods where the ruined village of "Hades" is situated, this is interesting as well as an enjoyable walk in good weather.
As someone else remarked, the hills are very steep and this takes some getting used to, one needs plenty of puff! Comfortable (broken-in) footwear is a must. I am so grateful to my Podiatrist for the insoles he provided me with 2 years ago as I could hardly do a ten minute walk then due to pain from an arch problem in my left foot.
I do hope you will manage your trip soon.
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
Thank you JBCat for the information. I know its meant for Rick but anyone visiting would be pleased to be armed with the detail you provided.
RickAns
Dedicated Member
Thank you, @JBCat . As well as many thanks to all who have helped on this. The info is very helpful. I was wondering about the bus trip to Marsden or Slaithwaite from Holmfirth. There is a small town on the way that may be a nice stopover. The name escapes me at the moment. Thanks also for the reminder of decreasing daylight hours in the fall.
I am sad to say It looks like I may have waited too long this time to finalize the reservations on where to stay and having my passport sorted to make it this year. Some other real life stuff got in the way a little as well. On the plus side I do have most of my ducks in a row for a trip next year. I plan to make the reservations on places to stay much earlier. Will book late winter / early spring since they fill up quicker than expected. Still shooting for the late summer / early fall time frame. Will keep you all updated as time gets closer.
I am sad to say It looks like I may have waited too long this time to finalize the reservations on where to stay and having my passport sorted to make it this year. Some other real life stuff got in the way a little as well. On the plus side I do have most of my ducks in a row for a trip next year. I plan to make the reservations on places to stay much earlier. Will book late winter / early spring since they fill up quicker than expected. Still shooting for the late summer / early fall time frame. Will keep you all updated as time gets closer.
manwinoname
Dedicated Member
the small town between Marsden and Holmfirth is called Meltham , not much to see there to be honest, about a dozen shops , couple of cafes and pubs, this meltham village however if famous for the huge factory that made David Brown farm tractors, famous the world over until they were taken over by Case ,, David Brown had his own aircraft and airfield not far from Meltham , David Brown owned Durker Roods which is now a hotel, David Browns also made the chassis for the Aston Martin db5 and db6 cars used of course by James Bond, hence the initials of the car
Hi Rick, glad to be of help. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise that you won't make it this year as it will give you longer to plan.
Amused you mentioned the expression "ducks in a row" because I was going to mention a fun thing you can do in Marsden, there is a charity shop in BroughamStreet Road near its junction with Peel Street (West Yorkshire Dog Rescue) and they sell little poly bags of duck food at 50p each, these are little dry pellets and would be better formulated for the ducks than bread. The ducks just love them. If you get a couple of bags you'll have some for the Holmfirth ducks too
(They are closed Sundays and Mondays).
Amused you mentioned the expression "ducks in a row" because I was going to mention a fun thing you can do in Marsden, there is a charity shop in Brougham
(They are closed Sundays and Mondays).
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Marianna
Dedicated Member
Sorry to hear that your trip won't happen this year. Because some of the places I want to stay and things I want to do sell out so fast, I usually make reservations as soon as they go on sale. That's usually before the return leg of my flight is available, but I book the round-trip or open-jaw flights as soon as the return is available, usually just under a year in advance. That ensures that I can select an aisle seat in the center section, with the aisle on my left so I can lead with my stronger leg when I get up from my seat. The airline assigns the center section seats last, so if the flight isn't full, there's a good chance of having at least one empty seat next to me. That's even better than first class!
RickAns
Dedicated Member
Yes, Meltham that's the place I was thinking of, @manwinoname . Was early morning laziness on my part for not looking it up. My cup of Yorkshire Red tea had not kick started my brain yet. Thought I might remember it by the time I finished typing that post. I am glad it had not because you gave some interesting bit of history about the place and I thank you for that. Makes me want to stop by there even more now.
I did not know about David Brown and his work with tractors or Austin Martin. I do know little of Case / International tractors. I was not sure if the place was a stop over point for buses between Marsden / Slaithwaite and Holmfirth 'triangle'. Did not know if it would be easier to get a bus to Meltham from Holmfirth and from there on to Marsden / Slaithwaite instead of trying to go direct. All things locals may know way better than myself so far away. The main reasoning behind my starting such a verbose thread line in the first place, haha.
Feeding the ducks are Marsden sounds like a wonderful thing to do @JBCat ! So glad you mentioned that. It is something I would enjoy doing and not thought of unless I had seen others doing it too. Love the input from this forum. Things like this really make for a memorable trip experience. Thanks for the info on when they are closed too. Something else I might not of thought of to check on. Where are the Holmfirth ducks you mentioned? I'm willing to bring back some food for them as well.
I have learned reservations for places one might want to stay overseas can get filled up rather quickly. When booking at a place like Norah's or the Nook for example six or seven months out. Do places normally take a deposit or the full amount on credit card? This is the first time I will have booked reservations at a place to stay in another country. I plan ask them when I do book early next year, just wondering what is normal. Usually when I have booked somewhere it has been less than a month out so I have not thought twice about expecting to paying the full amount then.
More helpful info on plane seats, thanks @Marianna . Not thought about trying to choose where on the plane to sit. The aisle seat area does sound good. Once above the clouds ya can't see much out the window anyway, hehe. Being in an aisle seat may make it easier if I need to 'spend a penny' while on the trip across the Atlantic since I am sure the flight will take more than a few hours.
Postponing till next year may also be more of a blessing in disguise. Now I may be able to try to plan in a show at the Edinburgh Tattoo along with a visit to see family friends in Glasgow may now be more possible.
I did not know about David Brown and his work with tractors or Austin Martin. I do know little of Case / International tractors. I was not sure if the place was a stop over point for buses between Marsden / Slaithwaite and Holmfirth 'triangle'. Did not know if it would be easier to get a bus to Meltham from Holmfirth and from there on to Marsden / Slaithwaite instead of trying to go direct. All things locals may know way better than myself so far away. The main reasoning behind my starting such a verbose thread line in the first place, haha.
Feeding the ducks are Marsden sounds like a wonderful thing to do @JBCat ! So glad you mentioned that. It is something I would enjoy doing and not thought of unless I had seen others doing it too. Love the input from this forum. Things like this really make for a memorable trip experience. Thanks for the info on when they are closed too. Something else I might not of thought of to check on. Where are the Holmfirth ducks you mentioned? I'm willing to bring back some food for them as well.
I have learned reservations for places one might want to stay overseas can get filled up rather quickly. When booking at a place like Norah's or the Nook for example six or seven months out. Do places normally take a deposit or the full amount on credit card? This is the first time I will have booked reservations at a place to stay in another country. I plan ask them when I do book early next year, just wondering what is normal. Usually when I have booked somewhere it has been less than a month out so I have not thought twice about expecting to paying the full amount then.
More helpful info on plane seats, thanks @Marianna . Not thought about trying to choose where on the plane to sit. The aisle seat area does sound good. Once above the clouds ya can't see much out the window anyway, hehe. Being in an aisle seat may make it easier if I need to 'spend a penny' while on the trip across the Atlantic since I am sure the flight will take more than a few hours.
Postponing till next year may also be more of a blessing in disguise. Now I may be able to try to plan in a show at the Edinburgh Tattoo along with a visit to see family friends in Glasgow may now be more possible.
Hi Rick, I should have typed Brougham Road in Marsden before, gah.
The Duck feeding area in Holmfirth is down the steps from the Crown Bottom car park near the Co-op. There are a lot of them! Sometimes a few can be seen on the river near the Old Bridge Hotel and it's not unusual to see a heron around there also. I actually spotted a number of grey herons during my stay, they seem to be very plentiful in the area in general.
The Duck feeding area in Holmfirth is down the steps from the Crown Bottom car park near the Co-op. There are a lot of them! Sometimes a few can be seen on the river near the Old Bridge Hotel and it's not unusual to see a heron around there also. I actually spotted a number of grey herons during my stay, they seem to be very plentiful in the area in general.
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Marianna
Dedicated Member
Deposit vs full amount for lodging varies from place to place. Most places will refund up to anywhere from a few days to a month prior to arrival, but as soon as you've paid for anything non-refundable, it's best to estimate the total non-refundable cost of the trip and buy your cancellation insurance.I have learned reservations for places one might want to stay overseas can get filled up rather quickly. When booking at a place like Norah's or the Nook for example six or seven months out. Do places normally take a deposit or the full amount on credit card? This is the first time I will have booked reservations at a place to stay in another country. I plan ask them when I do book early next year, just wondering what is normal. Usually when I have booked somewhere it has been less than a month out so I have not thought twice about expecting to paying the full amount then.
More helpful info on plane seats, thanks @Marianna . Not thought about trying to choose where on the plane to sit. The aisle seat area does sound good. Once above the clouds ya can't see much out the window anyway, hehe. Being in an aisle seat may make it easier if I need to 'spend a penny' while on the trip across the Atlantic since I am sure the flight will take more than a few hours.
Postponing till next year may also be more of a blessing in disguise. Now I may be able to try to plan in a show at the Edinburgh Tattoo along with a visit to see family friends in Glasgow may now be more possible.
If you make firm plans to visit Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as Holmfirth, you might want to book an open-jaw flight either into Glasgow and out of Manchester or the reverse. As long as the entire trip is with the same airline and its partners, the fare will be about the same as an ordinary flight. First check your departure airport's available destinations to find an airline that serves both Glasgow and Manchester. Then go to the airline's web site to search for flights, first selecting the "multi-city" option.
The only UK non-stop destination from RDU is London Heathrow, which doesn't fit your itinerary at all. You can get Delta flights from RDU, though, which would get you to either GLA or MAN. You'd be changing planes at JFK or BOS and AMS in one direction, and ATL in the other. After you've paid for your flight(s), the option to select seats appears. It's worth pre-selecting them to avoid being assigned a middle seat, the most uncomfortable seats on any plane. You can also get United flights from RDU to MAN/GLA, but I've never looked into them even though United and Delta are the only airlines currently serving my home airport. I've been boycotting United since long before they were recruited by the airport's management to replace American when they pulled out of that airport about a year ago.
RickAns
Dedicated Member
More great info and I like the duck pics . Had not thought of taking a plane within the UK to get from Holmfirth / Manchester to Glasgow. Was thinking of the train. I do like the option, definitely should be quicker. I do not mind changing planes in Atlanta or New York, etc if it means an better trip. Not committed to a direct flight. My sister has a friend that works in (or runs / owns) a travel agency that I can use to help find the best way to fly to the UK.
. Had not thought of taking a plane within the UK to get from Holmfirth / Manchester to Glasgow. Was thinking of the train. I do like the option, definitely should be quicker. I do not mind changing planes in Atlanta or New York, etc if it means an better trip. Not committed to a direct flight. My sister has a friend that works in (or runs / owns) a travel agency that I can use to help find the best way to fly to the UK.
Marianna
Dedicated Member
First compare the price of a rail ticket with that of a plane ticket, and when calculating the time required for the trip, factor in the time required at the airport to check in, pass through security and wait for your plane to be called, as well as the time to travel from the airport to the rail terminal for the starting point of the trip to your actual destination. You might find that the train takes less time and costs less.More great info and I like the duck pics
From Holmfirth you are about the middle of either the West Coast Main Line and the East Coast Main Line plus you have the Cross Country trains, all serving Scotland from Main stations nearby, the best deals are normally if you book in advance 10-14 days,sometimes a return can be cheaper than a single ticket, plus on the LNER East Coast routes for a few pounds more you can go 1st Class and they include food and drink within the ticket price.
https://www.lner.co.uk/
https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/
https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/