Huddersfield's acclaimed Art Gallery, home to work by Henry Moore, Lowry and Francis Bacon
Alfred McAlpine Stadium Huddersfield
Huddersfield Open MarketDiverse and dynamic university town Huddersfield has more than earned its European designation as 'Creative Town', and like Halifax is one of the UK's best kept secrets. A classic Yorkshire town on the one hand with its non-conformist political and religious history (Chartist uprising was prevalent here) and many Victorian listed buildings (1,660 in all) built by wealthy Huddersfield industrialists, notably the Ramsdens - on the other hand contemporary Huddersfield is influenced by its central university and its mix of cultures. Industrial heritage and new contemporary arts edge blend well in this Pennine Yorkshire centre. Huddersfield hosts many festivals throughout the year and is home to numerous acclaimed museums, theatres, art galleries and the famous Alfred McAlpine Stadium - a venue for football and rugby with its pioneering contemporary design.
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Huddersfield is main centre for the Kirklees region which includes the stunning landscapes of the northern Peak District and the South Pennines. To the south west of Huddersfield are the dramatic Pennine Moors including the National Trust's Marsden Moor Estate. Further south sits the equally stunning Colne and Holme Valleys. Historic villages such as Marsden and Holmfirth make perfect walker bases. To the east the landscapes are somewhat gentler around Kirkburton, Emley and Denby Dale. A walker's paradise, Kirklees contains a host of way-marked trails and national trails including the Pennine Way winding across the high moorland of the region, the circular Kirklees Way, the Colne Valley Circular Walk, the Holme Valley Circular Walk, the Bronte Way and the Spen Valley Heritage Trail.
Every year Huddersfield hosts a superb calendar of events and festivals, one of which is a contemporary music festival in November (webguide right) offering an eclectic range of musical events and concerts. Huddersfield is renowned for its choral society and has a rich choral history - for example the famous Yorkshire queen of song Susan Sunderland who has an annual singing contest named after her came from Huddersfield. See the webguide right for Mrs Sunderland's Music Festival in February. A choice of venues play host to Huddersfield Festivals including the Huddersfield Concert Hall, St Paul's Concert Hall and the Lawrence Batley Theatre, once the largest Methodist Church in the world and of course frequented by John Wesley! Details on all these Huddersfield concert and theatre venues are via the Kirklees Tourist webguide right - see Events, plus checkout the excellent programme for Huddersfield's annual acclaimed Literature Festival held every March. Other festival highlights annually in Huddersfield include the town's Food and Drink Festival in August, the Huddersfield Carnival in July, the Huddersfield Chinese New Year celebrations and the ever growing Huddersfield St Patrick's Day Parade - that's just to name a few. See details on many more festival events in the town via the Kirklees Tourist Guide.
If visitors would like any further information regarding the Huddersfield Chinese Community Centre, they can contact Sui Cheung, the Centre Manager on 07929571796. See weblink right for more information.
A number of new arts spaces are appearing in Huddersfield, many of which are situated in converted mills. The Huddersfield ArtSpace at Bates Mill (webguide right) is one example. Over 20 art studios are located here, with a large communal exhibition space. Bates Mill, Milford Street, Huddersfield HD1 3DX. Tel. 01484 423703.
Huddersfield Art Gallery has an excellent collection of British 20th century art including works by Francis Bacon, Lowry and Henry Moore and a craft gallery displaying works by local artists. Also on offer is the Medialounge, part of the Media Centre complex. This exhibition space specialises in showcasing creative excellence in the fields of digital, networked and interactive media and often has evenings where artists present and discuss their work. (see the Media Centre's webguide right for details).
Huddersfield Art Gallery, Princess Alexandra Walk, Huddersfield, HD1 2SU. Tel. 01484 221964.
Huddersfield, birthplace of both Harold Wilson and James Mason, has a Victorian feel to its centre with the architectural offerings of the Town Hall, the Railway Station frontage and of course Castle Hill and Victoria Tower. Castle Hill and the Jubilee Tower - thus named and built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's coronation - has been an occupied hill since the Stone Age and you can appreciate why when you see the panoramic views across Huddersfield.
However, alongside this Huddersfield offers fascinating buildings featuring cutting-edge contemporary design such as the stunning Alfred McAlpine Stadium. Such a stadium is only fitting for Huddersfield, the birthplace of Rugby League, although the stadium is also home to Huddersfield Town Football Club. The stadium, which opened in 1995, also houses a 32-bay floodlit driving range and golf school.
Huddersfield town centre is a shopper's paradise with an ultra trendy edge, as you'd expect from a town with its university at the centre. Coffee shops, designer clothing, an open market full of bargains and indoor shopping arcades - its all there. You'll marvel at the retention of the Victorian frontages adapted to modern day shops. The Byram Arcade just off Westgate offers speciality shops under a Victorian indoor arcade. For eateries and gifts, jewellery and body piercing try the Imperial Arcade between New Street and Market Street. Kingsgate Shopping Centre on King Street offers more traditional clothes shopping particularly inclusive of regular brand names.
For night life - Huddersfield is hard to beat. On the restaurant scene you can find anything from Thai and Italian to Mexican and Indian. For 100% halal food visit Planet Spice, 11-13 John William Street (01484 420421). The club scene offers choice - from the Camel Club, which describes itself as a Moroccan themed souk bar and offers music ranging from 'kinky indie' to sould, funk, jazz, hip hop and ska. For the finest dance music check out club-non on 18-20 St Georges Square.
For a comprehensive shopping, eating and club guide checkout the Virtual Huddersfield webguide right for an excellent town map and good Huddersfield Shopping Guide.
For a definitive journey through Huddersfield's history head to the Tolson Museum. An eclectic collection of archaeology, archives, costume, textiles exhibits, social history, decorative and applied art and science and technology all relating specifically to Huddersfield are on display inside. The textiles industry boom which particularly affected the Huddersfield area is given special attention.
To dig even deeper into Huddersfield's radical and industrial past checkout the special collections and archives held at Huddersfield University (note particularly the George Henry Wood Collection) and see too the weblink right 'From History to Her Story', a recent Yorkshire digital web project which explores particularly the history of Yorkshire women, religion in Kirklees, politics and women's suffrage and more. The George Henry Wood Collection also features on History to Herstory.
