Today, we were not far from Halifax and decided to check out the Piece Hall. Opened in 1799, this vast building - reminiscent of an Italian piazza - became the centre of the Yorkshire textile industry. Now it has been repurposed as a leisure asset, with restaurants, bars and independent shops.
A drive back through Yorkshire’s industrial belt, a stop at Keelham’s farm shop (now Robertshaws) and then the final leg up the A65 and we were home - just in time for the rain to start after several weeks of dry weather.
In the last few years it has become one of the country’s most successful outdoor music venues. Outside London, only Glastonbury sells more tickets. As we visited, they were preparing for the arrival of a long list of household names through the summer, having sold around 200,000 tickets. Unlike most music gigs, the profits go to a charitable trust which funds the upkeep of the building and supports the independent businesses which use it.
After a bite of lunch we crossed the road to look at Halifax Minster, the town’s 15th century parish church.
The church has some unusual features, including its painted ceiling, 17th century box pews and some lovely windows.
