Christmas lights twinkle in every shop and cobbled street in the center of the small West Yorkshire mill town of Holmfirth, best known as the place for Christmas celebrations. The Last of the Summer Wine. You may not be familiar with the area, but you’ll be familiar with the series: It was the world’s longest-running comedy series, from 1973 to 2010.
But 50 years after the program was first broadcast, Holmfirth is making a name for itself again as a leader in very serious efforts to preserve heritage. It has been described as “inspiring” after the town’s 5,000 residents came together to save Holmfirth’s historic buildings from decay and collapse, revitalizing the town’s economy in the process.
“The town was in a bad state,” says Craig Broadwith of Historic England, which last month announced it would remove Holmfirth from the Heritage at Risk Register after 14 years. The register is an annual health check of England’s historic buildings and places. This year, 159 places were added and 203 were removed, including Holmfirth.
“Their numbers were increasing [commercial] Broadwith says there are vacancies, problems with the quality of sidewalks and highways, neglect of buildings and problems with graffiti. “[Holmfirth] was in decline. It’s incredible what has been achieved. The city center has turned around and house prices have increased.”
There were many familiar people among the buildings at risk. The Last of the Summer WineAlthough the way they regenerate leaves Compo, Foggy, and Clegg quite baffled. While Nora’s stairs and Sid’s Cafe are still there, the town has gained a number of new Airbnbs, stylish cocktail bars and co-working spaces. Former civilian buildings were requisitioned as art spaces and education centres. Just outside the town, Holmfirth Vineyard produces award-winning wines and the area now hosts a multitude of festivals, from folk and film to food and drink, arts and music.
Latest figures show more than 700,000 people visited the town this year, up 2.5 per cent on the previous year.
Steve Davie, 71, a retired vicar and chairman of the Holmfirth Preservation Group, says it was the ignominy of being placed on Historic England’s “at risk” list in 2009 that had locals excited; Soon after, the Holmfirth Conservation Group was born.
“I was inspired by David Cameron’s era of third sector volunteering and local people coming together to do things,” he says. “There was a lot of concern in the town and rather than waiting for Kirklees council to do something about it, we rolled up our sleeves and did it ourselves. We created a Conservation Area Assessment as complete amateurs.”
The group examined every historic building and square foot of road and sidewalk, compiled a list of “at risk” buildings, and began saving and restoring them.
Opened in 1894, Tech was formerly a secondary school and adult education center and has stood empty since 2014 when Kirklees council decided to sell it. “There were concerns that it might topple,” says Chris Little, director of The Tech.
“We worked hard to get the building back,” explains Margaret Dale, 72, The Tech’s executive chairman. “It was originally purchased by subscription. The Victorians did a fantastic job constructing this building [donations were also given by local gentry and mill owners] “We did exactly the same thing to buy it back.”
In 2018, Dale was involved in setting up community charity Holmfirth Tech Ltd and through grants, fundraising and share sales the building was purchased from the council. “There is a very strong sense of collaboration at Holmfirth,” he says. “Technology is now a resource for local people.” The building hosts classes such as clothing making, banjo lessons, dance, pilates and yoga. It also has an orchestra and community choir.
When Barclays closed its last branch in the town, the bank was persuaded to rent rooms at The Tech to continue providing banking services. “They didn’t abandon us,” Dale says.
Opposite The Tech is another beautiful Victorian building, The Civic, formerly the Town Hall and Drill Hall. The building, which was also once owned by Kirklees council, is now managed by Holmfirth Civic Hall Community Trust. Liz Annett, 40, the centre’s manager, said: “Our aim is to organize different events for the community and raise funds to keep the building open.” In addition to a cafe run by volunteers, badminton, pilates and comedy nights are also organized.
“People think we’re all a bit behind the times because they assume we’re all hated and spoiled, but we’re shocked to see how far people travel for events.” [we put on]adds Annett. “At least 20 per cent of event tickets are for people traveling from places like Peterborough and Nottingham.”
Culture, it seems, is now the lifeblood of a town that grew first around corn mills, then the cloth trade and factories, drawing its strength from the river Holme, which runs through the valley. When The Last of the Summer Wine Since it was still being performed, it was thought that the tourism generated by the show would be enough to keep the town afloat after the mills closed. However, after the show ended and visitor numbers decreased, another source of income was needed.
Luckily, there were some wonderful buildings to repurpose and the locals seemed to have the will to prevent Holmfirth from becoming a post-industrial cliché. Take Picturedrome, located in the center of the city, for example. Opened in 1913 as the Holme Valley Theatre, the theater is now owned by Peter Carr. He first saw the place with its historical blue plaque as a child in the 1960s, when it was a cinema. The town took off when Wetherspoons showed interest 15 years ago. “I always wanted to try doing something with it,” Carr says. “We started organizing concerts and live music.” The 690-capacity venue was nominated for the NME Best Small Venue award in 2014.
Another iconic building that has been renovated is the former Lloyds Bank, which was redesigned three months ago as Society, a co-working and studio space on Victoria Street. “It’s a huge, iconic building, and everyone wanted to make sure it was put to good use,” says founder Zoe Piscitelli. “They didn’t want a chain or a big restaurant. That’s not what Holmfirth is about. We like to keep things local.” In addition to the co-working space, there is a studio for yoga and classes such as life drawing, wine tasting and ceramic decorating.
Holmfirth is a small town but it punches well above its weight. “We’re like Monaco; there’s a lot in a small area,” Piscitelli says. “There are lots of places opening in Holmfirth. “We are reversing the trend because things are closing elsewhere.”
One of the things that makes the town stand out is the abundance of independent shops. “Ninety-four percent of our businesses are independent,” says Dale. “Our vacancy rate has been consistently low for the last five years.”
What does the future hold for a town known for a sitcom that ended 13 years ago and whose fans won’t be around forever? “We recognize that we must go beyond The Last of the Summer Wine“says Dale. “It’s an important part of our history, but we want to move on.”
Laura Booth, 53, owns Sid’s Cafe. The Last of the Summer Wine17 years. “75 percent of our customers are tourists,” Booth says. “A lady came from Devon today. She’s a big fan and wanted to celebrate her 80th birthday here. People come from all over the world, from Australia and Canada. They say, ‘It’s been my life’s dream to come here.'”
Sid’s menu has changed little since Compo’s time; In addition to the famous scones, jam and clotted cream, vegan options have also been added. But Booth is worried about the future. “The Last of the Summer Wine It’s no longer in that prime-time slot, but it’s part of TV history. Bus driver Colin said years ago: ‘Look how busy Haworth is and how long ago the Brontë sisters died.’ “I hope we can stay here as long as they do.”
Historic England’s Craig Broadwith says the town’s comeback is down to the people of Holmfirth. “This is a self-made community organization that happens without big money and grants,” he says. “Very inspiring.”
What advice does Holmfirth have for other towns looking to copy their success story? “We worked hard to build relationships between each other,” says Dale. “We want to celebrate our heritage while looking to our future.”