Holdsworth House’s wealth of history and preserved architecture, its quirky corners and established gardens have all found a new audience through the camera lens. In the last ten years, our grand Jacobean manor has appeared in numerous prime time TV shows as well as featuring in over 1200 couples’ wedding albums. Jamie Oliver’s Great Britain In 2011, the biggest media whirlwind we’ve seen took […]

After 330 years as a private residence, closed off to the world, Holdsworth House opened its doors to the public for the first time in spring 1963. It was the vision of one family, to build a successful business, that kicked off the most recent chapter in the house’s history. The Swinging Sixties Our story begins in 1962, […]

Boxing Clever and Time Capsules The one thing you probably love most about Holdsworth House is the formal garden. The south-facing lawn and sunken Parterre only make up around a quarter of the estate land, most of which is actually meadow or fields.   We know a little of the garden’s history from the 19th […]

Moving Staircases and Witches’ Cupboards. We’re doubtful that J K Rowling took her inspiration for Hogwarts from the changing designs of Holdsworth House, but the story of how the layout of our manor has undergone radical transformations over the centuries is pretty curious. In Part I of our History of Holdsworth House series we revealed how, in 1633, Abraham Brigg replaced a […]

750 years give us plenty of intriguing history to delve into at Holdsworth House. Today, we’re very mindful of our place in this great house’s story – in preserving its past and protecting its future. Here we reveal the secrets of the Gazebo and its role as part of the Holdsworth estate. Medieval England Although the […]

Wedding Host, Tracey: Haworth to Hebden Bridge. During the 2020 lockdown, Tracey vowed to make the most of the great outdoors, keep fit and keep her social media friends smiling with daily walks and selfies. Start and finish of the walk: “One of my favourite local towns is Haworth. For those travelling from Holdsworth House […]

General Manager Joseph: Harden Beck and Goitstock Waterfall. After a 20-minute drive from Holdsworth House, our general manager Joseph discovered a walk through the Harden Valley to Goitstock Waterfall. Set in Bronte Country, there are woodlands and riverbanks teeming with wildlife. Start and finish of the walk: “We drove to the village of Harden near […]

Receptionist Kimberley: Gaddings Dam to Stoodley Pike. Holdsworth House receptionist Kimberley has a favourite walk that takes in two of Calderdale’s prominent sites and plenty of views. This walk is popular with visitors who come to sit on Gaddings Dam‘s beach, to wild swim or to trek across to the Stoodley Pike monument. Start and finish of […]

Friday 9th October 2020 would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. 56 years ago, to the day, the Pearsons – owners of Holdsworth House – were preparing for the Fab Four’s arrival in complete secrecy. Even the Pearson’s teenage daughter, Gail and her eight-year-old sister Kim, weren’t told until the last minute. The late Freddie and Rita […]