When the BBC/HBO series Gentleman Jack first aired on British television in 2019, only a few people had heard of the 19th century Halifax-born diarist Anne Lister. Certainly, no-one could have predicted the seismic effect the TV show would have on many women across the world. But as we sat down to watch with peaked […]
A career mapped out at Holdsworth House for chef George
At the end of 2021, after five years at Holdsworth House, George Crossley has made it into an elite club – that of Employee of the Year. George is the hotel’s Junior Sous Chef. His role is key in helping to deliver the wow factor through beautifully presented food, imaginative flavours and quality ingredients. It’s a role […]
Family devotes 70 years to Holdsworth House
After 45 years, Rose finally cuts her apron ties Like mother like daughter, Rosemary Kendell of Halifax has devoted her life to independently owned hotel and restaurant, Holdsworth House. As a young girl growing up, Rose watched her mother Maureen work at Holdsworth House in Holmfield as the hotel’s kitchen porter. A loyal employee, Maureen […]
Cragg Vale Coiners and The Gallows Pole
A Walk Around Cragg Vale and Coiners Country: Director Shane Meadows’ period drama The Gallows Pole is the TV version of the Walter Scott prize-winning novel of the same name, by Benjamin Myers. The story is based on real-life events of the 18th century and tells of ‘The Coiners – a band of counterfeiters based across Cragg Vale […]
History Series Part V: New Found Fame
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 […]
History Series Part IV: The Cavalier Country Club
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, […]
History Series Part III: The Gardens
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 […]
History Series Part II: Grand Designs
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 […]
History Series Part I: Priest holes and V&A-inspired artwork
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 […]
Our Favourite Walks 3
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 […]
