Greetland

Back view of Clay House's southern wing

Clay House was built for John Clay and the Clay family around 1650, although a house owned by Robert Clay on the site is mentioned before in 1296. The grounds of the house were opened as a park in 1924, and in 1929, a war memorial was built in the hall. The house is frequently used for weddings and its main hall can easily seat 100 people. Its impressive corridors and grand rooms are iconic in the area, with a large grand staircase, traditional wooden panelling from the 1600s and beautiful paintings. The house is currently managed by Calderdale Council and can be hired as a whole. There is another war memorial on the eastern wall of the house.[8] Clay House is the starting point of the Calderdale Way.[9]

Greetland is the start of the Calderdale Way, a long distance footpath that is popular with ramblers.[10][11]

St Thomas's Church, Greetland with the Community Centre playground in the foreground.

Perhaps the oldest public house in Greetland, the Druids Arms is known locally as the "Rat".[12] The sign outside the pub was altered by the current landlord to reflect this.

The pub has been at the centre of a planning dispute with local residents. Since its closure on 17 October 2004, the landlord has applied for planning permission to turn the pub into flats. However, a local residents' committee is attempting to launch objections to the proposed change of function.[12]

The Druids Arms appears in local folklore: Greetland is the home of 'Brandy Hole Wood'. The origin of the wood's name is ingrained in local folklore. It is said by local residents that (sometime before the start of the 20th century) in order to avoid paying excessive tax on his stockpiled alcohol, the landlord of the local pub, the Druids Arms, would roll barrels of spirits into the wood in order to hide them. When the taxman came to take an inventory of the pub's cellar he would not account for the hidden barrels, and so the landlord avoided paying tax on the barrels stashed in the woods.Greetland - Local Attractions - Public Houses | Technology Trends

I heard the story differently. That it was the locals who hid the brandy in the wood, and concerned at his lost revenue, the landlord of the Druids Arms informed the taxman of the hidden stash. This is what earned the pub the nickname "The Rat". - Richard J Galloway.

This pub came to nationwide media attention in early January 2008. The supposed 'landlord', (it later emerged that the premises traded under his son's alcohol licence) had been publicly flouting the smoking ban that was introduced throughout England in July 2007.[13] He allowed customers to smoke inside his pub, and either took down non-smoking signs or wrote over them with 'Smoking Allowed'. The pub received support from smokers and non-smokers alike from Halifax, Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds. The 'landlord' stated that he received phone calls of support from Germany, Croatia and the USA. He announced in 2008 that he would open another pub in Huddersfield (The College Arms),[14][15] where he will also allow his customers to smoke. He said he wishes to create a small smoking area, leaving most of the pub a non-smoking venue.[12]

The Rose and Crown pub (known locally as "the Crown", "the Frown" or "the Rose"),[12] the Branch Road Inn, the Sportsman Inn, the Spring Rock, the Star, the Traveller's Rest, the Queen, the Shears (now demolished, a branch of the Co-op now occupies the site) and a number of working men's clubs.

Greetland has a Scout group operating as the 5th Greetland Scout Group, which comprises Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. Explorer scouts operate from the nearby West Vale HQ. The group is based in the St Thomas' Church Hall. Other venues are used when holding meetings for special events and activities. The group is part of the Pennine Calder District Scouts.[20]