Holmfirth

Holmfirth was the home of Bamforth & Co Ltd, who were well known for their cheeky seaside postcards – although around the time of the First World War, they produced postcards of a more sober nature. The printing works on Station Road has now been converted into residential flats.

Bamforth's company were early pioneers of film-making, before they abandoned the business in favour of postcards.[3] During the early 1900s Holmfirth was well known for film making;[4][5][6] During the periods 1898–1900 and 1913–1915 Bamforth and Co. produced what the British Film Institute describes as 'a modest but historically significant collection of films'.[7]

There are a number of instances when flooding has occurred in the Holme Valley affecting Holmfirth and other settlements in the valley. The earliest recorded Holmfirth flood was in 1738[8] and the most recent was 1944. The most severe flood occurred early on the morning of 5 February 1852, when the embankment of the Bilberry Reservoir collapsed causing the deaths of 81 people. Following a severe storm in 1777 the River Holme burst its banks, sweeping away people and property with the loss of three lives; the stone church built in 1476, was also swept away. A storm in 1821 again caused the river to burst its banks. The flooding on the night of 29 May 1944 was not nationally reported and it was then overshadowed by the D-Day landings the following week.

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  View across Holmfirth to Castle Hill, Huddersfield, taken from Dunsley Bank Road
• 
  Holmfirth centre showing the parish church
• 
  Former supermarket built spanning the River Holme

Holmfirth's only primary school is Holmfirth Junior, Infant, and Nursery School located on Cartworth Road, however there are many other primary schools in villages and hamlets closely surrounding Holmfirth. In 2017, 82% of the school's student were achieving the expected standard for their age and 12% were exceeding the expected standard.[9]

Holmfirth High School is a coeducational secondary school that takes in students from the local primary schools named above as well as students from neighboring villages and hamlets. The school has over 1,300 pupils, split over five-year groups from years 7 to 11.

Holmfirth was served by a branch line, which diverged from the Huddersfield to Sheffield line (commonly referred to as the Penistone Line), this short, 2-mile (3 km), line branched from the mainline just south of Brockholes. A viaduct took the line across the valley and into Thongsbridge where a station was sited. The line then went along the side of the valley coming to a halt just outside the town centre on Station Road. Plans did exist for the line to be extended up the valley and then tunnel under Black Hill to join the Sheffield to Manchester line near Woodhead. The line closed to passengers in 1959, with goods traffic lasting until 1965. The station building and platform still remain as a private house. Other sections of the line further down the valley have been sold off for private housing and the viaduct, crossing the valley from the A616 (New Mill Road), at Brockholes, over Spring Wood, has been demolished.

Holmfirth bus station

Holmfirth bus station is located in the centre of Holmfirth from which regular bus services take varying routes around the outlying villages and to Huddersfield's bus and railway stations. Additional services run to the town, from Barnsley, Sheffield and Wakefield via Denby Dale or Penistone. Most services are operated by First Calderdale & Huddersfield, using the town's bus station. Weekend and bank holiday services operate to Glossop in north Derbyshire. In October 2006, First bus services were re-branded as the 'Holmfirth Connection'.

Holmfirth Choral Society hold regular classical choral music concerts in Holmfirth Civic Hall[15] and the Holme Valley Orchestra plays throughout the year.[16]

The town is particularly associated with an unusual choral folk song, known as the Holmfirth Anthem.[17]

Holmfirth's Film Festival and Festival of Folk are held every May, and its Arts Festival takes place over two weeks in June.

The town's cinema, the Picturedrome, which opened in 1912 as the Valley Theatre,[18] is now a live music venue and has been nominated for the NME Best Small Venue. It hosts various music events. Acts such as Adam Ant, Bad Manners, Buzzcocks, Evile, Fish, Half Man Half Biscuit, Hawkwind, John Martyn, Ocean Colour Scene, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Ron Sexsmith, Saxon, Suzi Quatro and the Beat have performed.[19][20][21][22][23]

Holmfirth Art Week, with its July exhibition in the Civic Hall, raises money for Macmillan Cancer Relief.[24]

The Holmfirth Festival of Folk takes place in May of each year, featuring a wide selection of folk music and Folk Dance acts from around the UK. Performances take place in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues throughout the town.[25][26]

Holmfirth Arts Festival is a multi-arts festival which celebrates Creativity, Ideas, People and Landscape in the Holme Valley. Its ticketed, community engagement, outdoor arts and arts in the landscape programmes take place throughout the year, culminating in an annual four-day festival on the second weekend in June.

The Holme Valley Brass Band Contest takes place each year at the civic hall.[27]