Music in Spen Valley
John Curwen was born in Heckmondwike in 1816 and was a Congregationalist Church Minister for 26 years. But he’s best known for teaching the world to sing. He developed the Tonic Sol-Fa...
Day: 12 September 2019
Education in the Spen Valley
Education in the Spen Valley Until the 1800’s, formal education was only for the rich. There were private schools (eg. Hartshead Manor and Healds Hall for boys, or Roe Head (now Hollybank...
Buildings in Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton Town Hall For centuries, until the industrial revolution, Spen Valley’s homes were scattered farmhouses (like Egypt Farm Gomersal, Lower Blacup Farm Cleckheaton, or Stubley Farm Heckmondwike), and clusters of cottages. Wealthy...
Spen Valley Art
Edward Wadsworth has been described as “one of Britain’s most talented and experimental painters and printers of his period”. Born in Cleckheaton on 19th October 1889 to Fred and Hannah Wadsworth, his...
The Brontës
Bronte House – Halifax Road Spen Valley has many connections with the Brontës, particularly Charlotte (born 21 April 1816, died 31 March 1855). Spen people and places feature in her novels ‘Shirley’...