Happy Valley Filming Locations: Explore Hebden Bridge on a TV-Inspired Tour
When Happy Valley first aired in 2014, we were hooked not just by its dark twists and turns, and the charisma of straight-talking Sergeant Catherine Cawood, but also its distinctive setting. Calderdale in West Yorkshire became an unofficial star in its own right with cobbled streets and canal paths surrounded by dramatic, sheep-nibbled countryside. Filming took place across the region, but Hebden Bridge is where you’ll find most Happy Valley locations – from Catherine’s house and Neil’s shop to countless familiar backdrops.
Even though the explosive finale aired in 2023, the former mill town keeps the Happy Valley magic alive today. From filming locations to the cast’s hang-outs, here’s how to plan a Happy Valley tour of Hebden Bridge.
Explore real-life Happy Valley filming locations
- Sightseeing
- 2 hours
- Free
The moment you arrive in Hebden Bridge, this West Yorkshire market town will feel eerily familiar. You’ll spy Catherine’s cottage, the corner shop where Neil works, the railway station where Ryan goes in series three – and much more. While you’re exploring, take a detour to stroll beside the picturesque Rochdale Canal on the circular Hebden Bridge Canal Walk which starts from the train station (1.8 miles). Indeed, this whole itinerary can be completed by public transport, so why not make it a car-free trip?
Lunch at Marco's Café
- Eatery
- 1 hour
- Low budget
Tuck into authentic Italian pizza, pasta and paninis at Marco's Café, whose home-style cooking and warm welcome has made it one of the top places to eat in Hebden Bridge. Alternatively, if you have a car, you can take a drive out to The Crossroads Inn (15 mins away) where the Happy Valley crew hung out during filming – and the actors rehearsed their scenes in the pub!
Shop where Sarah Lancashire bought presents
- Shopping
- 2 hours
When filming ended, Sarah Lancashire bought personalised candles for the Happy Valley cast and crew from The Yorkshire Soap Company – one of Hebden Bridge’s many boutiques. The town’s artistic community has created a huge array of independent shops and galleries, such as Hebden Bridge Antiques Centre, Hope Gallery (for contemporary art), Lucy and the Caterpillar (for pre-loved clothes) and Something Sweet (for traditional sweets). The market runs Thursday to Sunday, with stalls selling vintage, crafts and local produce on certain days.
Drinks and live music at The Trades Club
- Show
- 2 hours
Tonight, catch a gig at The Trades Club; this award-winning bar started life as a ballroom for the local cotton industry workers, and is now the epicentre of Hebden Bridge’s live music scene. It was dubbed “the hippest venue in the north” by The Guardian, and the UK’s “best small venue” by Q Magazine. From pop and jazz to rock, soul and acoustic, the club’s lineup is brilliantly eclectic, featuring up-and-coming names from all over the country.
Cosy up in a cottage
- Accommodation
- Overnight
Tonight, stay like a local by hiring a holiday cottage in Hebden Bridge. There’s a huge range of pretty stone-built retreats throughout the town centre, as well as farmhouses and rustic barns further out in the countryside. Many of the owners have their own stories of when the Happy Valley shoot came to town – and some properties were even used by the cast and crew for costume changes and makeup studios.
Top Tip – Have lunch at Holdsworth House
- Eatery
If you’re exploring by car, take a drive to Holdsworth House (25 minutes from Hebden Bridge) for lunch at its award-winning restaurant. The Jacobean mansion featured in Happy Valley series three when Catherine’s ex-husband Richard met gangsters from the Knezevic family – and rumour has it the cast stayed here, too…
Top Tip – Stop by Sowerby Bridge
- Sightseeing
Sowerby Bridge, also in the Calder Valley, is a lesser-known Happy Valley filming location – where you’ll find Ryan’s school, the police station and several patrol locations used in the show.
Did you know...
- Sightseeing
It’s not just Happy Valley that’s shone a spotlight on West Yorkshire’s screen appeal. Sally Wainwright’s Riot Women is also filmed in and around Hebden Bridge, as is Danny Boyle’s upcoming film, Ink.
Travel between - Hebden Bridge to Marco's Café
Travel between - Marco's Café to Hebden Bridge
Travel between - Hebden Bridge to The Trades Club
Travel between - The Trades Club to Your accommodation
Travel between - Your accommodation to Holdsworth House
Travel information temporarily unavailable
Travel between - Holdsworth House to Sowerby Bridge
Travel information temporarily unavailable
Travel between - Sowerby Bridge to Did you know...
Travel information temporarily unavailable
FAQs
As of right now, there is no official confirmation that Happy Valley will be returning for a fourth season.
However, Riot Women, a new series from Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
Riot Women was filmed in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire, which includes Hebden Bridge. Key filming locations in Hebden Bridge are Calder Homes Park and The Albert Pub.
Other filming locations in Calderdale include Halifax, Mytholmroyd, and Todmorden.
Large parts of filming for Tinsel Town took place in the North Yorkshire market town of Knaresborough.
Filming for Danny Boyle’s upcoming film, Ink, has been taking place in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. Cast and crew for the Rupert Murdoch biopic have recently been spotted in Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge.
Although set in Dublin, much of the filming for House of Guinness took place in the north of England. Broughton Hall Estate in Skipton in North Yorkshire features as the Guinness family’s St. Anne’s estate. Other key filming locations include Liverpool, Manchester, Stockport, Cheshire and Salford.
Find more things to do in Calderdale
