Crossing the road you will find the footpath that takes you through the Ripponden A short detour: by walking to the left and going behind the Reaching 2.Old Bridge Inn. Claimed to be one of Conservation Wood. Walk along this path until you reach the first bridge, go church, the path through the graveyard Yorkshire’s oldest inns, the Old Bridge Inn was originally through the stile to the footpath that runs along the side of the old takes you to the retreat. Otherwise walk in owned by the church—bequeathed to the curate in 1653. Deeds railway cutting. Walk along this path until the 2nd bridge where you front of the church to Ripponden Old Bank. have evidence going back to 1313 when it was a brew site. Next will turn down the hill until you reach the river which you will cross Walk up the hill to Hanging Stones Lane. to this you can see the refurbished stocks used as punishment using Pretoria Bridge and come up the footpath onto Oldham Road. within the village. Inside the Inn they have photographic Another option is to detour along Hanging Stones Lane evidence that Nobel prize winner Dr Robert Feynman To your right is the site of the 5. Zion Congregational Church (now flats), and the footpath that continues along from the lane (turn (Physicist) used to regularly drink here. To the right of the Inn formed in 1868 by a group who had left Rishworth Particular Baptist Chapel, the left at Ripponden Farm) will bring you to the site of is a permitted footpath that runs along the River Ryburn. This foundation stone was laid on 21st August 1869. The Church and the Sunday school 3. Ripponden Railway. An iron bridge spans the was the original path locals took to get to one of the 12 mills in were built in 1869. A day school opened just west of the Church in 1871, with the abandoned railway track . The first passenger train left Ripponden, Victoria Mill, now the site of JLA. manse opening in 1882. With the infants' school opening in 1886. In 1891 it Ripponden in 1878 but the line closed in 1958. expanded further and Ripponden Technical Institute opened. In the 1940s/50s, a Over the original pack horse bridge you will find Baby Clinic and School Clinic were held there. Retrace your steps to Hanging Stones Lane and re-join the St Bartholomew’s Church; as seen today it is the Zion Congregational Church chose to remain independent after route by walking towards Elland Road. The building to the 4th church built on this site. The original the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians merged to form the United Reformed left as you reach Elland Road is 4. Ripponden National foundation was instigated in 1464 by Richard, Church in 1972. The Church closed around 1992. School. The first school in Ripponden is recorded in 1621, Duke of York. It is believed that it was built to however, this school was erected in 1843. prevent residents from being influenced by the Lancastrian owned Church in Elland. The current church was completed in 1868. Cross over the road and continue along Oldham Road away from Ripponden centre, at the curve in the road the first turning on the right is a Y junction of 1.Priest Lane. This cobbled lane leads to Brig Royd , translated as Dyson Lane and Stead Lane. Take the left hand road Stead Lane, passing Stones a clearing by the bridge. The first house passed is now cottages but House and the Clock House. At the top of the lane, on joining Rochdale Road, turn left to originally; in the 1720s, was home to a lawyer who ran a funeral 6. Stones Methodist Church. The present building was erected in 1902,replacing the hearse and later the village’s fire engine from the 1804 chapel that was in disrepair and had become inadequate for the needs of the time. building. Note the lampposts in this conservation Major modifications since 1995 have greatly enhanced facilities for worship and for out- area. reach. From Stones Chapel retrace your steps along Rochdale Road. Passing Dyson Lane on Further down the lane is Ripponden’s smallest house, your right , this is the site of the former Dyson Mill. Continue until almost back in the Glebe cottage, it was discovered the shelves were made village .and turn down Small Lees Road , following the snicket at the end down to Oldham from old tombstones. Next to it is the original Road. Turn left and walk towards the centre of village. vicarage which is claimed to be haunted. At the end of the second set of terrace houses you Start and Finish. will see the blue plaque marking the site of 7. The Ripponden Co-operative Society, which The car park on Royd Lane. Come out of the car park turn left to was founded in 1832, making it the first in Halifax Road, walk away from the centre of Ripponden towards the Britain. It was so popular in Ripponden that bus stop and use the crossing. On the other side of the road walk they were able to set up four sites and even back towards Ripponden until opposite Royd Lane putting you at bought out a whole street! the top of Priest Lane. Walk down this cobbled street towards Old Keep walking towards the centre and you will Bridge Inn and St Bartholomew's Church. pass 8. The War Memorial Gardens. Unveiled in the 1920s this has long been a place for peaceful Walking up Back Lane turn right at Spring Street and reflection. walk uphill along Coach Road. At the junction with Royd Lane turn down the hill where you find the site of 12. Ripponden Prison. Now a private residence this Opposite Back lane you can see 11. The Toll House Building. Built in Continue along Oldham Road to the traffic site was built in the 1600 and used as a lock up for the 1798 to take in tolls from the newly built turnpike road (now Elland Road) village. lights passing 9. The Last Post which was When the toll was lifted in 1873 the owner demolished the building and originally a temperance hotel, it later held boxing matches rebuilt with the tollbar house reinstated above the row of shops. This was Continue down Royd Lane back towards the carpark. in the basement. Crossing at the lights continue in the same also the headquarters of the local Labour Party. Now only the shop Behind the Carpark you will find 13. The Golden Lion. This pub dates direction towards Back Lane . remains. back to1754 but there was an earlier building on the site. Records show Sprout Farm , owned by Michael Firth, in 1673. Just before reaching Back Lane you will pass a mock Tudor The new turnpike road—now Elland Road— became the building. This was originally 10. The Queen’s main road into the village, letting the original but The Golden Lion was the headquarters of the local Tory Party. One Hotel, built in the 1800 as a coaching inn it also narrower route over the Old Bridge and up Priest lane particular election eve they covered the front o f the Queen’s Hotel with hosted the Ripponden Female Society. This society fell out of use. The marks of the original stonemasons blue Tory posters, the Queens Hotel was the headquarters of the opposing founded a burial club and created an can still be found on the Turnpike bridge built in Whig or Radical Party. Due to the overnight hard frost the posters were unemployment benefit for sick and needy women. 1772 to cross the river, now part of Elland Road. not able to be removed for quite some time! Other information Romans . It is believed that around 120AD the Manchester-Ilkley Road was Ripponden’s Name. Of the 12 townships in linked to the Manchester-York Road what is now Calderdale, Barkisland though a loop that came over Blackstone HERITAGE dominated the Upper Ryburn Valley. One of Edge and through Ripponden along the the habitations linked to it in 1307 was line of the current Old Bank. Ryburndene, ford—Rhy, river—bourne and WALK wood—dene. Tour De France and Tour De Yorkshire. The Branch Line. The building of the The Tour De France came through the Ripponden and Rishworth Branch Line in village in 2014 with huge celebrations the late c18th, and with that the ease of along the route down Rochdale Road delivering coal, saw a move from water to through the centre of the village and up steam power in the mills. Though a branch Elland Road. The Tour De Yorkshire has line was initially proposed in 1845, it was been programmed to come through the 1865 before the Railway Bill was passed village. which described Ripponden as a ‘manufacturing village’. Building began Ripponden Cooperative Society. Estab- in 1873 after Royal Assent was granted lished in 1832, predating the Rochdale when some 38 mills were operating in the Pioneers by some 12 years, the Ripponden valley, with it opening in 1878. Only 50 Cooperative Society was founded to years later, the passenger railway line was provide “mutual protection ……..against RIPPONDEN closed due to a decline in demand brought poverty” with the aim of “attaining a about by the improvements in roads and greater state of the comforts of life and public transport. The goods line closed in independence by means of a common 1952. capital” for the working man. In time it The Great Flood.