Village so special?
“When I came to live here it was a village full of elderly people; a lot of mill owning families and it was very quiet. Now it’s a great place to live. You can’t live here without loving it. The only thing it is short of is a dentist but there’s one in the next village.”
Shirley says the standard of restaurants and cafes is very high and she trots off her favourites, from Vanilla Bean to The Little Bridge.
“I don’t know anybody who has a bad word to say. People want to live here.” Not everyone is impressed, though. One anonymous lady shopper in a facemask hinted at a rivalry with the neighbouring Holme Valley, saying. “It (Slaithwaite) doesn’t look very enticing when you walk around.”
When I pointed out it was pouring down with rain, she added: “It’s just the Colne Valley which I don’t like. I always thought the Holme Valley a lot prettier than the Colne Valley.” The Sunday Times report on
Slaithwaite name-checks both the Handmade Bakery and the children’s store/cafe Acorn and Pip.
Sean McCrystal, 54, a retired beekeeper, loves popping into Acorn and Pip for a coffee. He says the rise in the popularity of Slaithwaite has seen a sharp increase in property prices. “House prices have gone through the roof - it’s ridiculous.
“I have lived here since 1976 when it was a little mill town...there was nothing here but a chippy. It’s a lovely place and it has become better and is quite fashionable. There are some lovely places to eat and drink. We are short of nothing around here now. There’s quite a bit of investment coming in.”
Over on Carr Lane at plastic-free retailer Zero Yorkshire, where shoppers can get refills of everything from pasta to chocolate, owner Jake Walker says Slaithwaite’s small, independent businesses are getting some deserved recognition.
“There are some interesting businesses that are taking more of a risk. They are about sustainability and working together.”
Designer Simon Kenworthy, who owns ‘ethical street wear’ shop Otso, describes Slaithwaite as having the vibe of “a new Hebden Bridge” because it is “quite creative with an independent feel to it.”
Newcomers have arrived from places like Manchester, making the village “feel more cosmopolitan”.
“A lot of young couples are starting families here. It’s nice to live in the country but close to the cities, in a triangle with Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.”
Paul Clarke, who co-owns Polkadot
A lot of young couples are starting families here. It’s nice to live in the country but close to the cities
Lane, which sells pottery from Boleslawiec in western Poland, said moving his premises from Hebden Bridge to Slaithwaite was “probably one of the best moves we’ve made.”
He got fed up with the recurring flooding in Hebden Bridge and found Slaithwaite people very supportive of his business.
“We have customers from Meltham, Holmfirth, and Huddersfield. We get a lot of local support and from all the shops too.”