A Day Trip To Hebden Bridge

 It's always quite difficult to get to spend some quality family time, even during the Easter holidays I have been enduring long essay work, catching up on editing, finding time to go and see all the different friends and other family members to make sure I can spread the love as much as possible in as little time in possible... But today we went to one of the most beautiful and creative places I have ever been... With my mum Janet ooh'ing and ahh'ing about this place since she last went a few weeks ago with her best friend since childhood, we just HAD to go together!

Hebden Bridge is one of the most friendliest and quirky towns on the British map... Fun loving, colourful, and creativity just pours into the atmosphere the closer you get to the little village centre. Upon arriving we noticed a beautiful tree with ribbons, hand-made dream-catchers, plaited wool wrapped and roped all around it placed there by Central Street Infant Nursery School, A lovely little heartwarming opener to the beautiful village!




Janet, Tom and I all clambered out of the car and headed to a lovely little village pub where we had ice cold drinks and some yummy food before heading on our trails. Tom tucked into a juicy, hearty cheese burger, Mum chose the pulled pork burger with salad on the side and chips whilst I had my eyes set on the Mozzarella and Chorizo baguette with salad and chips! Mmmm! <3

After this delicious but monstrous meal, we heading on off to explore the rest of the village and the quaint little shops it has to offer! Janet was dying to show me a shop that she knew that I would go crazy for...She was right...We entered the shop named 'Not A Full Shilling' and from the moment my foot laid it's first footprint on the shop floor I was oozing with excitement and passion! The marvel and wonder that filled that shop was phenomenal!! Colours everywhere, details everywhere, textures EVERYWHERE! I was in love with a shop... 

Safe to say I left that shop with a beautiful new fleece/blanket/shawl, a stunningly colourful swing bag and two fascinating leather bound sketchbooks...£50 short of my bank account but a whole lot of love filled my heart in its place! 

After a bit more window-shopping I was being pulled in the direction of the spring time smell of the most beautiful flower arrangements I've ever seen in my life! This tiny little flower shop held our awestruck faces for the longest of times while we pottered around finding more and more beautiful things around the shop! Bright colours, vintage objects and lots and lots of fantastic spring smells!

The shop owners are polite, friendly and completely passion-filled for what they're doing! 

After peeling ourselves away from the beautiful little shop we had a stroll up through the rest of the village and had our heart strings pulled by all of the lovely people enjoying their days, old couples enjoying village home made ice cream, friends walking their dogs, children running around and posing for their proud parents mobile phone cameras later to be shared on social media to all of their family and friends...the atmospheric, vintage town really had a hold on us...

Then my mum fell in love with another shop, big wooden mirrors were shouting out to her and she ran over purring like a kitten as she stroked the handcrafted wood and ogled a more and more items within the shop windows...

Tom tried out his hand at photography and is becoming quite an incredible young photographer following in our footsteps! 

We all left the village with full bellies and warm hearts heading now to our next destination, The Hardcastle Crags! Obviously frantically pointing out and ooh'ing at all of the stunning cottages and houses along the way up the big hill up into the crags!

Hardcastle Crags is a wooded Pennine valley in West Yorkshire, England, owned by the National Trust. It lies approximately 2 miles north of the town of Hebden Bridge. Hardcastle Crags allows you to explore beautiful wooded valleys with it's deep ravines, tumbling streams and memorable waterfalls all round. The woodland is teaming with wildlife and is known for its over 25 miles of interesting footpaths and stunning seasonal changes in the plant-life that grows wildly all around the valley!

At its heart is Gibson Mill, a former cotton mill and entertainment emporium, now a visitor centre using sustainable energy, where you can discover more about the valley's 200-year history with dressing up and exhibitions. There are also themed walks, and guided tours of Gibson Mill to enjoy!

Parking up the car and excitedly climbing out ready for our scenic walk we set off!

The crags are a perfect place for those life admiring moments and a spot of bird watching...

Almost stepped on these two love birds however we did at first just assume that one was giving the other a piggy back later to our knowledge that it's in fact mating season for the little frogs! 

I never could resist a silhouette shot ;)

My brother seems to have some rather... interesting... photographing stances hahaa :P  

We found a cave! haha Tom pretending to be Bear Grylls ;P 

Then Tom decided to climb a very high cliff in order to retrieve a very random McDonalds balloon to which he formed a special bond...Until he later stamped on it causing it to pop because "it tried to escape" haha!

A delicious end to a perfect day, our very tired trio dragged our feet back to the car, ice cream in hand though making the tiredness just a little more bearable ;) 

Safe to say we all snuggled into our beds early that night with achey feet and a lifetime of memories!

<3

V & J x