A Heritage Discovery Trail of Halifax for all ages
There’s no doubt about it, Halifax is brilliant! It’s a town to be proud of!
It is full of beautiful buildings, amazing architecture and super stories.
There is fascinating history all around you in Halifax – some of it gruesome,
some of it grizzly, but all of it great!
Hali-facts will help you to discover all of this and more...
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H A LI-FAC T S DISCOV ERY T R A IL
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This Heritage Discovery Trail has been designed for children and families,
but will be enjoyed by people of all ages. It will take you on a walking
tour around Halifax town centre, asking you to use your detective skills of
observation, thinking, note taking and sketching as you go.
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Each of the locations to discover is clearly marked on the map alongside.
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You can complete this Discovery Trail in a way that suits you. It can be done in ‘bite-size’ chunks
over several visits or if you are feeling brave and have a lot of energy, you can try it all in one go!
Many of the tasks can be completed by looking at the outsides of the buildings but sometimes,
you will be invited to pop indoors to have a search around. Please check the opening times for
each building that allows this – details are on their websites which are listed throughout this
booklet. As far as is reasonably practicable, each building on this Discovery Trail provides a
standard of access for disabled people equal to that enjoyed by the rest of the public.
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Halifax Minster
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Halifax Heroes
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Eureka!
and the 1855 Building
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Dean Clough
Square Chapel
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All Souls’ Church &
Bankfield Museum
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Square Road
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Haley Hill
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Square Church
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Halifax Town Hall
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The Piece Hall
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Borough Market
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The Woolshops
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The Victoria Theatre
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Discovery Road
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Square Road
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Crossley Street
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Blackledge
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Woolshops
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Russell Street
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Fountain Street
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Church Street
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Please remember to be careful when walking around the town centre and take particular care
when crossing roads.
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H A LIFA X MINST ER
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H A LIFA X MINST ER
Whilst looking around the outside of the
Minster, see if you can
spot this unusual gargoyle
playing a bagpipe:
Halifax Minster
Outside the Minster
The full title for Halifax Minster is ‘The Minster
Church of St John The Baptist’ and its origins
stretch back over 900 years. A medieval story
said that the Minster was given this name
because the actual head of John the Baptist
(the man who baptised Jesus in the River
Jordan) was buried underneath the building!
An interesting thought and maybe a little
gruesome, but do you think it’s a ‘Hali-fact’ or
a ‘Hali-fiction’?
You decide by ticking one of the boxes!
Hali-fact
Hali-fiction
One theory for the origins of the name Halifax
is that it comes from this story and means
‘Holy Flax’ (Holy Hair). However, it seems more
likely that the name of the town derives from
ancient Anglo-Saxon which means ‘A clearing
of land amongst the rocks’. Whatever the case,
it’s certainly true that the image of St John’s
head was used from the 1840s onwards on
both the unofficial and the official Coat of Arms
for Halifax.
The image below was used on the unofficial
Coat of Arms. It shows a halo above St John’s
head, meaning that he is a holy person. You’ll
also notice the 3 drops of blood which are a
reminder that St John was beheaded on the
orders of King Herod!
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Inside the Minster
As you walk through the entrance porch,
see if you can find this carving on the stone
to your left:
To the left of the main door to the Minster
lies the gravestone of John Logan. He was a
remarkable man who died at an amazingly old
age and had a staggering number of children!
You will see this image all over Halifax carved
in stone, in stained glass windows, on metal
gates and in carvings made from wood.
Perhaps note down how many times you see it
around town and then add up your total.
Halifax has sometimes been called ‘The
Devil’s Cauldron’ because of its valley location
and the thousands of fires and furnaces that
burned in the textile mills during the Industrial
Revolution. This may be why the author
Charles Dickens wrote that Halifax was
‘...as horrible a place as I ever saw’ following
a visit in 1858. If you look at the outside of the
Minster, you will see clear evidence of how the
building itself was affected by the smoke of
these fires and furnaces.
The John Logan fact file
Write down what this evidence is:
No. of kings outlived:
Read the gravestone and then complete
‘The John Logan fact file’ below:
Year of birth:
This shows a pair of cropper’s shears next to
a cross. It is carved on a medieval grave cover
from about the year 1150. The carving gives
us a clue as to how important textiles were to
Halifax, even nearly 900 years ago!
Year of death:
Age at death:
No. of years spent as a soldier:
No. of children with first wife:
Over 100 years later, most of the industry had
gone from Halifax and the air was a lot cleaner.
In fact, when the poet John Betjeman visited
Halifax in 1979, he called it a town
‘...full of character and hidden beauty’.
No. of children with second wife:
(poor woman!)
Total number of children:
Respect the Soldiers...
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d
I think we should respect the dust of both of
John Logan’s wives as well!!
Halifax Minster continues to be used to
worship God as well as for a whole range of
special events, concerts and exhibitions. It is a
place where the whole community can come
together.
Keep up to date with all that happens here by
visiting www.halifaxminster.org.uk
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H A LIFA X MINST ER
EUREK A! & T HE 1855 BUILDING
The Minster is full of wonderful art,
represented through all sorts of materials.
Most of the art is symbolic, in that it has a
meaning or is designed to communicate a
story or a message. The stained glass windows
are a good example as they show many Bible
stories, particularly from the life of Jesus. They
also contain a spectrum of beautiful colours.
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Eureka! and the 1855 Building
Eureka! is The National Children’s Museum
and contains hundreds of ‘hands-on’ exhibits
for ages 0 up to 11, helping children to discover
the world around them. It was opened in 1992
by the Prince of Wales and is a very modern
building compared to most in Halifax.
Here is a blank Minster window for you to
colour in or to design your own story in ,
Write down the main materials used to build
Eureka!:
There are also many animals represented
around the Minster, carved or shown in wood,
glass, stone, metal and textiles.
Have a wander around and see if you can find
the following:
You can also colour its name, left blank for you
on the illustration here ,
A lion and an elephant
Pop inside to find opening times and prices, or
visit www.eureka.org.uk
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In contrast to Eureka! the 1855 Building
opposite was built in a honey coloured stone.
It used to be the main railway station building
for Halifax, containing booking halls, waiting
rooms and even a house for the station master.
Today it is used by Eureka!.
A pelican feeding its young
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The pelican carving is a good example of symbolism in Christianity. An ancient myth told that if
the pelican’s young were starving and there was no food, it would feed them by pecking at its
own chest and giving them its blood. By doing this the pelican would die. This became a symbol
for the sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross, when Christians believe he bled and died, giving
up his life to save humanity. Perhaps you can think of other symbols that we use today, maybe at
school or around town.
Write down some examples of such
symbols:
You might also like to keep a note of what
other animals you find around the Minster:
Look to find the 1855 date inscribed on the
building. You may also notice the head of John
the Baptist again, this time carved in stone at
the centre of the pediment.
Draw the date and the head of John the Baptist
on this blank pediment !
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SQUARE CHAPEL
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SQUARE CHURCH
Square Chapel
Square Chapel is situated on
Square Road and yes – you’ve
guessed – it’s square! It stands
apart from other buildings in
Halifax because it is built from
brick whereas most others are
built from
Square Church was built to seat 1,200 people
because there were too many worshippers to
fit inside Square Chapel.
and because it is painted red.
When the Chapel was first
opened for worship in 1772,
the paint was a much brighter
red than it is today and it was
surrounded by green fields – a
real clash of colours!
You decide whether you think
this is a:
Hali-fact
Hali-fiction
Have a close look at the red
paint used to cover Square
Chapel to help you decide.
Square Church
Square Church sits alongside Square Chapel
and is definitely not square! It was built
between 1855 and 1857 with money donated
by the Crossley family, the owners of the vast
textile and carpet mills at Dean Clough.
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It is said that the red paint
contained linseed oil as well
as traces of Ox blood!
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Although it was built in the Victorian era, the
design of Square Church copied a much earlier
medieval style called Gothic. This Gothic style
included lots and lots of ‘pointy bits’ in its
architecture.
The memorial slabs in front of Square Chapel record some of
the wealthier families who lived in Halifax during the 18th and
19th centuries. For example John Crossley, his wife Martha and
other members of the Crossley family are remembered here.
The Crossleys are very well known as owners of Dean Clough,
once the world’s largest carpet-weaving factory!
However, even for wealthy families life could be very hard as
you will see by just how many of them died at a young age. One
memorial records how its owner has been ‘Removed from this
vale of tears’.
If you would like to have a look around Square Chapel and at
the exhibition inside, then please go around the back of the
building to the main entrance and reception area. The building
is now an arts centre, hosting music, theatre, dance, comedy
and a whole range of other events.
Check out www.squarechapel.co.uk for more information.
Have a look up at the spire and see if you can
spot other ‘pointy bits’!
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You may also see this fierce looking creature
sitting high up on the spire.
Is it a dragon? Or a dog with wings?
Or something else entirely?
Write down what you think it is:
The spire of Square Church reaches a height of
71 metres – a crucial piece of information to bear
in mind for the ‘Celebrity Rich Victorian FaceOff!’ section of this trail.
In 1971, Square Church suffered a devastating
fire, leaving only the tower and spire for us today
as reminders of this once mighty building.
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5
THE PIECE HALL
THE WOOLSHOPS
The Piece Hall
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The Piece Hall is a unique building – there is nothing like it in the rest of Great Britain! The
rather plain walls on the outside open up to reveal a huge, classical building (this means it looks
a little like it was built by the Ancient Greeks or Romans) surrounding a very elegant courtyard.
The Piece Hall was actually built in the 18th Century, before the Industrial Revolution of the 19th.
The name of the building refers to the ‘pieces’ of cloth which were sold here at weekly markets.
The building’s size and design are very grand and show the importance of cloth at the time –
and the pride and ambition of Halifax cloth makers and merchants.
Find your way to the North Gate of the Piece Hall, which faces the Woolshops, and look to find
this fine piece of stone carving above the entranceway (it’s actually called a pediment).
Complete the picture by filling in the month
and year of when the Piece Hall was first
opened !
You can also add in the sheep to the weather
vane which can be seen above the West Gate
(you’ll need to walk via Woolshops and
Market Street to do this!) !
The Woolshops
If you leave The Piece Hall by the Northern
Gates, you will carry straight on into a street
known as ‘The Woolshops’. This name
reminds us of Halifax’s important link to wool
production.
Turn left and carry on until you find No.1
Woolshops, a well preserved timber-framed
building painted in a very lively ‘red-lead’
colour!
Try to find a date etched in stone and add
it to the picture here ,
This date may actually show when the building
was first restored. The original building was
probably 100 years older than this!
The zigzag pattern of the
wood on this building is
known as ‘herringbone’.
The sheep is a big clue that woollen fabrics
were traded here! Originally the bell in the
cupola (the small round dome) was rung to
signal the beginning and the end of the cloth
market which took place for only a couple of
hours every Saturday morning.
When it was first opened, the sheer size of the
building and all the bustling activity must have
had a dramatic impact upon the town. The
Piece Hall quickly became the focus for trade in
Halifax and the surrounding area.
The Piece Hall has survived against the odds
and is a much loved and cherished building.
It is currently closed for a major refurbishment
and will re-open in Spring 2016. We would love
to welcome you back then and show you more
of this magnificent building and the many
activities on offer. Please visit
www.thepiecehall.co.uk for more details.
A section of the herringbone
infill has been left out of the
illustration on the right.
Study the building carefully
and see if you can add in the
herring bone and then colour
it ‘red-lead’.
There are benches nearby if
you need to sit down to do
this.
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H A LIFA X HEROES
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CELEBRIT Y RICH V IC T ORI A N FACE- OFF!
Halifax Heroes
Hannah Cockroft
Percy Shaw
On 31 August 2012 Hannah won Great Britain’s
first track and field gold medal of the 2012
Summer Paralympics in the final of the 100
metres T34. She set a new Paralympic record
of in 18.05 seconds in the process! On 6
September, Hannah won another gold medal
in the 200 metres T34 in 31.90 seconds, also a
Paralympic record!!
One foggy night in 1933, Percy Shaw was
driving down the steep road from Queensbury
to his home in Boothtown. He had made this
journey many times before, using the reflection
of his car headlamps on the tramlines to help
negotiate the hazardous bends.
In honour of Hannah’s
achievements at
London 2012, Royal
Mail painted two
Halifax post boxes
gold and issued two
postage stamps which
featured her. This
was heritage in the
making!
See if you can find
one of these golden
post boxes outside
Halifax Town Hall.
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CELEBRITY RICH
VICTORIAN FACE-OFF!
Introducing the Contenders
JOHN
CROSSLEY
Suddenly, Percy was plunged into pitch
darkness, the reassuring reflected light was no
longer there, the tramlines had been taken up
for repair.
Out of the swirling gloom he noticed two
points of light that helped him; his headlights
had caught the eyes of a cat sitting on a fence!
Percy suddenly realised the great potential
of improving road safety if he could create a
reflecting device that could be fitted to road
surfaces.
Percy eventually created the Reflecting
Roadstud or ‘Cats Eye’. Its clever design
enables the rays of light entering the front of
the lens to reflect back in the same direction
and it includes a wiper that automatically
cleans the eye every time the rubber pad is
pressed down.
EDWARD
AKROYD
Crossley – part owner of Dean Clough carpetweaving mills! Rich, handsome and willing to
spend his money on all sorts of good causes
including building excellent new homes for his
workers and constructing the Crossley Orphanage
on Skirtcoat Moor! Oh... and likes giving money to
help build churches with tall spires,
such as Square Church!
Akroyd – owner of the textile mills at Haley Hill!
Rich, handsome and also willing to spend his
money on all sorts of good causes including
building a model village, complete with ‘village
green’, for his workers at Akroydon in
Boothtown! Oh... and also likes giving money to
help build churches with tall spires,
such as All Souls’!
(you’ll need to search through the whole trail to find the answers!)
John Crossley’s Square Church spire
is
metres tall
The winner and Celebrity Rich Victorian
Face-Off Champion is:
Edward Akroyd’s All Souls’ Church
is
metres tall
Celebrity Rich Victorian Face-Off Gossip
The second golden post box is a little trickier to Over one million Cats Eyes are produced each
find as it is on Mount Tabor Road, close to The year and are to be found worldwide. They have
New Inn, near Hannah’s family home.
been called, ‘the most brilliant invention ever
produced in the interests of road safety’.
Hannah was also awarded the freedom of
Calderdale and there is a marble plaque inside It’s now time to meet two more famous people
the Town Hall which records this and many
from Halifax in the Celebrity Rich Victorian
other ‘Honorary Freeman of the Borough’.
Face-Off!
Rumour has it that Edward Akroyd had the spire of All Souls’
Church built that tall so that he didn’t have to sit and look
at the spire of Square Church whilst having dinner in his
Bankfield mansion! A Hali-fact, or a Hali-fiction –
do you think?
Hali-fiction
Hali-fact
Whatever you decide, it’s safe to say that there
was a fierce rivalry between these two Victorian
gentlemen!
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DEAN CLOUGH
A LL SOUL S’ CHURCH A ND BA NKFIELD MUSEUM
Dean Clough
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All Souls’ Church and Bankfield Museum
(Remember it’s a place, not a person!)
If you look below the spire of All Souls’ church
on Haley Hill (which is 73 metres tall), you
will see the complex of buildings known as
Dean Clough. These carpet-weaving mills
were once run by the Crossley family and were
where the world famous Crossley carpets were
manufactured.
These mills were built between 1841 and 1869
and employed nearly 5,000 people making
them easily the largest industrial site in
Victorian Halifax and the world’s largest carpet
factory!
All Souls’ Church has stood proudly on Haley
Hill since the 1850s. The idea to build the
church and the money to pay for it came
from the well known local textile mill owner,
Edward Akroyd.
Tick the box when you have recognised Dean
Clough (it’s difficult to miss as the complex of
buildings stretches for over half a mile!):
Edward Akroyd ran mills in both Halifax and
Copley and had model villages constructed in
both locations too. The model village in Halifax
was called ‘Akroydon’. All Souls’ Church was
built just down the street from the houses
of Akroydon and next door to Akroyd’s own
beautiful home, Bankfield House.
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Dean Clough
All Souls’
Church
Can you find the statue of Edward Akroyd?
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When it came to employing an architect to design All Souls’ and
Akroydon, Edward Akroyd spared no expense, hiring one of the
most famous architects of the day – Sir George Gilbert Scott.
Scott also designed The Midland Grand Hotel and St Pancras
Railway Station (featured in the Harry Potter films), both in
London. Scott was so fond of All Souls’ Church that he declared
it to be the best church he ever built! The most striking feature
of the church is its spire. At 73 metres it is the tallest church
spire in Halifax!
Although now no longer making carpets, the
mills have been turned to imaginative new
uses and are home to many businesses, shops,
cafés and art galleries. A great new use for
these beautiful old buildings!
To find out more about Dean Clough both past
and present, visit www.deanclough.com
All Souls’ Church and Bankfield Museum are
only a short walk from on Dean Clough, or you
may wish to head towards Halifax Town Hall.
Further proof of John Crossley’s importance in
Halifax is shown by the name of the street that
will lead you to the Town Hall.
Go on, bet you can’t guess it:
Street
On the outside walls of the church you can see lots of stone
carvings, including religious figures and gargoyle faces.
But if you take your time and look very carefully just below
the roofline you might be surprised to find some dogs looking
down at you! One story says that because Queen Victoria was
so fond of dogs, Victorian architects often incorporated dog
carvings into their buildings as a way of paying tribute to
the Queen.
How many dogs can you count looking down from All Souls’?
Number of dogs spotted:
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A LL SOUL S’ CHURCH A ND BA NKFIELD MUSEUM
H A LIFA X T OW N H A LL
There are two rather large blocks of stone with
square bases sitting outside at the front of the
church. These were the bases for gas lamps
– a reminder that All Souls’ was built before
electric lighting was in use.
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Halifax Town Hall
Tall metal lamp posts with glass globes on top
and gas pipes running through them would
have extended up from the stone bases. At
night the gas flames were used to light the
churchyard. Gas lighting was used inside the
church.
At Halifax Town Hall, we once again meet our ‘Celebrity
Rich Victorian Face-Off!’ rivals, John Crossley and
Edward Akroyd. In the 1850s, both men paid architects
to design a new town hall for Halifax and to find a site
for it. This time it was Crossley who triumphed when
his site was chosen. However, the winning architect
was someone new entirely – Sir Charles Barry, who
had also designed the Houses of Parliament in London.
Have a go at drawing one of these gas lamps
onto the base laid out for you here ,
The Town Hall in
Halifax
All Souls’ Church is now in the care of The
Churches Conservation Trust. Please visit
www.visitchurches.org.uk for opening times
and for more information about its churches.
The Houses of
Parliament in London
Both designed by Sir
Charles Barry
Behind All Souls’ Church is a children’s play
area and the beautiful Bankfield Park. It is
only a short walk through this to Bankfield
Museum.
The Town Hall was opened in 1863 by the then Prince of Wales, making the first ever visit to
Halifax by a member of the British Royal Family. This drew a crowd of 85,000 people – with the
railway station having its busiest ever day as most of them arrived on trains!
Bankfield Museum is set in a
magnificent Victorian mansion, which
belonged to Edward Akroyd. Bankfield
became a museum in 1887, retaining
many architectural features. It is
now home to a changing exhibition
programme of contemporary art and
local historical artefacts as well as
textiles, costumes, toys and multicultural
collections. The site is also host to
the Duke of Wellington’s Regimental
Museum, which traces the history of
the regiment from its origins to the
present day. The museum provides
activities for schools, families and adult
visitors, museum trails and tours. And
as an added bonus, entry to Bankfield
Museum is free. Open Tuesday –
Saturday, 10am – 4pm.
Have a guess who was mayor of Halifax at the time of the 1863 opening (clue: you’ve heard this
name several times before!)
J
C
As you approach the Town Hall, you will see
just how intricate the design is. It is also a very
imposing building, designed to be the focus of
power in Victorian Halifax.
Perhaps you can think of some other words to
describe the Town Hall:
The steeple includes 4 carved figures representing the
continents Africa, Europe, Asia and America. These stand
just above the clock face on each of the 4 sides of the
steeple.
% See if you can find this one, representing Europe:
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H A LIFA X T OW N H A LL
H A LIFA X T OW N H A LL
The Town Hall is open from Monday to Friday and sometimes at weekends for special events. If
you can, go and have a look inside – it’s amazing! The nice receptionist at the top of the steps
will show you into the Victoria Hall – a dazzling room which certainly has the ‘wow factor’! Here
you will find the unofficial and the official Halifax coat of arms.
The official Coat of Arms
Despite the fact that St John seems much
younger, what do you notice is missing from
the official version, which can be seen in the
mosaic in the centre of the room?
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It may be possible to go upstairs and look into the Council Chamber and even in the Mayor’s
Parlour. Please ask the receptionist if you can do this. If so, have a look out for the great domed
skylight above you as you head up the stairs.
The unofficial version
To compare them, you’ll see the face from the
unofficial version decorating the balcony all
around you. Clue: The official version has been
‘cleaned’ up a little!
Take time to look around the magnificent
Victoria Hall. You may notice a bust of Queen
Victoria herself and also of her husband, Prince
Albert.
Use the box below to sketch any of the patterns, shapes or features in here that interest you –
they can be found all around on the floor and walls and in the stained glass ceiling.
Calderdale Council meets in the Council
Chamber – try to work out where the Mayor
sits. Just as your school council represents
and speaks for all the pupils at school, then
Calderdale Council does so on behalf of all the
people in the borough.
There are stained glass windows above you,
each of them showing the virtues, or good
qualities, the council (and Halifax) should
possess.
Try to find this one showing ‘PROGRESS’
and ‘UNITY’:
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There may also be a chance to have a look
in the Mayor’s Parlour, where the Mayor of
Halifax welcomes and entertains important
guests – such as you!
For more on the history of the Town Hall, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Town_Hall
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BOROUGH MARKET
BOROUGH MARKET
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This covered market hall was opened
in 1896 and as you will see inside,
still offers a wide range of goods and
produce.
Borough Market
Leave the Town Hall and turn left, heading
along Princess Street. The Halifax Building
Society has been important to the town for a
very long time, having been founded in 1853.
Try to find this inscription above a doorway
on the corner of Princess Street and Crossley
Street.
Much of the market’s large central
area is made from decorative castiron and glass, making it light and
airy.
What was its full name back then?
You probably never imagined that you’d see
elephants as part of a heritage trail around
Halifax! Well, if you look hard enough, you will
see several splendid carved elephants near
the top of the ‘Burton Building’, a little further
along to your left.
Borough Market contains the
wonderful ‘streets in the sky’ – two
streets that run alongside its majestic
roof. These two hidden streets
contain 21 homes that line the east
and west sides of the market and
are each three-storey homes, with
between three and seven bedrooms.
An amazing ‘Hali-fact’!
In the centre of the market, find this elaborate clock, guarded by
four blue dragons.
FOUND
See if you can sketch one of the elephants,
below these two!
The blue dragons have their mouths open as if they are
shouting out.
This building was first opened in the 1930s as a
menswear store.
What do you think they might be saying?
On the upper floors, behind the elephants, it
even contained a skating rink...
Do you think that’s a:
Hali-fiction
Hali-fact
Carry on straight ahead, turning second left
into Russell Street. There on the right-hand
side will be a magnificent entrance to Borough
Market.
There are other dragons hiding around
Borough Market too!
Try to find this fiery red one, towards the edge
of the Market Hall:
FOUND
Add up the number of dragons you have
spotted in Borough Market:
When you are finished dragon spotting, leave Borough Market via Albion Street, heading
towards the Victoria Theatre, located on Fountain Street.
22
12
T H E V I C T O R I A T H E AT R E
T H E V I C T O R I A T H E AT R E
23
The Victoria Theatre
As I’m sure you can guess, The Victoria Theatre is named
after Queen...
V
although it was first called the Victoria Hall. Unfortunately,
she never set foot inside the building as she died a month
before it opened in February 1901.
See if you can spot the head of
Queen Victoria, carved above
the entrance to the theatre.
FOUND
Look above this to see the giant twin turrets, sitting dramatically
on top of the building. Also carved onto the outside of the theatre
are the surnames of classical composers who were popular at
the time of its opening. For example, you might find Purcell,
Beethoven or Arne. Thomas Arne is well known for composing
the patriotic ‘Rule, Britannia!’ and a version of ‘God Save the
King’, which became our national anthem.
If this theatre was opening today, and you were allowed
to choose the names of your favourite composers,
musicians or singers to decorate it, who would you
choose?
Add your choice in here ,
If you show your copy of this Heritage Detectives Trail
to the lovely people in the Theatre Box Office, they will
allow you to look inside at the Foyer and Entrance Hall.
Notice the carpet in the Entrance Hall, which was woven
at Dean Clough mills.
It bears the initials of the Halifax Civic Theatre, which the
building became in 1973 (it didn’t become The Victoria
Theatre until 1993).
Add in the initials to this piece of carpet ,
You can also see
two elaborate pillars
here, which support
the weight of the
building above.
Walk between them
and up the stairs,
searching for this
stern bust of Queen
Victoria:
FOUND
The VR initials in this stained glass are
abbreviated from the Latin ‘Victoria Regina’,
which means Victoria Queen.
FOUND
Today, the Victoria Theatre can seat over 1,500 people in its auditorium, which is arranged on
three levels. The programme includes drama, dance, music, pantomime and theatre, as well as
providing professional workshops, tours and arts activities for all ages.
For more information, please go to www.victoriatheatre.co.uk
One famous person who certainly didn’t get to
perform at (or even see) The Victoria Theatre
was Charles Dickens. This was because he died
31 years before it opened!
At the start of this trail we said he wasn’t a
great admirer of Halifax when he did visit the
town in 1858. But if Dickens HAD seen the
theatre and if he HAD completed this Heritage
Discovery Trail, would he have changed his
mind and become a big fan of Halifax?
You decide by adding his thoughts to the
speech bubble above n
We really hope that you have enjoyed Hali-facts – a Heritage Discovery Trail
around Halifax. You can let us know what you think of it, or how we can improve
it, by emailing us at [email protected]
And if you have discovered anything new, please let us know!
We are deeply grateful to all the individuals and organisations contributing to and supporting this
Heritage Discovery Trail.
It was written by Saul Penfold, together with the children of Parkinson Lane Community Primary School, Halifax
and Castle Hill Primary School, Todmorden. Thank you and well done!
Thanks also to Alfie Penfold and Andrew Davies for their expert comments and suggestions.
The fabulous illustrations are by Mike McEwen.
Trail design by Design It – [email protected]
You can also download further copies of Hali-facts from:
www.eureka.org.uk/halifacts
www.halifaxminster.org.uk
museums.calderdale.gov.uk/whatson
Hali-facts has kindly been supported by:
Text © 2014 Saul Penfold
Illustrations © 2014 Mike McEwen