"Halifax and Calderdale" a Halifax Travel Page by fax

Halifax is the administrative centre for the Metropolitain Borough of Calderdale.

Calderdale is essentially Halifax, the upper and lower Calder valley and the Ryburn valley. The area is 363 sq km and is an area that includes the outstanding natural beauty of the South Pennines and historic townscape. The population of Calderdale is just under 200,000 people and Halifax itself just short of 100,000.

Halifax is steeped in history and derives its name from the old English words of Halh (nook of land) and Gefeaxe (coarse grassland).

From the early settlement Halifax has greatly developed, mainly due to the woollen and textile trade and in recent years Banking and Finance.

Halifax was granted its municipal charter in 1848, thus making it a borough.

The historic wool trade of the past is is best demonstrated in the Italianate Collonaded 18th Century piazza where cloth was sold. The square is named the Piece Hall.

The name Piece Hall is derived from the pieces of cloth that local woollen merchants sold.

The centre of Halifax has undergone a phoenix like transformation and has been restored to its full glory.

Halifax has many Edwardians and Victorians gems and this is demonstrated through the legacy of architecture they have bestowed up on the town.

Indeed, Halifax has been noted as having the most complete Edwardian street scape in the UK. An interesting fact is that Halifax town hall was designed by Sir Charles Barrie - Architect of the Houses of Parliament!

One of the really nice things about Halifax is its scale and the lack of an arndale centre or central mall. We do have a very decent shopping area, but rather than building a bland could be anywhere centre; they remodelled old edwardian shop fronts and developed new ones in keeping to give the Woolshops Centre. This is an excellent example of modern townscape in keeping with the old.

Finally, to say that we are in one of the most densely populated areas of England and indeed the United Kindgom, you are never far from real rural treats...see for yourself.