Birkenhead Cottage
Polly Checkland Harding
Tucked away up a cobbled, packhorse lane, Birkenhead Cottage is a charming place to stay for up to six people. Here, there are three bedrooms, two with double beds and the third with bunk beds tucked underneath the eaves. This isn’t the most spacious of places (it is a cottage, after all), but very cosy, with a homely kitchen and snug living room, the sofas amply dotted with cushions. Benefitting both from the quiet seclusion of a hillside street away from the epicentre of Hebden Bridge, and proximity to all of the venues that make the town an appealing place to visit, Birkenhead Cottage also boasts beautiful views over the roofs below.
Perhaps its best asset, however, is the tiered garden at the rear of the property, which has two patios, garden furniture and a barbeque. Covering a quarter of an acre, the enclosed garden has winding paths up the hillside, marked out by rope strung between upright logs, and railway sleepers bracketing the flowerbeds – there’s even a blue summerhouse and swing surrounded by trees in the pictures. Inviting both inside and out, guests to Birkenhead Cottage are even greeted with a welcome basket of goodies, and have the benefit of linen, towels and heating all included. There’s a travel cot, stairgate and highchair available on request, as well as an external utility room with washing machine and tumble dryer.It’s a fantastic spot from which to explore Hebden Bridge and its surrounding attractions, including Slack Top Alpine Nursery and Hardcastle Crags. Take in a gig at the town’s famous Trades Club, or a film at the Hebden Bridge Picture House with a proper cup of tea, or explore the stalls at Hebden Bridge Market on Thursdays through Sundays. If you get a chance to book ahead, the pottery courses at the Old Stables Studio come highly recommended, as do the canal boat trips run by Hebden Bridge Cruises – which are a brilliant way to explore the stunning wildlife and scenery in the Calder Valley. All of this and more is on your doorstep at Birkenhead Cottage.
