Instagram: @shibdenhall
Introduction
Shibden Park which was once part of the Shibden estate that included Shibden Hall, is a park that is well known to all who live in Calderdale and I’m sure there will be many people my age who remember taking the model train ride as a child which was always something I looked forward to with feverous anticipation. I would not be able to count the amount of times I have visited Shibden Park as a child, a teenager and later on in life with my younger sister, niece and nephew. I made sure to get a coffee at ‘Coffee culture’ the park’s café that serves a variety of salads, sandwiches, paninis, toasties as well as breakfast and superb coffee if I do say so myself.
My Visit
A couple of Sundays ago, I went to visit Shibden Hall, a grade II listed historic house for a long overdue look around what was a family estate for 500 years from 1420 to 1926. The house is now a public museum giving visitors a glimpse through the Centuries of its history reflected in its architecture and collections on display with a significant number of surviving records of the estate, including accounts, letters, diaries, plans, maps and Wills. The historic families of the estate are The Otes, The Savilles, The Waterhouses followed by The Listers, most famous of which being Anne Lister, a diarist, businesswoman, landowner, traveller and lesbian recording much of her personal life in a secret code, who lived at the hall and was made famous through the BBC television series ‘Gentleman Jack.’
I was instantly taken aback by the weight of history that the hall exudes. The timber panels pronounced, the height of the doorways and the Centuries old furniture giving authenticity and character. The house body was the first area I had a look around, this being the central hall where meals were eaten, visitors were received and business completed. The decoration reflects the prestige and status of the family through the ages.
One piece that caught my eye was the carved wood lion of the Listers on a banister close to an armchair made for the master of the house. The craftsmanship, to get such a level of detail out of wood, is something to be admired. There is also a stone carved version of the lion outside the entrance of the hall commissioned by Anne Lister. Here you could also see many portraits, one of which being Anne Lister’s along side her Uncle James Lister’s portrait. Another stand-out of the house body was the stone mullioned, 20 light window installed in the 16th century with the central armorial glasses recording the previous owners of the house.
With over 10 rooms to explore on two floors there is plenty to see and learn. Fans of the Gentleman Jack TV series from all corners of the globe now flock to see Shibden Hall and will love Anne Listers bedroom used by her from 1791 to 1840, complete with her signature hat atop the bed her room also has a desk presumably where she would have wrote in her famous dairy. As well as this bedroom there are another three bedrooms all with four-poster beds having there own unique style and furniture.
The kitchen on the ground floor gives you an incite into what life must have been like for the servants of the hall. Anne Lister recounts in her dairy eating “veal cutlets and cold duck, potatoes followed by currant-tart and strawberries and cream”
The aisled barn outside over 300 years old houses some of the most impressive carriages I have ever seen if I have even seen many before. The Lister Chaise built around 1725 is one of the oldest surviving carriages in the world. This in itself made me appreciate once again just what I have a 10 minute drive away on my door step and gave me immense pride in the history of my local area. Othe carriages housed in the barn are the Park Drag, The Post Chaise, The State Chariot and the ambulance. All photos of which you can find on my ‘The Yorkshire Local’ Instagram account @theyorkshirelocal.
What you get with Shibden Hall is not just the hall but the estates activities as a whole, just outside the barn is a blacksmiths, apothecary, a dairy, an estate workers cottage and even an Inn, The Crispin Inn. All part of a folk museum showcasing what life would have been like for the people in this area of Yorkshire.
As you exit the tour you go through the gift shop that has a wide range of educational books, local books and memorabilia. I got myself the Shibden Hall Calderdale museum guide that gives you all of the factoids and details about the hall that you need to know for £5.
Personal Note
My take away from my visit to Shibden Hall was one of immense pride in where I am from. Before I entered the hall I had a walk around Shibden Park and the boating lake us locals know very well. It brought back some much loved fond memories of my childhood which set me up perfectly for the hall. I feel like I must have visited the hall at some point most likely when I was a child but other than that I was going in fresh and not knowing what to expect. All I can say is to anyone, whether you are local to our area or from further afield, the £10 admission is more than worth it especially to someone like me who loves anything to do with history. There’s lots to see and learn about and it is safe to say Shibden Hall well and truly puts Halifax, Calderdale and West Yorkshire on the map.
