They come from far and wide to visit the local gastropub, to play cricket, see the Sculpture Lounge art studio, or to just marvel at the scenery, many of them on motorbikes or pedal cycles.
Residents in Holmbridge, near Holmfirth, have seen the village become something of a mini tourist attraction in part thanks to the international exposure provided in 2014 when Tour de France cyclists swept through just before the Holme Moss climb.
Word has spread about the cycling route, with walkers and pub-goers adding to the numbers. The Pickled Pheasant is a renowned and popular gastro pub with rooms that attracts short-break holidaymakers from all over.
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Local Holmbridge resident Yvonne loves the village, although she has some reservations, mainly around the volume and speed of the traffic along Woodhead Road, and parking problems. She thinks the speed should be set at 20mph and speed bumps installed.
And, as she gets older, she thinks the hills may one day get too much. Well-meaning friends have suggested she moves to somewhere with steps, but she loves Holmbridge too much to comply.
She thinks Holmbridge has become popular with ‘incomers’ moving from southern England, possibly with jobs to go to in places like Manchester. “There are loads of new faces,” she adds. “But the issue is parking.”
It’s easy to see why more people are keen to move to the Holme Valley. “The views are stunning,” says Yvonne. “In the summer it’s like a carpet of green. In winter all the leaves have gone and the landscape becomes skeletal and artistic. Holme Moss itself is often white (with snow and ice) in winter.”
The weather can be harsh with the Pennines on the doorstep. “We don’t have vertical rain – it comes in horizontal,” says Yvonne. “It blows down the valley.”
She has a couple of gripes about village life. Traffic goes too fast, she says, and parking can be a problem. And she’s not a fan of the partly-demolished fish and chip shop beside Woodhead Road. All that remains is an unsightly metal fish fryer which sits atop a large brick base. It’s a strange sight when passing through.
Yvonne calls it an ‘eyesore’. After 32 years in the village she’s not about to walk away, even if the hills are getting a bit harder. She said: “People say that I should move. I say ‘why’?”
On Friday morning this week it was raining in the valley but the walkers were out enjoying the countryside. Marie and Sandy, from Lindley, Huddersfield, had just been on a reservoir walk, taking in Yateholme and Digley reservoirs.
Marie said: “There are that many lovely walks you could be here for a year and still find a new one to do.”
Huddersfield estate agent Paul Keighley of Bramleys reckons Holmbridge is a winner when it comes to Yorkshire village life.
He said: “It is a lovely place to live, very rural and some excellent walks in the nearby Peak district national park. Close to Holmfirth with excellent local pubs and restaurants.
“There is a picturesque cricket ground opposite the local church – I have played there a few times – and excellent links to Manchester.”
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