The tiny village has beautiful cobbled streets, a 13th-century church ruins, and is home to Sylvia Plath's grave.
Emilia Randall GAU Writer
08:00, 15 Jan 2026
Heptonstall, a beautifully preserved hilltop weaver's village in Yorkshire, offers an ideal day trip with its stunning church, scenic walks and rich history.
This quaint village, just an hour's drive away from Manchester, is home to just 1,500 residents, and boasts the remnants of a 13th-century church and charming cobbled streets that once witnessed the early stages of the English Civil War in 1643.
In the 1980s, villagers protested when the main thoroughfare was stripped up, revealing the original paving slabs. The council responded by restoring them and later replacing the street lamps with late 19th-century cast-iron gas-style structures.
Today, the village seems as if it's been frozen in time. Originally a hub for loom-weaving, many of the old cottages feature wide windows that bathe the interiors in sunlight - a design intended to aid the weavers in their work, according to Yorkshire.com.
The village's original church, dedicated to the archbishop of Canterbury St Thomas Becket, was founded around 1260. It underwent numerous repairs over the centuries until a severe storm in 1847 left only its skeleton standing, surrounded by the old graveyard, reports Yorkshire Live.
Literature enthusiasts may be interested to know that Sylvia Plath is buried in this Yorkshire graveyard, far from her birthplace. Her husband, Ted Hughes, lived nearby in Mytholmroyd.
Tragically, her headstone, located to the south-west of St Thomas Becket's churchyard, was vandalised to remove Hughes' name. A Trip Advisor reviewer remarked: "If you're staying in Hebden Bridge, it's well worth the (hilly) walk to Heptonstall. We primarily went to visit Plath's grave, but there was also a lovely old ruined side-by-side with a new church nearby."
The newer church, St Thomas the Apostle, was constructed within the same churchyard and serves as the venue for the annual Pennine Spring Music Festival. The location hosts workshops, masterclasses and performances, with the yard occasionally being utilised for open-air shows.
A second reviewer observed: "Beautiful little village with cobbled streets, two churches, one with Sylvia Plath's grave, and a lovely tea shop, Towngate Tearoom, with indoor and outdoor seating. We drove up from Hebden Bridge and parked outside the village on the roadside."
Another described the location as "amazing", urging: "If you've never been here, go! Let your imagination run riot whilst walking through, and over, all the gravestones!"
Named best café in West Yorkshire in 2025, Towngate Tearoom - boasting an impressive 4.9 stars on Trip Advisor - is an ideal spot to enjoy refreshments after wandering through this historic town.
Advance booking is advisable given the establishment's popularity and regular busy periods. One satisfied customer shared: "Stopped by Towngate Tearoom while visiting the village - really glad we did.
"The coffee was excellent and clearly freshly made, and the cakes were spot on. The place has a warm, relaxed feel and the staff were friendly without being over the top. You can tell they care about what they serve. Perfect little stop if you're wandering around the area."