Nestled in lower Wharfedale, Hebden village offers stunning walking routes, trolls folklore linked to Hound of Baskervilles, Roman history, and a charming tea room in a former chapel
Scale Haw Force near Hebden in Wharfedale(Image: Getty Images/Collection Mix: Subjects RF)
Tucked away in the hills of lower Wharfedale lies a hidden treasure brimming with history and spine-tingling stories.
Hebden sits within the Yorkshire Dales National Park’s protected conservation areas – this particular village occupies land where an ancient Bronze Age settlement once stood.
The area boasts stunning walking trails that wind past charming Yorkstone cottages. One notorious route leading to the village passes through a ravine called Trollers Gill.
This now-popular picnic destination harbours a sinister past. Locals once believed the gorge was inhabited by malevolent trolls who would murder humans by hurling boulders at them.
Even more disturbing, the cave at the passage’s end was thought to shelter a wolf-like creature that would slaughter anyone who locked eyes with it, reports Yorkshire Live.
This legend is believed to have inspired Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle’s celebrated tale The Hound of the Baskervilles, according to Yorkshire Dales.
Romans also established themselves in the vicinity – with 33 silver denarii coins discovered in the surrounding countryside – supporting the theory that Romans inhabited the region between 30 and 170 AD.
Along the village’s main street, you’ll discover something unexpected. Within Hebden Methodist Church, formerly a school, sits a charming tea room.
Outside the Old School Tea Room, the postbox has been painted gold to honour Yorkshire’s Olympic gold medallist – rower Andrew Triggs Hodge. One Trip Advisor user described it as “the perfect pit stop”.
They explained: “We visited the Old School Tea Room while doing a loop walk from Linton, along the river, via Hebden and to Grassington.
“It was about halfway, and we were ready for cake! Lovely, characterful building, inside and out, friendly staff and a great range of cakes. I opted for a raspberry and white chocolate one. Delicious! And all with a really nice cup of Yorkshire tea. I’ll definitely be back!”.
For bird enthusiasts, there’s an impressive array of wildlife worth getting the binoculars out for, including Canada Geese, Teal and Reed Bunting.
Hebden’s more recent past has been shaped by mining. Evidence of this former industry can be spotted along the popular Lead Mining Trail, which begins at Yarnbury to the north of Hebden.
The route takes you through Orefield, one of the principal mines during the Victorian period, and skirts the edge of Hebden.
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