In the picturesque Ryburn Valley, Ripponden Moor has that classic combination of stream-fed open plains and rolling hills that Yorkshire is famous for. It’s part of the magnificent South Pennines landscape, and overlooks the conservation village of Ripponden. Close to Halifax, the area made a natural choice for filming country scenes in the BBC historical drama Gentleman Jack, based on the life of industrialist Anne Lister (1791 – 1840) who lived nearby at Shibden Hall.
For centuries, packhorse trails have criss-crossed this valley and today many of them form the basis of walking trails used by a new generation of travellers. The area is also of archaeological importance, rich in Bronze Age and Neolithic remains, and with a Roman Road running over nearby Blackstone Edge. During the Industrial Revolution, the valleys of the South Pennines would have been crucial in bringing clean water to nearby crowded worker towns like Halifax and Huddersfield, and the area has strong links to the industries the real Anne Lister would have done business in.
