Brighouse Library’s and Art Gallery/Gardens

Brighouse Library and Art Gallery and Gardens. Is situated off the John King Hill (Slead-Sykes cum Halifax Road ) only a couple of hundred yards up from the Elland Road Roundabout off to your right, Vehicle access is very limited maybe about a dozen or so if you use unmarked space as several seamed to adopt the day I visited, although it is wheelchair friendly Library, one thing that hits you as you approach this former stately home is not only the outstanding building nor the winged lady statue but the Beautiful Ridings Garden with a stunning array of plants, flowers, shrubs and trees sloping down towards the town centre below although a new development sort of takes the view away.

There is also an assortment of wildlife considering its location also with the St Martin’s Parish Church and the clock tower which is visible beyond these boundary walls just adds to the attraction of this impressive building and grounds, as you enter ‘The Ridings’ as it is known through the main double doors into a short vestibule or hallway before passing through another pair of doors into the foyer which opens up into a large area with a reception to the left and an impressive staircase beyond at the side of a large corridor with arch way accesses to several rooms before reaching the Smith Art Gallery (named after large Rastrick woollen mill owner and former Mayor of Brighouse Mrs William ‘alderman’ Smith in 1893) with a second gallery at the end.

The Library offers some very impressive pictures along with a well stocked library which not only offers a good selection of Hardback along with Soft back books, internet, newspapers, etc.
Brief History in to ‘The Rydings’ Built in 1841 by the Brooke Family owners of the Corn Millers of Brookes Mill on Badger Lane, Bridge End Brighouse. Following the death of most of the Brookes family ‘The Ridings’ was put up for public auction 1897 which attracted the interest of “The Diamond Jubilee Committee’ who were at the time a sub- committee of the Brighouse Borough Council who with the help of a loan of £1,000.00 from the local Co-op secured the purchase of this impressive and historical building and grounds and converted it for the use of a ‘Free Lending Library’, which opened in 1898.

In 1906 the library was closed for alterations and the addition of the Art Gallery which was named after the local Mayor ‘The Smith Art Gallery’ Alderman Mrs William Smith as well as the town Mayor was also owners of the Rastrick woollen mill. Brighouse Library, the library was re-opened in 1907 by Her Royal Highness The Duke of Argill.

In 2008 the Library was closed again for alterations and refurbishment and re-opened later that year.

Halifax Road
Brighouse
HD6 2AF
Telephone: 01422 288060

Opening hours. Please Note with the current Pandemic all Openings and Time Tables have been thrown out of the window?

Hipperholme Library. NOW CLOSED A DISGRACE or NOT please let us have your view on this?

How can this be right? No wonder we are becoming a second rate Country?

Hipperholme Library  is situated only a stone’s throw from the Village Crossroads and on the end of the main shopping parade on the Leeds and Whitehall Road (A58) in what was the former Village Council Offices.

Address: Hipperholme Library

Council Offices; Leeds Road; Hipperholme
Halifax, HX3 8ND.

Tel: 01422 202257

Opening Hours: Hipperholme Library 
 CLOSED
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And CLOSED

Rastrick Library.

Rastrick Library is in very impressive building is set back off the Old Crowtrees Lane and opened in 1912,

Address: Rastrick Library.

Crowtrees Lane, Rastrick
Brighouse. HD6 3NE.

Tel: 01484 714858

Opening hours