Todmorden is a town in the Upper Calder Valley. At one time the town was half in Yorkshire and half in Lancashire - the border ran underneath Todmorden Town Hall. Today, for local government purposes at least, all of Todmorden lies within West Yorkshire - though many residents still regard themselves as Lancastrians.
Although Todmorden developed as a mill town, the industrial chimneys have largely gone and the remaining mills have mostly been converted for other purposes.
The town lies alongside the Pennine Way, the Pennine Bridleway and the Calderdale Way, and is popular base for outdoor pursuits. It is also on the Rochdale Canal.
Todmorden town hall is considered one of the finest municipal buildings in the country.
Another notable building is Dobroyd Castle which is now a children's activity centre.
Todmorden Unitarian Church is a Grade I listed building owned by the Historic Chapels Trust and maintained jointly by a local management committee comprised of Todmorden residents. Following its closure as a place of worship in 1987, the church fell into disrepair. Thanks largely to the Heritage Lottery Fund, the church has been restored to its former glory. and is now available for hire for a variety of events. It is an unrivalled example of Victorian Gothic Church architecture at its best. The architect was the eminent John Gibson (1817-92) who also designed the Town Hall and Dobroyd Castle.
Todmorden station must surely be the nicest place in the county to wait for a train. A local community group, Todmorden Station Partnership, was formed to transform and improve the station. It now has a pleasant waiting room with a library, an art gallery, floral displays and a herb garden.
An excellent local history site, with miscellaneous articles, data and anecdotes.