Welcome to Hebden Hey Scout Centre


Gibson Mill & Hardcastle Crags

During your stay at Hebden Hey, you are within easy walking distance of the National Trust site at Gibson Mill. Here, they allow you to take your group round the mill free-of-charge on a self-guided tour (advance notice of large groups of over 30 people is preferable). We don’t have an education officer or warden any more, we only do pre-booked guided activities on weekdays in term time for groups such as class visits.  We can however offer free use to pond dipping equipment and den building kits if groups contact us in advance and let us know what date and approx. time they’ll be visiting.
Contact the National Trust Offices: hardcastlecrags@nationaltrust.org.uk

Mill Tours & Hands-On Exhibitions

obstacle course - Click for bigger view

The Mill offers visitors to Hardcastle Crags an opportunity to learn more about the Crags and the Mill itself.

‘Hands-on’ exhibitions inside Gibson Mill give visitors an exciting interactive experience.

The exhibitions explore:

Visitors will also be able to find out more about the green technology that will keep Gibson Mill working and the sustainable way in which the property will be run.

Hardcastle Crags

Water from Hebden Water kept the many mills in the valley running. The dams and weirs are all that remains of them. Look out for dragonflies hovering over the ponds in spring and summer and, if you are quiet, you may also spot grey wagtails, heron or dipper by the river.

The northern hairy wood ant makes enormous ant hills out of pine needles. The ant hills are as large below ground as they are above. In the summer you can see the ants marching across the woodland floor and up and down the trees.

Look for dippers across the river; its white ‘bib’ against its dark, plump body is unmistakeable. The woodland and streams also attract many other birds including jays, woodpeckers, wagtail, goldcrest and nuthatch.

The damp, shaded woodlands create perfect conditions for many species of fern, moss and lichen. Lichens are especially sensitive to pollution so their presence indicates good air quality; look out for them on rocks. The woodland floor is covered with bluebells in spring, or visit in autumn when the fruiting bodies of hundreds of varieties of fungi emerge from the ground.

 

 

Additional Information


How to Get to Gibson Mill...

Vehicles are not allowed up to the mill, but anyway it is much quicker to walk from Hebden Hey.

Walk down to the river & then across the stepping stones, turn left & follow the riverside path upstream for approx 1km.

Alternatively, if you walk down our access road to Harden Hall (the first house you get to), then bear left down the path to New Bridge / Midgehole. You can cross the river on a proper bridge, follow the road towards the National Trust car park, then turn left & follow the wide track up to Gibson Mill. This route is maybe a mile farther in total but an easier path underfoot.

 tip from the site team