City Guides
Huddersfield
Introduction
Huddersfield has developed a reputation as one of the cultural hubs of the UK. Dubbed ‘The Poetry Capital of Europe’ for its vast array of poetry publishers, magazines, readings, and the writers who flocked there to work with them, Huddersfield produced internationally acclaimed poets such as Simon Armitage, and is home to ‘The North’ poetry magazine.
The city is also the centre of other types of artistic industry.
The Kirklees Media Centre is home to seventy media and creative businesses, most of them working with state of the art production and imaging technology. The centre is also used to host media and creative events, exhibitions and festivals.
There are half a dozen studio buildings available for artists to hire in the city centre alone, with more mills and factories on the outskirts being developed to use for this purpose. There are also around a dozen small, touring theatre companies and numerous amateur dramatics groups, with the (architecturally and artistically) impressive Lawrence Batley Theatre in the centre of town.
Huddersfield also has plenty to offer shoppers, with a range of city centre markets – including a Market Hall listed for its ornate roof design and a number of specialist markets throughout the year. There is a choice of indoor shopping centres, from the Kingsgate Shopping Centre, housing all the leading brand retailers, to the Byram Arcade with its independent and specialist stores, to the Packhorse Centre with its bargain stores and meat sellers. And for those who venture out of town, the surrounding villages have markets, mill shops, gift stores, and much more.
The borough of Kirklees covers 161sq/m, incorporates parts of the Pennines and the picturesque valleys of Marsden and Holmfirth, and borders with Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield. Well-connected by the TransPennine Express, Huddersfield is easy to visit and there are plenty of reasons to do so!
The city is also the centre of other types of artistic industry.
The Kirklees Media Centre is home to seventy media and creative businesses, most of them working with state of the art production and imaging technology. The centre is also used to host media and creative events, exhibitions and festivals.
There are half a dozen studio buildings available for artists to hire in the city centre alone, with more mills and factories on the outskirts being developed to use for this purpose. There are also around a dozen small, touring theatre companies and numerous amateur dramatics groups, with the (architecturally and artistically) impressive Lawrence Batley Theatre in the centre of town.
Huddersfield also has plenty to offer shoppers, with a range of city centre markets – including a Market Hall listed for its ornate roof design and a number of specialist markets throughout the year. There is a choice of indoor shopping centres, from the Kingsgate Shopping Centre, housing all the leading brand retailers, to the Byram Arcade with its independent and specialist stores, to the Packhorse Centre with its bargain stores and meat sellers. And for those who venture out of town, the surrounding villages have markets, mill shops, gift stores, and much more.
The borough of Kirklees covers 161sq/m, incorporates parts of the Pennines and the picturesque valleys of Marsden and Holmfirth, and borders with Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield. Well-connected by the TransPennine Express, Huddersfield is easy to visit and there are plenty of reasons to do so!
Entertainment