AGM plus Echoes from the Meadows: a history of High Hirst Farm

High Hirst was a grand, 16th-century farm that once loomed over Hebden Bridge from the hilltop which is now home to the Dodnaze Estate. This talk will trace the generations of farmers who stewarded its fields, revealing rich stories of agricultural life, changing land use and the interwoven lives of those who lived and worked there. With the recent revival of traditional scything in High Hirst’s meadows, this is an opportunity to hear the stories of a vanished farm that the land still remembers.

Paul Knights has spent the 16 years he has lived in Hebden Bridge exploring the deep relationship between people, place and nature in the upper Calder Valley. Through writing and photography, guided walks and community projects, he examines how people have shaped – and are shaped by – this remarkable landscape.

Image courtesy of Pennine Horizons Digital Archive