Pride at the Crags

Come and take a walk in the woods and visit the outstanding beauty of Hardcastle Crags, our National Trust Treasure, and learn how Happy Valley Pride started ten years ago.

Come and see where it all started at the National Trust's Gibson Mill, where you will find the tarpaulin scrawled in the graffiti that led to us starting Happy Valley Pride back in 2015.

The catalyst for starting Happy Valley Pride was a piece of homophobic graffiti seen in the town of Hebden Bridge in the summer of 2015. This was a reminder that we are still fighting for equality, even in one of the most LGBTQIA+ welcoming towns in the UK. Four locals founded Happy Valley Pride and agreed on a mission:

To celebrate LGBTQIA+ life in Hebden Bridge and surrounding areas. Promoting equality and diversity to eradicate discrimination, based on sexual orientation and gender identity, through arts, education and engagement.

With the help of local artists, we turned the offensive graffiti statement into an art piece of celebration and acceptance. Sally Wainwright launched Happy Valley Pride early in 2016 where we proudly displayed the artwork to our community and allowed everybody to add their own messages of hope.

This year, with National Trust, you can come and see the amazing art work created ten years ago - and add your own messages of solidarity and hope to this iconic symbol of community power.