74. Visit to Holmfirth, 9th June 2023

On Friday 9th June 2023 members of the Water Conservation Trust (WCT) and Water Conservators Company (WCWC) met up at the Old Bridge Hotel in the picturesque town of Holmfirth in Yorkshire, scene of the much-loved TV series “Last of the Summer Wine”, for a weekend visit to see the work of River Holme Connections (RHC). The Water Conservation Trust funds RHCs’ Mayfly in the classroom project to increase engagement and education of water quality and river habitats among children in schools in the Huddersfield area.


Our visit began on Friday evening with a visit to Compo’s Restaurant for a traditional fish and chip supper with magnificent views across the River Holme valley. On Saturday morning Lynva Russell, RHC Chair and WCWC member, took us on a walk along the River Holme to witness some of the work undertaken by RHC to increase public access to the river, followed by a steep climb up the side of the valley to a high point with breath taking views of the catchment and surrounding area. We then returned for sandwich lunch and opportunity to look around the town. Some of us dined at Sid’s Café, bringing back wonderful memories of the TV comedy series.


We then assembled in the church hall for a presentation on the wider activities of RHC by Simon Hurst, RHC River Steward, along with other members of the RHC team. This was of great value to our WCT trustees (particularly those who have been, or are, involved with various aspects of river management), and was equally enjoyed by their consorts. This was followed by dinner at the Old Bridge Hotel where 15 of us dined with 3 guests, Jane Skilling, Operations Manager, and Gerald Smith from RHC, plus Chris Dean from Moors For The Future Partnership.


We concluded our stay in Holmfirth on Sunday morning with a short walk to visit Digley and Bilberry storage reservoirs in the Holme catchment. Bilberry Reservoir was constructed in the 1840s by the Holme Reservoir Commissioners to store water for use by textile mills in the Holme Valley. In January 1852 the original reservoir dam collapsed following a period of heavy rainfall that released millions of gallons of water down the Holme valley flooding Holmfirth which destroyed many properties, several mills and claimed the lives of around 80 people. Just downstream of Bilberry, the much larger Digley Reservoir was commissioned in 1954 for Huddersfield Corporation for water supply. We all enjoyed the scenic route around the reservoir followed by a walk along the dam crest. Finally, we retired to the Fleece PH in Holme village for an amazing sandwich lunch before returning home.

We are all so grateful to Past Master Rob Casey for organising this wonderful event, the Master’s Weekend which he had been prevented from holding during his Covid affected year. We hope that the bottle Irish Whiskey presented at the dinner is a mark of appreciation for all he has done and continues to do for our Company. Our thanks go to our good friend and  WCWC member Lynva Russell and to the River Holme Connections team for hosting us for a most delightful and enlightening weekend, which has no doubt strengthened the bonds between the WCT and River Holme Connections and may also have some wider benefits in terms of future policy on catchment management.

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