Opening in the 1970s in Heptonstall’s former Grammar School and a pair of weavers’ cottages, the museum has long been a part of local life - albeit often overlooked. During the Covid-19 pandemic it closed and was slated not to re-open. However a group of Heptonstall and Hebden Bridge residents stepped up to the challenge of reopening the museum as a registered charity. It is run by volunteers with a clear vision for a new kind of community-run and owned exhibition and heritage centre.
Tim Machin is an artist, curator and researcher. He lives in Hebden Bridge and is the chair of the Friends of Heptonstall Museum. He is therefore well placed to tell the story of the rescue of the museum, and introduce the latest exhibition ‘The Heptonstall Hundred’, a quirky look at the history of the area.