Heptonstall Museum marks a year since volunteer reopening

A museum which was taken over by a group of volunteers in a West Yorkshire town is marking a year since it reopened.

Heptonstall Museum was run by Calderdale Council until its closure in 2019.

The authority sought a community asset transfer and residents formed Friends of Heptonstall Museum to take it over.

It reopened on 26 May 2023 and the group said more than 4,000 people had visited in the past 12 months.

The museum reopened with its current exhibition about the Cragg Vale Coiners, called Criminal Coiners: Life and Death in Wild West Yorkshire.

The coiners were a criminal empire headed by "King" David Hartley, who is buried near the museum, in the same churchyard as Sylvia Plath.

The museum has also held events including poetry readings and workshops, performances and craft fairs.

It is now focusing on future plans to capture and share the stories of its past through monthly history talks, which are due to start in the near future.

The museum is showing the local history film, Heptonstall: Village of Memories, on 30 and 31 May, to mark its year of reopening.

Nick Wilding, a trustee of the museum and one of many regular volunteers, said: "One year on from the opening, the incorporation of the museum's season of talks will hopefully be another good reason for visiting this atmospheric building."

FOHM said it was working on the educational project about the Cragg Vale Coiners, to engage local children with the rich tapestry of Heptonstall's past.

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