All creatures great and small!

Come and explore the twelve acres of ancient woodlands, mill ponds and meadowlands that make up this beautiful valley and see what wonderful creatures you can spot lurking within the long grasses...

A really rather magical thing happened to me the other day whilst I was going about my daily tasks at Bents Mill - as I emerged from the tunnel through the mill I came face to face (within 10m anyway!) with a beautiful baby deer who was strolling around the car park.  The moment of mutual acknowledgement felt to last for minutes rather than seconds as we took in each others presence with a mixture of surprise and awe.  The fleeting paralysis was broken as the deer took flight and skipped across the grass towards the mill pond.  Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, the inclement weather has provided ideal conditions for the blanket weed and the surface covering was almost complete - even this wonderfully intuitive animal could not sense the water that was hiding beneath this grasslike blanket.  With one giant gisselle sized leap the deer rose into the air and promptly disappeared into the water.  My husband, Joe, was working in his waders in one of the other mill ponds at the time and was most bemused at my panicked insistance that he should leap in after the deer in a desparate rescue attempt.  The deer, of course, required no help from anyone, waders or no waders and quickly made its way through the bog garden, over the wall and into an adjoining field.  These chance encounters with the wild inhabitants of the valley really do make for magical memories. 

Fresh from this wonderful experience I decided to take my 9 year old son, Max, on a creature hunt - armed with a great new digital camera we had a fantastic couple of hours hiding in the long grasses listenning to the tantilising sound of nearby grasshoppers and watching the butterflies and damselflies flitting from flower to flower - heaven on earth!  For more photos of the wildlife that share this beautiful valley with us and our guests check out our facebook page!

Holidays in Hewenden - Whatever the weather!

Although we have everything crossed for a blazing barbecue summer, even the most optimistic amongst us have to admit that the recent weather patterns suggest that something a little more unsettled might be in store.  The unusually wet spring does not, however, seem to have dampened the spirits of guests who have stayed in the valley over the last few weeks, many of whom have commented on the amazing amount to do and see in the local area. Yorkshire has a rich cultural heritage, a fact reflected in the plethora of museums, art galleries, historic buildings and old market towns. The diversity of attractions provide for all weather eventualities with so many wonderful places of interest giving welcome shelter on those inclement days.  I thought it might be useful for those considering a visit to the valley to offer a few wet weather suggestions, but a chance conversation I had with a guest who arrived amid the pouring rain yesterday, also reminded me of another way in which Hewenden is ideally placed to offer the perfect all weather holiday.  Surrounded by ancient woodlands, mill ponds and glorious gardens, our warm and cosy cottages, houses and apartments are a perfect retreat for those seeking the ultimate escape - surely the gentle pattering of summer rain on the arched mill windows only adds to the atmosphere in which a good book and a glass of wine can be truly savoured.  Maybe rain is simply a heaven sent excuse to stay in, put your feet up and indulge in some serious R & R.  Enjoy your time in Hewenden - whatever the weather!

Salts Mill, Saltaire             Keighley and Worth Valley Steam Railway, Haworth

The Bronte Museum            Skipton Castle      Eureka Children's Museum, Halifax

National Media Museum and Imax, Bradford    Cliffe Castle, Keighley

East Riddlesden Hall (National Trust)       The Climbing Barn, Bingley

The Royal Armouries, Leeds      The Turkish Baths, Harrogate

Introducing the new and improved St Ives Country Park

We were thrilled to hear that St. Ives Estate near Bingley, has recently been awarded 'Country Park' status by Natural England.  This accreditation reflects the enormous investment made in this 550 acre estate that takes in natural woodlands, vast Coppice ponds, chainsaw sculpture trail, golf course, equestrian centre, licenced cafe, landscaped picnic areas and the most amazing adventure playground for miles around. St. Ives is a wonderful place to visit whilst staying in Hewenden being only a short 10 minute drive away.  Although St. Ives has much to offer those simply seeking a delightful stroll in beautiful woodland (and a rewarding cream tea at the end!) it is particularly engaging for those families needing to entertain the younger end. 




The adventure playground has undergone a huge transformation over the last couple of years and now boasts an enormous sand area, a vast array of climbing equipment, slides and zip wires, suitable for ages two right through to teenage, and some magical musical play equipment under the shelter of trees.  The chainsaw sculpture trail is also wonderful for children as it features mystical woodland creatures such as fairies, goblins, dragons, witches and wizards.  We go to St. Ives regularly for a walk, play and, more often than not, an ice cream but our children have also enjoyed pony trekking recently.  Whatever your passion, be it golf, horse riding or walking, St. Ives is well worth checking out.

Meet our wonderful aromatherapist...

Sabina

If we could have just one wish for our guests staying in Hewenden - its that they find the time and space to truly relax.  Our wonderful aromatherapist, Sabina, can certainly help in this endeavour. Years of study and training in the field of aromatherapy, massage and Reiki healing build upon an instinctive and natural gift for making those around her feel relaxed, rebalanced and ready to embrace the present moment. What better way to enhance your holiday in Hewenden than to indulge with an aromatherapy massage. 



Sabina visits Hewenden every Thursday, when our communal lounge is transformed into a private treatment room, bringing holistic healing to your door.  Alternative appointments can often be accommodated at times of mutual convenience.  If you would like more information or to book an appointment prior to your visit please don't hesitate to email us.

Aromatherapy massage: Holistic and deeply relaxing, this massage nourishes the body and revives tired muscles whilst releasing tension and stress.  Essential oils are applied for maximum benefit.

Full body massage: 1 hour session £28
Back, neck and scalp: 3/4 hour session £22
Back massage: 1/2 hour session £18

Aromatherapy Facial: a facial cleanse precedes a therapeutic massage using nature's essential oils.  Tailored to your skin type, this massage is beneficial for skin tone as well as tension carried in the head and neck area.

Facial: 3/4 hour session £24

Reiki healing: is an ancient healing system. When harnessed, the healing effect has the ability to both sustain and restore equilibrium to ones system.  The intention of Reiki is to enhance and maintain well being.  Reiki is able to bring release to many discomforts such as physical aches and pains, emotional issues, tension and stress.

Reiki healing: 1 hour session £26

Guided Visualisation: 1 - 1 1/2 hour seession: £30

Meet our enthusiastic team of housekeepers... and gardener!

We know how lucky we are to have such an amazing team working with us - many of our guests comment on how wonderfully clean the cottages are on arrival and we know the grounds and gardens are enjoyed by all who visit -  we thought we'd take this opportunity to introduce the people behind the scenes and to thank them for all their hard work.

Michala

Warm, funny, bright and exceptionally conscientious - Michala is an absolute pleasure to work with and has an incredible eye for detail. She instinctively knows how to make our cottages look their best for every guests - not just clean but cherished!

Niki

The newest member of the team and what a find!  Niki thinks, moves and works at lightening speed, getting through enormous amounts of work without ever compromising on quality.  Her flexible, positive and dynamic approach is infectious (we have all raised our game since she came!).

Joe - the gardener

Introducing Joe with any degree of impartiality is tricky; as his wife I am bound to say he is kind, considerate, great fun to be with and that his horticultural skills and knowledge are first rate.  Joe has helped John in all aspects of mill renovations before moving on to design, build and plant the 'secret garden' beyond the mill pond at Bents Mill.  Sadly for Hewenden, he was whisked off to work at RHS Harlow Carr near Harrogate for four years, during which time nature added its own design element to Joe's original scheme.  He has returned to Hewenden on a part-time basis in the last couple of years, diving his attention between the valley, our kids and studying yet more horticulture. 

 

Meet the Team

Meet the Emanuel Family...

Hewenden has been home to the Emanuel family for over 25 years and the inspiration for this business was born out of the desire to share this beautiful valley with others.  Our love for this place, each other and what we do is built into every aspect of our business and we consider ourselves very lucky that so many of our guests come back time and time again to enjoy Hewenden with us. 

John (left), Christine(top), Janet (Right), Susan (middle), Max and Cleo

Janet

Mum to Susan and Christine, Janet does a brilliant job of looking after everyone who visits the valley.  Warm and welcoming, with an uncanny ability to "think of everything" - an oft repeated description in our visitor books.  Janet's generosity of spirit, vitality and infectious sense of fun comes through in all aspects of our enterprise and reflects her passionately held belief that work should always be fun but never a joke.

John

A born engineer, John divides his time between transforming derelict mills and cottages into beautiful holiday accommodation and tinkering with his much loved motorbikes.  Although he is highly inventive he is also exceptionally practical, with the energy and stamina to tackle large scale projects at a hands on level.  John is passionate about history and relished the challenge that the grade two listed Bents Mill presented with its rich industrial heritage. 

Susan (me)

Daughter of Janet and John and mum to Max and Cleo, I'm something of a 'jack of all trades' within this team - I love the variety that this job offers - meeting guests, marketing, gardening, accounting, cleaning (and, of course, blogging!).  On school holidays I am able to bring my small helpers into work (not much gets done but we have a lot of fun trying!) which all adds up to me having the best job in the world.

Christine

Youngest daughter yet wise beyond her years, Christine is incredibly resourceful with highly developed managerial and organisational skills.  Her current job with Oldham libraries provides the challenges she needs yet she has the energy left over to give to both the family and the cottage business.  An absolute whizz with computers she regularly drops in for a coffee and to upgrade our system.  She has even been known to don some rubber gloves in peak periods - we all appreciate her love and support.