Sally Wainwright's new TV series looks set to attract home buyers to Hebden Bridge

Most of all, the price was right. You could pick up a two-bedroom terraced house for very little in the early 1970s and so began the gradual change from mill town to tourist attraction and one of the most desirable places to live in Yorkshire, nay Britain.

There is nowhere quite like it and, despite some gentrification, the quirky, independent spirit that still thrives in Hebden Bridge, along with those rail links to Leeds and Manchester, are now a huge draw for homebuyers.

There could well be a boom in interest in purchasing a property there thanks to brilliant, BAFTA award winning Yorkshire woman Sally Wainwright.

Parts of Hebden have already featured in scenes from previous TV series written by Wainwright, including Last Tango in Halifax, and various locations were used when filming for Happy Valley.

Now the town is alive with directors, camera crew, make-up artists and all as filming is underway on Sally’s latest TV series Riot Women, which has all the ingredients to ensure it is a smash hit with viewers and critics alike when it is aired on BBC1 next year.

Sally has said that she is more excited about this production than anything else she has written and this synopsis explains why: "In Riot Women, we dive headfirst into the world of five women who, along with two riotous backing singers, come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band to enter a local talent contest, but in writing their first original song, soon discover that they have a lot to say – and this is their way to say it.

“As they juggle struggles, jobs, children, ageing parents and ex-husbands the band becomes a catalyst for change in all of their lives but with each episode, a long-buried secret begins to surface, entangling the women in an unlikely and complex web that threatens to tear everything, including the band, apart.”

The cast is stellar and includes Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Anne Reid , Sue Johnston and Peter Davison to name a few.

Claire Sheehan, who runs her own eponymous estate agency covering Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and the surrounding West Calder villages, says: “Hebden Bridge is always popular with would-be buyers but the filming here has increased interest, though for those who live here, film crews have become commonplace and par for the course.”

The amenities available in “Hebden” have been vital to its identity and allure. The Picture House, a cinema and live arts venue, and the nearby The Trades Club, an independent socialist members co-operative, club, bar and music venue are a draw, as is the number of independent traders.

There is a Co-op store and a Fat Face, but most other shops are independents. Many of the homebuyers come from Yorkshire and Lancashire with a large contingent from Manchester, Bradford and Leeds who work in the cities but don’t want to live there and crave easy access to countryside.

Artists and makers are also among those buying into the town to connect with their own tribe.

Claire Sheehan says: “We get a lot of young professionals wanting to buy here and older people who want to retire here.

“We don’t see as many families because they generally want homes with outside space so they will look at the surrounding villages.”

Those who wish to get a key to the door of a Hebden Bridge home will notice that terraced houses dominate, along with under dwellings and over dwellings.

The latter are effectively double decker terraced properties with the lower home built into the hillside facing rear with another home on top of it facing forward.

Detached houses are few as are semis, though developers have targeted the area and so there are new-build terraces and the old Masonic Hall in the town centre is set to be converted into a townhouse with a guide price of £425,000 and four apartments, which range from £195,000 to £250,000.

According to Rightmove, homes in Hebden Bridge had an average price of £270,407 over the last year.

Terraced properties sold for an average price of £235,575. Flats sold for an average of £237,722 and semi-detached homes fetched £373,000.

Potential irritations for buyers include how busy the town gets on a weekend, especially in summer.

Parking can be difficult and visitors who enjoy a night out in Hebden can get a bit lairy after a few pints.

Flooding has been an issue in the lower part of the town, though the Environment Agency is working with Calderdale Council to create a Flood Alleviation Scheme to help protect properties.

Those priced out of Hebden Bridge have traditionally gone to neighbouring Todmorden.

The average house price there is £187,138.