Slaithwaite: Why buyers are swapping the hills for a life in the village
Picture-perfect period farmhouses dot the hillsides around Slaithwaite, offering lots of land and far-reaching views over the Colne Valley, but one local agent says buyers are now discovering the centre of this Huddersfield mill village has charms of its own.
“We’ve noticed recently, perhaps over the last 12 months, that buyers are wanting to be central,” says Leanne Randall, manager at local estate agency Ryder & Dutton. “They don’t want the hills. They want to be within walking distance to the centre. Initially I thought it was more the older end of buyers who wanted accessibility to the shops, but we’re finding it’s first-time buyers too.”
The Sunday Times named the former textile industry hub of Slaithwaite – pronounce it ‘Slaw-it’ – the best place to live in the North and North East in 2022, citing a “homespun boho vibe” and “big-city train links” (direct trains to Manchester Piccadilly, average journey time 41 minutes, and Leeds, 38 minutes) amongst many attributes.
“We thought it would settle down,” says Leanne. “But Slaithwaite is the most popular village in the Colne Valley at the moment. After lockdown, people wanted a bit more outdoor space, but we’re finding that they’re sacrificing that for the location.”
In 2025, sold prices in Slaithwaite are seven per cent up on the previous year according to Rightmove, with an overall average of £241,850.
The majority of properties sold during this time were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £212,726. Detached properties sold for an average of £400,750, with semi-detached properties fetching £245,000.
Paul Gibson, 58, managing director at Ricketts Freight Limited and his wife, Tracey Gibson, 62, HR manager at the same company, have recently moved to a three-bedroom townhouse with garden in the canalside development of Empire Way, which was on the market for £350,000-£360,000.
Paul says over the last 20 years he’s seen Slaithwaite transform into a very welcoming place to live; “a beautiful Yorkshire textile village filled with character and characters”.
The evidence of the textile industry is all around, with active businesses such as Spa Mills’ Spectrum Yarns producing merino wool and lambswool knitwear and knitting wool. However towering buildings such as Globe Mills by the canal basin are being converted into offices and retail units, with plans for an artisan food hall. Along the canal Empire Mills has the Empire Brewery, a micro-brewery and Upper Mills houses local institution The Handmade Bakery, a co-operative with a café, producing thousands of loaves and pastries every week.
Locals now enjoy “a multitude of places to socialise and eat”, Paul enthuses. Favourites include Vanilla Bean for brunch and evening socialising, The Little Bridge wine bar, Northern Sole Café, trendy burger joint Rumpus and Indian restaurant, Destination, alongside traditional pubs such as The Silent Woman and The Shoulder.
“We are downsizing and to be closer to friends, family and community,” says Paul. “We chose Empire Way because it is so close to the village centre, where we have everything we need. Plus we have the Huddersfield Narrow Canal very close by where we can easily walk up to Marsden to The Riverhead Brewery Tap which houses a great place to eat on the first floor called BaoBros23.”
A big part of Slaithwaite’s appeal is its handy location for commuters. But the village itself has plenty for people to get involved with, such as the biennial Moonraker Festival, which remembers the area’s smuggling history with an amazing lantern parade, and celebrated its 40th anniversary in February.
Sky Burton-Smith’s parents were involved in the original conception of the Moonraker Festival, and now she carries on their community-driven vision with Slawit SHOP, which has funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund to celebrate the centenary of a colourful parade of shops on Carr Lane by exploring their social and economic history.
Sky, 41, inset, is leading locals in exploring the history and heritage of the buildings: “We were alerted to the fact, for example that Green Valley Grocers represents about 100 years of greengrocery in that one shop, there have only been three different greengrocers during all of that time.
“We’re working with artists, school children and our community groups, they can go and write a song about it, create a poem, we can re-enact the stories.”
Families love Slaithwaite, especially the warm and welcoming children’s store/café/activity centre Acorn & Pip, and local ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rated local schools.
Simon Blyth, of Simon Blyth Estate Agents, agrees there are buyers who want to live in the centre of the village “because it’s bustling and pleasant”, but he has yet to personally witness a mass exodus from the hills.
“There will always be those who want to live a little bit away from the centre and those who prefer to be on hand,” he says.
"One of the main things is the railway line to Manchester. If you’re commuting, you don’t want to be jumping in the car and driving three miles up the road if you find a house you like in the village.”