The Centenary Viewing Platform at Beacon Hill

To celebrate 100 years of service to the town of Halifax we have commissioned viewing platform on Beacon Hill overlooking the town. Situated on the Magna Via, an old packhorse route, the walk to the top is worth it.


NEWSFLASH!

Halifax Civic Trust have presented the Rotary Club of Halifax with their 2024 landmark Award

Please see details of their press release announcing this by clicking on this link Halifax_Civic_Trust_Award.pdf

Thank you for visiting the Rotary Club of Halifax viewing platform, we hope you enjoyed the walk up to the site and the views that it offers of our home town. We are proud to have provided the viewing platform as part of our celebration of 100 years of Rotary Service to the Local, National and International communities. Information on the club and its activities can be found in other areas of this website

The platform is located on Beacon Hill. The name “Beacon Hill” relates to the network of beacons which historically conveyed news around the country, both in times of celebration and crisis.  In 1588 the Halifax beacon was one of the series that were used to warn of the Spanish Armada and was on alert status during the Napoleonic wars in the 1790’s to 1815 when it would have warned of invasion.

Bonfires and beacons have been lit on this hill to mark Royal Jubilees and Coronations, the peace celebrations at the end of the First and Second World wars and the arrival of the 21st Century.

Given the history of the site it seemed like an appropriate place for us to build something that celebrates the rich heritage of the town that we have been proud to serve for over 100 years.

We encourage you to visit the various buildings that are shown on the viewing platform and of which more detail can be found on the following pages. Prominent buildings, such as the Town Hall, Piece Hall and the Minster, are open to the public free of charge whilst others, such as the museums, have an admission fee. You will find much of interest in Halifax.

We also encourage visitors to visit the area outside the town centre as there are many wonderful walks to be enjoyed around the wider Calderdale district. Stoodley Pike can be visited by well marked paths and is well worth the trek to the top as it affords magnificent views of the pennines.

The following pages relate to the panels that are at the platform and expand on the brief information that is shown.  The Rotary Club of Halifax are grateful for the permission granted by the various organisations to use this information and their information is shown at the end of each section.

There are links to websites with further information about the landmarks.  Whilst the Rotary Club of Halifax has taken all care to select these sites we cannot accept any responsibility for any content, further links or continuance of the sites.

The Centenary Viewing Platform at Beacon Hill sub-pages:

Calderdale Royal Hospital

more The main Hospital for the the town

Shaw Lodge Mills

Shaw Lodge Mills

more A brief history of this icon of the textile industry in the Halifax area

The Stadium

The Shay Stadium

more The home of professional sport in the town

Eureka!

Eureka! The National Children's Museum

more A popular children's museum

The 'Halifax'

The Halifax Building Society

more Headquarters of the eponymous financial institute

Wainhouse Tower

Wainhouse Tower

more A victorian "Folly"

Stoodley Pike

Stoodley Pike

more A war memorial in the Todmorden area

The Borough Market

The Halifax Borough market

more The victorian covered market in the town centre

Square Church Spire

Square Church Spire

more The spire is all that remains of this church

The Piece Hall

The Piece Hall

more Halifax's jewel in the crown

The Gibbet

The Halifax Gibbet

more A forerunner of the Guillotine

Halifax town Hall

Halifax Town Hall

more Seat of Local Governance

The Halifax Minster

Halifax Minster

more The centre of worship in Town

The mill complex at Dean Clough

Dean Clough

more An industrial powerhouse of the past

All Souls Church Spire

All Souls Church

more The church of a former model village

A historic view of the mill

Black Dyke Mills

more An icon on the outskirts of Halifax