Shibden Park

Shibden hall and park are amazing! The house itself is simply stunning. This is a Tudor house full of wonderful low beams and beautifully maintained wood work. The history of the house is full of interesting stories too. It's definitely a must visit place.

A dog walkers guide to Shibden. Shibden is one of those places where your dog instantly thinks they’ve won the jackpot. The whole estate feels like a patchwork quilt of woods, water, lawns, and history, stitched together with paths that tempt you to wander a bit farther every time. • Miles of varied paths Woodland trails, open spaces by the lake that stretch over acres, quiet shaded corners, and typical Calderdale uphill bits to wear out the zoomies. Every walk can feel different. • Lots of sniffing zones Between the old stone walls, crunchy leaves, worn wooden benches and the scent soaked undergrowth, dogs basically enter smell Olympics mode. • Friendly dog-walking crowds Most people you meet there have dogs and are relaxed, polite, and used to the occasional enthusiastic greetings from other four legged floofs. Things to Keep in Mind • Busy at peak times Sunny weekends and school holidays can make the main paths feel like the M62 of prams, scooters, and excited kids. Stick to the woodland paths for calmer vibes. • Wildlife and water temptations Squirrels, ducks, geese, and the lake itself can trigger sudden “I’m a wild wolf” moments. It’s all manageable, just stay alert. • Café and playground areas Dogs are allowed around the main areas of the estate and should always be kept on their leads. Refreshingly dogs are now welcome in the inside of the cafe, sandwiches dropped by toddlers are apparently irresistible dog treats! 🤣 The playground is currently under reconstruction but the area has always been a dog free zone and I would imagine that this would be continued after the new and improved facilities open. Overall, Shibden is a place where history hums in the background, trees whisper over old stone, and dogs look like they’re starring in their own BBC nature documentary. Genuinely one of Halifax’s gems. It’s safe, stunning, sniff-rich, and endlessly explorable. Perfect for everything from short morning trots to long weekend rambles.

Visited the park after our visit to the hall. It was a hot day and it was great seeing so many families enjoying the park. Picnics and boats on the lake it was fantastic. We stayed at the park for the rest of the day. Spoke to so many lovely people. The park was clean and well maintained. Dog friendly. Cafe, ice cream, playground, it has everything you need for a great day out. It was great seeing the boats on the lake. Shame the little railway was closed. Highly recommend 👌

A lovely park with loads of space, decent paths, and an old house to visit (you have to pay to go in the house). The carparks are also pay and display here, but there's plenty of space in them. We just called here for a short walk this time, but previously, we've been on the water in a boat. There's a cafe here, however, we didn't visit it. The pond is big and you can walk around it. There's lots of woodland about and the park links well to public footpaths in the area. We didn't visit the house as it was £10 per adult to enter, but we did have a walk around the outside of it. There's also free toilets (by the house and by the kids play park). Loads of space for picnics and for dog walking. A very child friendly place with toilets, parks and lots of grass.

Absolutely beautiful building with such a rich history. Most know that the most famous owner was Ann Lister but the building is very old and has some fabulous examples of medieval architecture. Well worth a visit a true gem. We did a guided tour which was so informative and the guides were brilliant. The grounds are immaculate and the park is full of things to do and see. If you haven't been to Shibden you are missing out.