Home to just 4,500 people and set in a scenic, rural valley, this quaint market town has blossomed into a bastion of tolerance.
Nestled between Manchester and Leeds in the scenic Upper Calder Valley, for years this rural town – which calls itself a “bohemian paradise“, thanks to its many eco-friendly shops, artisan markets, galleries and indie bookstores – had been on my wish list. And so on my recent birthday, we finally booked a trip to stroll its cobbled streets, explore its rivers and canals, climb the surrounding wooded hillsides and – of course – gaze down from its eponymous 16th-Century packhorse bridge.
Today, Millichamp still runs Nelson’s in “a partnership” with two other women. It’s now a candle-lit vegan bar and restaurant serving innovative small plates like king oyster “scallops” with coconut pea puree and crispy kale; and a tomato, pistachio and saffron tart. As we ate, we watched lively groups of mostly folk clinking wine glasses all around us.
