Bankfield Museum

17/06/2026

Last week we took a trip up to Heptonstall to see Friends of Heptonstall Museum and to deliver some loan objects from the Calderdale Museums collection, ready for their re-opening later this month.

We can't wait to be back and see how the space is transformed for their new exhibition celebrating the fascinating history of the village.

📷 Objects from Calderdale Museums' collection relating to the history of Heptonstall, some still wrapped for safe transportation, ready for installation.
📷 View of the ruins of the Church of St Thomas a’ Becket from Heptonstall Museum.

16/06/2026

Enjoying a quiet stroll around Bankfield Museum 💭

Video inspired by

15/06/2026

⭐ We are hiring!

Calderdale Museums Service is looking for Casual Workshop Leaders to join our Learning team, working across our sites.

Our educational programme is a key aspect of the service and we are seeking fun, creative and enthusiastic workshop leaders to assist in the delivery of a wide range of educational activities.

To find out more and to apply, please go to
https://ce0078li.webitrent.com/ce0078li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC179GF.open?WVID=671928dXjr&VACANCY_ID=026280txUt

Or search 'Casual Workshop Leader' via Calderdale Council's job page here https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/jobs/search

Job reference CC884
Closing Date: Tuesday 30th June
Interview Date: Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st July

15/06/2026

📢 This Saturday!

Join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment through 300 years of military history.

📍 Bankfield Museum Army Fun Day
📆 Saturday 20 June, 10am to 3pm, FREE entry

🪖 There will be lots to see including historical re-enactments, live firing, talks and military displays covering 1702, the American Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars, Crimean War, Second World War and the British Army in the 1960s to 80s.

🗺️ There will also be a children's trail and craft activities, stalls with object handling and opportunities for family research.

All are welcome at this free family-friendly event.
🔗 https://fb.me/e/3PXYBmaqA

Please note there will be no onsite parking on the day except for limited Blue Badge parking.

Join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment through 300 years of military history.

13/06/2026

⭐ One ticket has become available for the next workshop in our Vintage Sewing Machines - Learn to use Attachments series.

🧵 Binders and Rufflers
📆 Friday 26 June, 10.30am to 1pm
🎟 £25 per ticket, available via https://www.ticketsource.com/calderdale-museums/vintage-sewing-machines-attachments-binders-and-rufflers/2026-06-26/10:30/t-aaaxonn

Have you ever wondered what those intriguing looking metal attachments that came with your vintage sewing machine can do?

This year we are offering 3 sessions with each covering 2 different types of attachments to help you make the most of your vintage sewing machine - no prior experience needed, and each workshop stands alone. Perfect for curious beginners and sewing enthusiasts alike!

In this session, local collector and enthusiast Jeanette Spriggs will teach you how to neaten and enhance seam allowances, armholes, necklines etc, with commercial or homemade bias binding, and how to ruffle, gather, shirr fabric to give your projects shape and texture.

The next session will cover:
🪡 Tuckmarkers and Embroidery/Darning, Friday 9 or Saturday 10 October
https://www.ticketsource.com/whats-on/halifax/bankfield-museum-halifax/vintage-sewing-machines-attachments-tuckmarkers-and-embroidery-darning/e-qgryaj

Please note this event will be held in our Education Room, which is located on the first floor of the Museum. Please contact [email protected] to discuss any access needs.

12/06/2026

📢 Last few weeks to see Industrial Evolution: A photographic record of the changing face of Calderdale’s industrial heritage by David R. Williams

📆 Last day to see: Saturday 27 June, Smith Art Gallery, Brighouse

In the summer of 2024 David R. Williams embarked upon a personal journey to document the remnants of Calderdale’s industrial past in the decades following the widespread deindustrialization of the area.

The result is a stunning collection of 96 black and white photographs of the vast and often majestic buildings, some derelict, many now repurposed, which still loom over the region.

📷 Jubilee Mill / Bottoms Mill Chimneys, Walsden - Todmorden
📷 Shaw Lodge, Shaw Lane - Halifax
📷 Corona Chimney, Dean Clough Mill – Old Lane
📷 Ash Grove Pipe Works Chimney, Elland Road - Elland

🕐 For gallery opening hours, please see the Smith Art Gallery webpage at https://museums.calderdale.gov.uk/visit/smith-art-gallery/

11/06/2026

⚽️ It might not be the first thing that comes to mind at the thought of the FIFA World Cup, but fashion plays an integral role for players and fans alike on one of the world’s biggest stages.

Think lucky shirts, vintage kits, merchandise with a favourite player’s name and number and this Umbro 1990s England replikit tracksuit top - kindly on loan to us from Westminster Menswear Archive as part of our current exhibition, Fashion Extremes! 🦁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Have you got a favourite piece you’ll be sporting this World Cup tournament?

10/06/2026

🎨 Join Bankfield Museum’s Learning Team for an afternoon of free, family-friendly fun!

Enjoy a variety of hands-on crafts inspired by the Calderdale Schools Linking Programme as we celebrate connection, community, and what makes Calderdale special.

📅 Saturday 27 June
🕐 Drop-in anytime between 1pm and 3pm. There’s no need to book, just come along - we’d love to see you there!

The Schools Linking Programme, part of The Linking Network, has been bringing young people together for over 20 years. In Calderdale, it began in 2010 and continues to be highly valued by schools as a meaningful way to connect pupils from across the district.

This year, 38 classes have been paired up and over the course of the school year have formed new connections and taken part in small social action projects within their communities, recognising the values they have in common.

🫟 This free event marks the end of the week-long Calderdale Schools Linking exhibition, which will showcase artwork made by students as part of the project. Find out more here: https://museums.calderdale.gov.uk/event-details/celebrating-calderdale-schools-linking-programme-2026-06-23-10-00

06/06/2026

📍 Bankfield Museum's Army Fun Day
📆 Saturday 20 June, 10am to 3pm, free entry

Join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment through 300 years of military history.

🪖 There will be lots to see including historical re-enactments, live firing, talks and military displays covering 1702, the American Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars, Crimean War, Second World War and the British Army in the 1960s to 80s.

🗺️ There will also be a children's trail and craft activities, stalls with object handling and opportunities for family research.

All are welcome at this free family-friendly event.
🔗 https://fb.me/e/3PXYBmaqA

Please note there will be no onsite parking on the day except for limited blue badge parking.

04/06/2026

🌟 Happy Volunteers’ Week!

This past year our brilliant volunteers here at Calderdale Museums gave over 6,100 hours of their time across Bankfield Museum and Shibden Hall, and this week we are celebrating the fantastic work they do to support our service.

The Quilt Angels are the newest volunteer role at Calderdale Museums. Formed from volunteers from across the service to help with the Pieced Stories exhibition at Bankfield Museum, they have brought together not only an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject but also the technical knowledge on how these quilts are created.

📷 Quilt Angel and volunteer Andrea pictured in the Link Gallery at Bankfield Museum where she invigilates and helps to bring our patchwork and quilting exhibition Pieced Stories to life.