HX postcode area

The HX Postcode Area

The HX postcode area lies in West Yorkshire, covering the western part of the county and centred on the town of Halifax. The area is defined by steep-sided valleys, Pennine landscapes and former mill settlements, shaped by the River Calder and its tributaries.

Halifax is the principal town and is noted for its impressive town-centre architecture, cultural institutions such as Bankfield Museum, The Piece Hall, and Halifax Minster, as well as landmarks including the 275 foot tall Wainhouse Tower, one of the tallest free-standing follies of its kind in Britain. Other places in the area include Elland, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall.

The area has strong historical associations, from the ancient Magna Via trackway and the Roman fort and settlement of Cambodunum at nearby Slack, to events during the English Civil War, including fighting around Heptonstall in 1643. Heptonstall is also known as the burial place of Sylvia Plath, while nearby Hebden Bridge has developed a reputation as a centre for alternative culture.

The HX area is well connected by rail, with stations at Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and Mytholmroyd, providing services to Leeds, Manchester, Hull, Chester and onward to London. The surrounding countryside includes popular walking and heritage sites such as Stoodley Pike and Hardcastle Crags, a National Trust property centred on Gibson Mill in a wooded Pennine valley.