Not bad for a spot that most people outside West Yorkshire can’t even say properly.
The Sunday Times praised Slaithwaite for its creative spirit and its tight-knit community, describing it as somewhere with its feet on the ground but plenty of ambition. That feels about right. The village has a calendar packed with things going on throughout the year, from the famous Moonraking Festival, which celebrates a wonderfully daft local legend involving smugglers, a full moon and a canal, to live comedy nights, theatre productions and open-mic sessions. The Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra and local brass band are very much part of the furniture too.
It has also quietly become one of the most popular spots in the area for young families. There’s a swimming pool, green spaces including Spa Park, good schools and the kind of high street that actually has things worth visiting on it. The canal towpath has been transformed over the years and is now a proper community asset, whether you’re walking the dog, cycling or just having a nosy at the barges.
The train connections to both Leeds and Manchester have always been a draw, and with house prices still relatively affordable by comparison to similar spots around the country, it’s easy to see why people keep moving here and then never quite getting round to leaving.
Slaithwaite isn’t a secret exactly, but it still feels like one of those places that people from outside the area discover and immediately wonder why nobody told them about it sooner.
This latest recognition is well deserved, and if you haven’t spent an afternoon down there recently, it might be time to put that right.
