Art at Hardcastle Crags

A set of vases sits in the foreground set in a large historic room — Artworks from The Peat Appreciation Society exhibition | © National Trust Images/Sophie Fawcett

Gibson Mill, built in 1805, was one of the first cotton mills of the Industrial Revolution. Today, this historic building is home to a vibrant programme of art and exhibitions, showcasing creativity in a unique setting. Across its second and third floors, you’ll find regularly changing displays featuring local artists, thought-provoking installations, and works inspired by nature, heritage and conservation.

Gibson Mill Exhibition Space

Gibson Mill has been a landmark in Hardcastle Crags since 1805, evolving from one of the first cotton mills of the Industrial Revolution into a hub for creativity and sustainability. Once a bustling centre of industry and later an entertainment venue, today the mill’s second and third floors host a dynamic programme of art and exhibitions. These changing displays celebrate local talent and explore themes inspired by nature, heritage, and the mill’s own rich history. All within a building powered by solar and hydro energy, reflecting its commitment to a greener future.

Nature's Reflections

22 May - 9 August

Nature’s Reflections brings together artworks created by young people from three Kirklees schools as part of the Nature Calling project, commissioned by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and delivered by Shape North. Inspired by guided walks through landscapes from Marsden Moors to Stoodley Pike and Malham Cove, the exhibition showcases paintings, photography, poetry, film and crafted works that explore connection, creativity and care for nature. Through sketching, storytelling, music and making, the young artists discovered new ways of seeing the natural world and their place within it.

Three paintings of colourful landscapes hang on a white wall — Capturing the unique character of the Calder Valley | © National Trust Images/Sophie Fawcett

The Weaving Shed Community Art Gallery

This space gives Calderdale-based artists the chance to exhibit and sell their work at Hardcastle Crags - whether you’re a professional creative, a part-time artist, or a passionate hobbyist. Our aim is to showcase local talent while creating an inspiring experience for visitors. Displayed along the back wall of the Weaving Shed Café, we can accommodate wall-hung artwork in any medium.

Community Artist: Kate Claughan

I am a modern landscape painter based in West Yorkshire. My work features scenes from the local area, inspired by the unique character of the Calder Valley, both its natural wild beauty and the way its inhabitants have shaped the landscape down the years. I'm most interested in the nature of landscape where it has been marked and shaped by the people who live there. The stone walls, terrace houses, villages, mills and trackways of the Pennine hills are a record of the entwined history of the land and its inhabitants. Getting outside to paint and draw allows me to respond to the way that light, weather and the seasons constantly transform the landscape.

Previous exhibitions

January - April 2026

Blending creativity with environmental insight, this exhibition explored why peatlands matter, connecting science and art to inspire care and action for these remarkable landscapes. Peatlands play a vital role in locking away carbon, slowing the flow of water, and supporting endangered wildlife. Through artworks, installations, and shared stories, the Peat Appreciation Society invited visitors to see the moor in new and compelling ways.

The Peat Appreciation Society is an arts-led collective dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness of peat. Inspired by the textures, histories, and ecologies of moor, mire, and moss, the collective hosts creative events that deepen understanding of these habitats. They collaborate with artists, thinkers, and local communities, sharing knowledge through open, exploratory conversations.

Peatlands are unique, biodiverse, and essential - vast carbon stores, natural flood defences, and archives of cultural and archaeological heritage. This exhibition honours their beauty and significance within the Upper Calder Valley, part of the wider Great North Bog landscape.
June - December 2025

Fields, Folds and Farming Life offers a powerful and immersive journey through the rhythms of rural life in Bransdale, on the North York Moors. Spanning the seasons, this exhibition captures the resilience, dedication, and deep-rooted connection of the local farming community through evocative photography, specially commissioned artwork, and film. All expertly captured and curated by photographer Valerie Mather.

It sheds light on the challenges farmers face in a changing agricultural landscape - and how they continue to adapt, innovate, and care for the land they love. Their work is not only vital for food production but also for shaping a more sustainable future for people, nature, and the countryside.

Located on the second and third floors of Gibson Mill, this free exhibition is closely linked to our Ancient Grasslands Project, a conservation effort made possible by the traditional farming practices still alive in Calderdale. Here, farmers and landowners continue to use age-old methods like haymaking and grazing, helping to preserve these rare and precious habitats.

Over the past 80 years, up to 97% of ancient grasslands have been lost, many of them irreplaceable. This exhibition celebrated the people working to protect what remains.

Contact us

Email

To find out more about exhibiting in Gibson Mill or the Weaving Shed, please send us an email.

theweavingshedartgallery@nationaltrust.org.uk

Visitors on a bridge at Hardcastle Crags with Gibson Mill in view, West Yorkshire

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History of Hardcastle Crags

Learn about the history and evolution of the landscape at Hardcastle Crags and Gibson Mill, including its industrial heritage and the mill’s time as an entertainment emporium.