Happy Valley: Is this England's best-kept secret?

Italy springs to mind as I order my espresso at the deli and gaze over the beautifully crafted piazza sprawling before me. A church spire juts above a sweep of honeystone neoclassical colonnades where people are milling about, popping in and out of doorways. There's a bar plying wines and gin flights, a restaurant serving dishes like ox cheek arancini and butternut squash risotto. Boutiques sell books, homewares, soaps, vinyls and vintage collectibles. There's even a retro gaming arcade.

This is not Italy, but West Yorkshire, where the locals are more likely to greet each other with an "Eh Up (Hello!)" than a "ciao". Yet, a renaissance has been stirring here at the Piece Hall, as this majestic piazza, in the market town of Halifax, is called. Dating from 1779, it's a relic of the then-booming textile industry, when handloom weavers would flock to sell their woollen cloth wares. The threat of demolition hovered over the Piece Hall after it fell into disrepair in the late 20th century, but it's thriving after a multi-million dollar restoration, home to independent traders and staging crowd-pulling events, from Diwali festivals to summer concerts in the 7500-capacity courtyard. Last year Madness, Queens of the Stone Age and George Ezra came to town, while Grace Jones, Tom Jones, Crowded House and Fatboy Slim are among the headliners for 2024.

Halifax, you'll find, is just one rewarding pit stop in Yorkshire's Calderdale (or Calder Valley) region, which rolls between the vibrant cities of Manchester and Leeds, and bubbles with touring potential. I've been lured several times to this ruggedly picturesque area, which remains under the radar compared to other visitor magnets of northern England such as the Lake District. In recent years, Calderdale's profile has risen, however, thanks to screenwriter Sally Wainwright, who set her acclaimed TV dramas Gentleman Jack, Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley locally. The latter was a somewhat ironic title as, like other post-industrial parts of Britain, Calderdale has had issues with crime and unemployment, yet offers natural beauty, affability and inspiration in abundance.

Locals joke that there's something in the water as a raft of creative souls, notably the Bronte sisters, poet Ted Hughes and artist David Hockney, were raised in and around the region. Whether you're ambling, hiking, cycling, driving or riding the train - an inter-city line shuffles through - you'll be treated to frequently bewitching views. Bleak on grey, windswept, rainy days, the scenery is sublime when the sun bursts from the clouds, radiating the sheep-dotted slopes, woods, waterways and towns that are etched with handsome stone mills, terraces and cottages - some containing rustic-chic Airbnbs.

A few stops (10-15 minutes) from Halifax is Hebden Bridge, another former textile hub that earns admiring glances from visitors. From the antique signs at its railway station to the colourful narrowboats on its canal, it's undeniably quaint, but has a hip, bohemian edge with a strong LGBTQ+ community, including writers, musicians and artists.

Studios and galleries pepper the town, with contemporary paintings of the bucolic surrounding countryside displayed at the likes of the Hope Gallery and the Heart Gallery. July's annual Hebden Bridge Arts Festival heralds an eclectic program of theatre, comedy, literature and street entertainment. Throughout the year, you'll probably catch buskers strumming tunes by the main square, where an artisanal market pops up Thursday-Sunday, yielding everything from upcycled jewellery and sustainable fashions to wood-fired pizzas and creamy Yorkshire cheeses.

For a population of just 5000, Hebden Bridge has a diverse (sit-down) dining scene. Places like Leila's Kitchen specialise in Persian-flavoured vegan and vegetarian dishes, and classic English menus abound. Cosy up in The White Lion, a 17th-century coaching inn renowned for its Sunday roasts (served with Yorkshire puddings, of course).

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Meals can be walked off - and appetites worked up - on stirring hikes that spiral out of town. A steep 30-minute ascent brings you to Heptonstall, a tranquil medieval weaving hamlet whose cobbled lanes thread up to the churchyard where the American poet Sylvia Plath is buried. Her husband, Ted Hughes, hailed from the nearby village of Mytholmroyd and drew poetic inspiration from the local landscapes.

You may do, too, especially at Hardcastle Crags, a wooded National Trust-managed beauty spot just north of Hebden Bridge. Marked trails fringe burbling streams and birdsong trills from beech, oak and pine trees. Pause for refreshments - perhaps an ice cream - at the cafe in the converted Georgian-era cotton mill. And be sure to scale the crags themselves. Taking in the lush panoramas from the top of these gritstone outcrops promises a rush of endorphins, making you glad you ventured into "Happy Valley".

1. HAWORTH: Buses link Hebden Bridge with the picturesque village of Haworth. Walk on the rugged moors that inspired Wuthering Heights and visit the parsonage where the Brontes grew up. It's now a museum. bronte.org.uk

2. STEAM TRAINS: Board the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway at Haworth. You may recognise this scenic eight-kilometre heritage line from The Railway Children - both the 1970 movie and the 2022 remake. kwvr.co.uk

3. TODMORDEN: Often known as "Tod", this cute mill town has an indoor market established in 1802, bars serving locally brewed ales, and invigorating canal-side and moorland walks. visitcalderdale.com

4. SHIBDEN HALL: Tour this timber-beamed Tudor mansion on Halifax's leafy edges. It's the one-time abode of Anne Lister, aka Gentleman Jack, and featured in Sally Wainwright's TV drama. museums.calderdale.gov.uk

5. SALTAIRE: North of Bradford city centre, this UNESCO World Heritage site was a model workers' village built by Victorian wool merchant Titus Salt. Now its old mills house studios, stores and galleries with numerous pieces by local lad David Hockney. saltsmillshop.co.uk

Getting there: Emirates flies into Manchester from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane via Dubai.

Getting around: A hire car affords more freedom, but twice-hourly Manchester-Leeds trains pass through Halifax, Hebden Bridge and other towns. See northernrailway.co.uk

Staying there: Located outside Halifax, Holdsworth House is a Jacobean manor that appeared in Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax. Bed and breakfast from £149 ($288). See holdsworthhouse.co.uk

Explore more: visitcalderdale.com; yorkshire.com; visitbritain.com