Swap your daily grind for beauty of Calder Valley
The Post Office and Village Store in picturesque Heptonstall – a delightful spot where little has changed in over 200 years - has gone on the market.
And whoever takes it on will find themselves in the lucky position of running their own business in a gorgeous part of the country.
A beautifully preserved village with delightful cobbled streets and buildings which evoke times gone by, Heptonstall is at the heart of a fabulous area for outdoor pursuits like mountain biking, hiking and even pottering around on the nearby Rochdale Canal.
And it’s just a stone’s throw from Hebden Bridge, one of West Yorkshire’s favourite market towns, with its range of galleries, restaurants, live music pubs and independent shops, as well as bring close to Haworth, the Brontë family home and a popular tourist attraction.
The Heptonstall Post Office and Village Store has been in the same hands for 20 years and is only on the market because the current owner, Tony Spink, is now planning to wind down from work.
He said: “Heptonstall is a lovely village with quaint weavers’ cottages surrounded by countryside and beautiful scenery.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my customers. It’s a wonderful place to earn a living.”
For anyone who likes the outdoors, Heptonstall is perfect: it’s on the route of the popular 50 miles circular walk known as the Calderdale Way and close to the National Trust’s woodland site, Hardcastle Crags.
The village attracts visitors to its quaint cottages and cobbled streets which were once home to hand-loom weavers, and its distinctive 18th century octagonal Methodist Church, the oldest one in continual use anywhere in the world.
The Post Office and Village Shop, which is a freehold property, is one of just a handful of shops serving the community, and it provides a vital service.
With no mobile banking service in Heptonstall, and no banks at all in Hebden Bridge, which has only a limited mobile service, the availability of banking services mean the Post Office is in constant demand from locals and visitors.
Because it’s a ‘community office’, the Post Office provides a contract of remuneration to the Postmaster/Postmistress so there’s a steady income, while retail sales of groceries, gifts, souvenirs, sweets, drinks and newspapers also boost profits.
For an enterprising new owner, there’s the opportunity to tap into soaring local demand for organic and locally produced food, while upstairs there’s space which is currently used for storage but could be turned into a small flat.
The business is being sold through Leeds-based experts Ernest Wilson, which has more than four decades of experience of helping people find their dream business.
Robert Williamson at Ernest Wilson said: “This is a great ‘lifestyle’ business which offers the rewards of working in and with the local community in a picturesque part of the country.
“The current owners have been here for many years and have achieved good sales, Post Office income and profits along the way. There are many ways in which a new owner or partnership could boost the sales and profits if so desired.”
Want to escape to the West Yorkshire country? Or just fancy a whole new way of working? Ernest Wilson has dozens of quality businesses for sale across the country, with support to help new owners take their first steps as their own boss.
To find out more, visit www.ernestwilson.co.uk.