'I went to a town near Greater Manchester with trains from £2.20 and had the perfect sunny day out' A pub lunch by a canal, delicious ice cream, beautiful scenery and mesmerising ruins - all of this was just 30 minutes from Greater Manchester The MEN's Liv Clarke enjoyed a day out in Hebden Bridge (Image: MEN Staff ) On a weekday morning Manchester’s Victoria station is buzzing with commuters grabbing their coffees to go and bacon sandwiches from Greggs, either arriving into the city or journeying on to the likes of Liverpool and Leeds. My plans for the day looked rather different; I was escaping the crowds of the city to the calmness of the Calder Valley, specifically the market town of Hebden Bridge. ‌ As day trips go there isn’t really a destination or journey that can beat it. Direct trains run regularly between Manchester and Hebden Bridge with tickets starting from as little as £2.20 one way, cheaper than a coffee to go, and within 30 minutes you’ve arrived, not long after you’ve finished that morning coffee. ‌ After hopping on board my nearly empty train I bagged a window seat, providing the perfect vantage point to watch the surrounding landscape morph from urban sprawl to the ruggedness of the South Pennines. One of the first views of Hebden Bridge as you appraoch from the station (Image: MEN Staff ) My fellow passengers were a mixture of tourists and locals; one lad sat nearby struck up conversation about football with the ticket inspector, while two older visitors donned walking gear, eagerly watching the countryside whizzing past. Article continues below Mesmerised by the scenery out the window, it was one of those journeys that I didn’t want to end when the train pulled up at Hebden Bridge’s quaint station. But I was glad I did get off to explore this charming West Yorkshire town - here’s why. Try a croissant unlike any other for breakfast The bacon and Biscoff croissant at The Excited Goat (Image: MEN Staff ) Now everyone knows that the first rule of any day trip is to stop off at a cafe for a refreshment - luckily Hebden Bridge has no shortage of coffee shops, cafes and bakeries. I’d been recommended The Excited Goat, a coffee shop on Crown Street and having skipped breakfast I was ravenous. ‌ The counter was full of all sorts of tantalising cakes and bakes, including cinnamon rolls, chocolate-chip shortbread dusted with crunchy sugar and chunks of homemade cake. But I knew what my mission was: numerous reviews for the coffee shop recommended the intriguing stuffed croissant with Biscoff and bacon. It may sound like a bizarre combination - the menu even says ‘don’t knock it til you’ve tried it’- but it really does work. The croissant was crisp on the outside, the Biscoff spread was sweet and creamy and contrasted with the salty bacon. It certainly fills you up so the £4.80 price point feels reasonable. If it doesn’t sound like it’s for you there’s lots of other options on the menu, including bacon sandwiches, an array of egg options and a selection of stuffed croissants. Have a mooch around the shops Hebden Bridge is home to several independent shops (Image: MEN Staff ) ‌ If there ever was a place that’s so suited to having a mooch, Hebden Bridge is it. In fact you can even visit Mooch Cafe Bar for a refreshment mid-mooch, although I didn’t have a chance to stop by. I wandered around the maze of streets within the town; walking past fruit and veg shops with produce of everything colour bathed in the late morning sunlight, admiring the pasties and cream cakes on sale at Marshall Bakers (alas I was too full from my croissant to try any), and browsing the town’s independent clothes shops. Due to the timing of my visit I missed out on experiencing Hebden’s market, held on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, each day specialising in something different from pre-loved items to local produce. ‌ But I did have time to explore one of the town’s antique shops, Valley Antiques, which was packed to the rafters with an array of treasures, including several posters for New Order, The Smiths and the Hacienda, sat side by side with fine china and vintage ornaments. Visit the village of Heptonstall The steep path up to Heptonstall (Image: MEN Staff ) Cross over St George’s Bridge onto Royd Terrace and you’ll spot a rather steep cobblestone street with a sign saying ‘footpath to Heptonstall’ along with another saying ‘unsuitable for motors’, in case you were in any doubt over how steep it was. ‌ Eager to walk off my croissant, I embarked on a trek up the path, which should also be marked ‘unsuitable for those who’ve recently consumed copious amounts of pastry and Biscoff’. Still, the scenery was nice, with late blooming-bluebells sprouting up along the route. Halfway up I stumbled across the Cross Lanes Methodist graveyard, perched on the hillside and offering spectacular views over Hebden Bridge. From here I picked up Hepetonstall Road, resenting every car that whizzed past, and eventually arrived in the village of Heptonstall, a place that feels like a film set, emphasised by the fact the local tearoom, pub and museum were all closed during my visit. Yet it was still a delightful place to walk around. ‌ The ruins of the old church with the new church visible in the background (Image: MEN Staff ) I did get the chance to explore Heptonstall’s most unusual feature: the village’s two churches which stand side by side. The St Thomas the Apostle Church stands proud like any other village church and next to it are the ruins of its predecessor, which was damaged by a gale in 1847. The walls, pillars, tower and porch of the St Thomas a Becket Church are still standing, but everything else has long gone. It’s rather surreal but peaceful; visitors are free to wander around it and I was totally alone when I went. ‌ In the graveyard extension close to the church is the grave of American poet Sylvia Plath, who was married to Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, from nearby Mytholmroyd. Tuck into a pub lunch by the water The battered haddock sandwich at The Stubbing Wharf (Image: MEN Staff ) Returning back down to Hebden Bridge and my hunger restored, I went in search of a bite to eat. There are no shortage of pubs in the town, yet there was one I was after in particular. ‌ The Stubbing Wharf sits right by the canal, a short walk away from the town centre. I managed to secure the last remaining table next to the towpath, watching people stroll past in the sunshine. I tucked into a battered haddock sandwich served with chips (£11.95) and washed it down with locally brewed Vocation beer (£5.20). It was the perfect meal to graze upon as I looked out onto the water; the chips were hot and crisp, while the fish was accompanied with delicious yuzu and dill aioli. Walk along the canal Enjoy a stroll along the canal (Image: MEN Staff ) ‌ Snaking south of the town is the Rochdale Canal and no visit to Hebden Bridge is complete without a walk along the towpath. In fact it’s pretty hard to avoid - and why would you want to? The stretch of canal that flows beside the town is picture-perfect and there’s so much to look at. On the one hand there’s the tranquil calm of the water, reflecting the surrounding green trees on the sloping hillside opposite. But on the other you’ve got the terrace houses that border the towpath, with colourful plantpots arranged higgedly-piggedly style in tiny courtyards and glimpses of washing hanging out on lines strewn across back alleys. ‌ Then there’s the barges, each one with a different identity. Some are freshly painted with intriguing names like Crafts Afloat, supposedly used for art workshops, while others look rather worse for wear - yet they draw your eyes in as you wonder who owns them, what’s inside and where have they been. Relax in a park with an ice cream Treat yourself with a visit to Ted's Ice Cream Parlour (Image: MEN Staff ) Every day out in the sun needs an ice cream, so before my train home I stopped by Ted’s Ice Cream Parlour, recommended by a passer-by clutching a cone herself. This place is a proper ice-cream shop with all sorts of mouthwatering flavours. Article continues below Among the selection was cherry and cream, pistachio, bakewell tart, white chocolate and raspberry, Oreo; as well as stalwarts chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. A tough decision had to be made and in the end I walked out with one scoop of Bueno and one of stem ginger (a flavour that’s hard to come buy but always worth it). Two scoops cost £4.50, which felt a lot better value for money compared to some ice cream places in Manchester. Ice cream in hand, I headed to the small garden beside the Picture House to enjoy my treat and watch the world go. A pretty perfect end to a great day out. For more of the latest What's On news, click here.