A 'town of beauty' is unearthed for society.

DR John Hargreaves, speaking to Holme Valley Civic Society about the history of Halifax, showed that Sir John Betjemen's description of it as 'a town of hidden beauty' was well deserved'.

Halifax was not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and its growth was only slow until the 19th century when, having become an important centre for metalworking and textiles, its population rose sharply to about 25,000 in 1850.

Today it stands at about 80,000. Although much of the appearance of Halifax is late Victorian, there are some much older buildings in the town, the oldest being the parish church, soon to be raised to the status of minster.

The church we see today is a mainly 15th century construction with Victoria modifications, but an older one may have existed as early as Domesday Book.

An interesting feature in the church is a statue of Old Tristram, a licensed beggar, dressed in 17th century clothing.

The town's Square Chapel is a superb example of Georgian Nonconformist architecture and is regarded as one of the finest chapels of the 18th century.

Unfortunately, many of the older buildings in Halifax have been moved or pulled down, including the mediaeval moot hall where meetings of the manorial court were held.

The hall was demolished in the 1950s, but a few examples of domestic architecture remain, including a 16th century merchant's house, a timber building, typical of a lot of yeoman clothiers' houses in the Calder Valley.

By the middle to late 18th century, many woollen merchants were becoming quite well off by dealing in kersey and their houses reflect their growing wealth.

In the late 18th century, until the building of the railway in the 1850s destroyed the springs, Halifax was a spa town, but the railway brought benefits too.

Edward Akroyd built Copley Mills and developed a model village at Copley, where sanitation was important, unlike the centre of the town where there were open sewers.

The Crossleys were another big manufacturing family who built a model village.

And in the 1850s Joseph Crossley gave the town the People's Park where Crosley Carpet factory workers could go to relax.

He also built almshouses for retired employees, a demonstration of Victoria philanthropy.

John Hargreaves was warmly thanked by chairman Margaret Hinchliffe for his fascinating and comprehensive account of the development of Halifax.

The Civic Society is organising walks in the Holme Valley in June, July and August.

The next open meeting will take place on Thursday September 17 at 7.30pm in Holmfirth Civic Hall when Eric Houlder will give an illustrated talk on Robin Hood: Yorkshireman.