By Greg Dawson
The historic Shibden Hall in Halifax recently saw a huge spike in visitors after the success of new BBC TV drama Gentleman Jack earlier this year.
The owners of the manor turned museum announced their visitor numbers increased by 700% after the show aired.
The television series focuses on heiress Anne Lister of Shibden Hall, played by Suranne Jones, who used her charm and charisma to make her way into 19th-century high society and save her ancestral home.
Robin Tuddenham, Calderdale Council’s Chief Executive, stated that the success of the show has been a game changer for the tourism in the area, thanking the staff for the role they played giving good service to the visiting public.
So now we are dubbed “Hollywood of the North” @yorkshirepost! well the @Calderdale story is quite something, @GentlemanJackAL et al & @Channel4 coming to @LeedsCityRegion will be a further boost for all of us #VisionCdale2024 https://t.co/16AshB7l43
— Robin Tuddenham (@robintuddenham) May 28, 2019
TV channel HBO began showing the series in April and US visitors have already begun to flock to visit the set of the show.
Mr Tuddenham wrote “The impact has been immediate with tourists arriving from across the pond, and I understand people almost fighting over places on the Anne Lister heritage walks!
“Tourism is now worth a massive £344 million – £96 million more to the economy than in 2010. Both day visits and overnight stays have grown. This has been down in a large part to the hard work of the tourism and events team, and the brilliant efforts our Museums and Library Service”
“We are now seeing Halifax and Calderdale taking their place on the national and international map as destinations for culture, arts and heritage”
Other tourist spots in the Calderdale area include the Halifax Piece Hall, an 18th-century cloth hall which houses a collection of cultural art exhibits along with shops, bars and restaurants.