Follow the canal towpath a few minutes west of the centre of Hebden Bridge and you reach Hebble End Works, an old weaving and dye works mill that now houses artists, makers and independent traders. Valley Records and Art occupies a corner of it, part second-hand record shop and part art studio, with crates of soul, funk, reggae and house waiting to be dug through and work on the walls while you browse.
Background / History
The shop is run by Mike Rotaone, who combines a working life in art with a steady trade in second-hand vinyl. Hebble End Works gives the business a fitting home, a converted mill on the canal where artists, makers and small independent shops share the building around a courtyard café. Valley Records and Art works to a straightforward principle of good music at fair prices, and stock reaches collectors well beyond Calderdale through a Discogs storefront as well as filling the racks inside. Opening runs Thursday through to Sunday, which leaves the rest of the week for buying, sorting and pricing up whatever has come in.
What You’ll Find
Everything here is second-hand and the spread is deliberately wide. Soul, funk, reggae and disco sit alongside hip hop, house, techno and synth, with rock, prog, psychedelia, jazz, punk, pop, new wave, afro and world music filling out the rest of the bins. A West Yorkshire hip hop section is given its own space, gathering releases by artists from the towns and cities around the valley. The soul racks are a particular strength, and classic house 12 inch singles are priced to be played rather than filed away. Stock turns over constantly, so the bins rarely look the same twice, and the art side of the business means original work and prints share the wall space with the records. Mike buys as well as sells, so it is worth asking if you have a collection you are ready to move on.
Experience / Atmosphere
The shop keeps the character of the mill unit it sits in, all whitewashed walls, exposed timber beams and a concrete floor, with crates and boxes lined up at browsing height and artwork hung around them. It is an owner-run space and the pace is unhurried. Mike is usually on hand, ready to talk through a find, steer you towards a section or put something on that you have not heard before. The setting adds to it, with the towpath just outside and the rest of Hebble End Works to wander through once you have finished digging. Weekend afternoons bring a mix of regulars and people passing through Hebden Bridge, and nobody is pushed to buy quickly or move along.
Why Visit
- Second-hand vinyl across soul, funk, reggae, disco, house, techno, hip hop, jazz, punk, prog and rock
- A dedicated West Yorkshire hip hop section putting artists from the local area in front of browsers
- Strong soul racks and keenly priced classic house 12 inch singles
- Original art and prints displayed alongside the records, reflecting the shop’s second life as a studio
- A canal-side setting inside a converted mill shared with makers, independent shops and a courtyard café
- Owner-run, so recommendations come straight from the person who chose the stock
Summary
Valley Records and Art rewards anyone willing to give the bins proper time. The stock is genuinely eclectic, the pricing is fair and the West Yorkshire hip hop section gives the shop a local character you will not find in many other places. Add the mill setting on the canal and the artwork on the walls, and it becomes an easy stop on a day out in Hebden Bridge, whether you arrive with a want list or simply want to see what has turned up. Thursday to Sunday is the window, so plan your visit around it.
