What Remains - Revisiting Elmet Forty Years On

In the late 1970s, photographer Fay Godwin documented the Calder Valley at a moment of transition, capturing a landscape both lyrical and brooding—where wild moorland met post-industrial towns. Her images inspired Ted Hughes’ poems, published together as Remains of Elmet (1979).

Forty years on, the valley has evolved. Despite Hughes’ uncertainties, its communities have endured, and the land has begun to heal, softening the marks of industry.

In 2017, Steve retraced Godwin’s footsteps with Remains of Elmet in hand, re-photographing the original viewpoints. What began as exploration became a meticulous project, revealing both change and continuity across the landscape.

Commissioned by Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, this exhibition marks the 40th anniversary of Remains of Elmet. Godwin’s original photographs are shown alongside Steve’s revisited series, inviting visitors to reconsider familiar surroundings and reflect on what shifts—and what endures—over time.