We are all familiar with the unmistakeable scenes of Huddersfield.

There’s the postcard perfect St George’s Square with the grand Railway Station facade and Harold Wilson Statue. You’ve got the picturesque centre of Holmfirth with the rolling hills and Holme Moss looming in the backdrop. And who could miss out the ubiquitous view of Emley Moor TV mast and Castle Hill?

But some of these pictures could easily be mistaken for other parts of the world. Let’s take a look at some stunning shots taken around the town and our surrounding countryside...

Sun rise over Saddleworth Moor

You’d half expect to see the silhouettes of a herd of elephants sweeping across this beautiful shot. The searing orange sunset looks just like that pictured over East African Savannahs. It was actually taken on Saddleworth Moor above Holmfirth.

Redbrook Reservoir, Manchester Road, Marsden

The idyllic waters in this picture may well just as easily be a soothing Scandanavian scene, particularly with the atmospheric morning mist hanging in the air. The longer you stare it at, the calmer you’ll feel.

Those who live in the Marsden area however may recognise this as Redbrook Reservoir, on Manchester Road. The tiny reservoir sits at more than 350m above sea level and has its own sailing club.

Huddersfield Observatory, taken by James Brook
Huddersfield Observatory, taken by James Brook

This stunning galactic image could almost be the backdrop to a sci-fi blockbuster, and could just as easily be taken in the deserts of Arizona or Utah. Slightly less exciting, it’s actually the night sky from Huddersfield Observatory, near Crosland Moor. The observatory is used by Huddersfield Astronomical Society and houses a Meade 16 inch telescope. It’s popular with local stargazers and photographers.

Northern Lights seen over Saddleworth Moor
Northern Lights seen over Saddleworth Moor

Any sniff of the Northern Lights has immediate associations with Scandanavia and the Scottish Highlands. This remote spot is far away from any light pollution from nearby towns and settlements, but it was actually taken near Saddleworth, not Sweden.

Closer to Greenfield than Greenland, this image was sent to our sister paper the Manchester Evening News after it was snapped on the moors between Huddersfield and Oldham.

Eastergate Bridge, Marsden

All this picturesque bridge is missing is Gandalf and a horde of dwarves from Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The saga, along with the Lord of the Rings, were all filmed in New Zealand with its dramatic mountainous scenery, and this scene looks like a hobbit’s skip and jump from The Shire.

The bridge, in fact, is Eastergate Bridge near Marsden, which was once used for packhorses and is now a popular spot for walkers.