The original Hawden Hole is now a restored property under the far grander name of Hawdon Hall. It can be found just a few hundred yards back along the access road from Hebden Hey.

The original Hawden Hall was demolished, although the old barn was left standing and it is that that can now be seen from the access road, the older building being closer to the road and parallel to it
 

Just into the property and visible clearly from the access road can be seen the stump of an old yew tree which played a major and sinister part in the murder. Unfortunately the yew tree itself was blown down in a storm in the winter of 1999/2000.

 On Friday February 7^th 1817, Samuel Sutcliffe was strangled to death and robbed at Hawden Hole!

That night two local villains, Michael Pickles and John Greenwood, hid in the large yew tree waiting for the return home of the elderly resident of Hawden Hall, Samuel Sutcliffe, knowing he had money on him.

On Sutcliffe’s return the two men broke into the house by a window and went into the old man’s room. However Sutcliffe woke up, and to prevent their discovery he was strangled in his bed!

The two men were not at liberty for long. Among the property stolen from the house was a banknote, issued by a local firm and easily traced, surfacing in the hands of Greenwood only days later. Both men blamed each other for the dastardly deed but to no avail. They were tried at York on Friday March 14^th 1817, and hanged on Monday March 17^th 1817

It is said that the ghost of one of the villains can be heard on a still night in the vicinity of the old yew tree, protesting their innocence to the murder and crying as like just before he was hung! Which one, no-one has ever found out!!