Charlotte, Anne and Emily. The works of these three literary legends still resonate with readers today. Raised in the sheltered hills of the Yorkshire Dales these well-read women wrote fictional stories with iconic backdrops they drew from everyday life. Stunning moors, dramatic rain and wind, muddy streets and soggy dress hemlines, all of which were characters in themselves. I believe that anyone, whether a Bronte fan or not, would appreciate the unique beauty to be found in this part of England and the charming village of Haworth.
PLANNING AN ITINERARY
We planned our visit to Haworth as part of a day trip starting in Manchester over to York and then Haworth and back to Manchester again. You can cover that much ground easily in a day if you spend just about two hours in York to make the most of your day in Haworth.
If you’re looking to spend a weekend in Haworth there are some truly remarkable lodging options to keep your imagination immersed in Bronte night and day. Top of that list is the local five star lodging at the beautiful Ashmount Country House offering luxury bed and breakfast accommodations good for any romantic getaway. Another delightful option is the 16th century Manor home turned Inn at Haworth Old Hall . The breakfast is included with your room and the atmospheric pub and dining space are like stepping into the past.
Parking is very accessible to the village. But, if you’d rather not drive in England, traveling by train to this village is easily done by purchasing the appropriate add on ticket to your train trip from Leeds to Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. Ask at any train station and they will be able to help you.
VILLAGE LIFE
The village itself is surprisingly preserved from the days Anne, Charlotte and Emily walked the streets. Other than red telephone boxes and modern ads you could easily imagine it as it was in the early 1800’s and either of the girls walking down the hill from the parsonage to attend to the daily duties caring for their aged father. The main street is full of little shops and restaurants that can take as long or as little time as you like there. We enjoyed window shopping and taking in the architecture of this perfectly preserved avenue. Enjoy a few minutes looking through Hatchard & Daughters book shop at the secondhand and antiquarian books in stock. Perfect shop for a walk through this literary town. Perhaps a stop at The COOKHOUSE or at any of the other cafes along the main street to enjoy a cream tea while getting to know the locals or just some relaxed people watching.
THE BRONTES
The Bronte Parsonage Museum is the destination I headed for next and I highly recommend as well. The one time parsonage and Bronte home has been painstakingly turned into a perfect example of English life in the early 1800’s. The museum provides documentation of the Bronte sisters sheltered childhood, tragic family losses and the troubled life of the lesser known Bronte male, their brother Branwell. His tragic life and early death of drug and alcohol addictions were close up, inspired and believable details for their most troubled characters. The letters on display show a life of terrible loss in very difficult times where people in this part of England didn’t often live longer than the age of 25 due to the unsanitary living conditions. These written letters give insight into each of the girls surprising personalities as well as their love and support for each other.
I was amazed to see actual furniture tracked down that had been owned by the family on display in the home that is now the museum. You will see the settee where Anne spent her last breath dying of Tuberculosis. In the Dining Room you can see the real writer’s table bearing markings of the families daily use. There are ink blots, a small letter “E” carved into the surface along with other markings of general use. The tiny room the three girls sat at writing all their imaginative stories is on display as if they would be along shortly to perhaps offer you a cup of tea and a chat. The wallpaper Charlotte had picked out was diligently searched for, found and reproduced just as it had been at the time she lived there. The museum has been restored to be exactly as it was down to the very paint color on the walls.
I hope you can take a day or even longer during your time in West Yorkshire, England to visit this picturesque village. I hope you find it as lovely a tribute to all those years ago when three girls in a parsonage at the edge of an isolated village in Yorkshire dared to become the literary champions we all know them to be now. I know I did.
