Bronte Country from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Tuesday, 08 September 2009 08:14

Haworth - the home of the Brontës, arriving by steam train, the best way!

This is a look back, but worth a blog as it is a really good experience!

The Keighley and Worth Valley Steam Railway stops at Haworth Station for all the Brontë fans to visit the Parsonage Museum and indulge in a literary fest dedicated to the Brontë authors. I am a Brontë fan, so it was an opportunity not to be missed! We were moored at East Riddlesden, took the bus to Keighley and caught the steam train.

The Oxenhope area was an area of wool mills and weaving and pre Brontë times Haworth was just part of the area around Oxenhope. The church in Haworth was the Parish Church for the area until 1845 - it was Revd. Patrick Brontë who sent his curate to start the church in Oxenhope further up the Worth Valley.

The village of Haworth is up a steep cobbled hill from the station

At the bottom of the hill are 18th century weavers cottages

The cottages are a remnant of the old industry - note the large upper windows that gave light to the weaving looms whilst the family lived below, living "under" the shop! They are now holiday cottages.

Rather than go all the way up the cobbled hill, we diverted left into Central Park. This is beautifully kept and affords good views across the valley. It is also an easier route up to Haworth High street.

We paused to catch our breath and admire the view

Haworth High Street is a "walk back in time", apart from (of course), the all important individual-transport-metal-boxes (let the reader understand) and all the tourists! What a shame; but I used my imagination to take me back a couple of centuries to horse power, toiling workers and the comparatively rich "Parsonage family".

Bottom of the High Street

Howarth shop front

Half way up!

We achieved the top of the hill!

Our next goal was the Parsonage Museum - the home of the Brontë family which was behind the church of St Michael and All Angels

The Parsonage

The Parsonage was built in 1778 and together with the gable wing, added by Patrick Brontë's successor, houses Bronte furniture and possessions, a library and exhibiiton room.

The tour of the Brontë rooms is fascinating (no photography allowed). There are displays of Charlotte, Emily and Anne's personal possessions and original writings. Bonnets, pens, shoes, toy soldiers and Branwell's (the sister's brother) paintings lend authenticity to the experience. Poor Branwell was never a success and has his own exhibition in the gable wing.

It was certainly worth the long haul up the hill! The old entrance to the graveyard and church from the Parsonage is marked by a stone. The Brontë graves - apart from Anne - are in the churchyard. In the background of the right photo below is the school where Charlotte Brontë taught.

Old gateGraves

We popped into the church

Inside are memorials to the Brontë family

This poem struck a chord to for us boaters

We left Brontë Country behind to return to our world and my literary efforts on the information highway that could not have been imagined by those talented writers of the 1800s.