Haworth: Discover Brontë Heritage and Moorland

Haworth combines the history of the Brontë family with the open moorland of West Yorkshire. Anyone planning a trip here can combine cultural discoveries with walking trails, expansive views and a historic railway journey. Depending on whether you are primarily interested in literature, landscapes or both, you can also choose accommodation to suit a particular daily itinerary.

Following in the Footsteps of the Brontë Family

The Brontë Parsonage Museum is located in the parsonage where Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë wrote, among other works, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. The building was the Brontë family’s home from 1820 to 1861 and now houses the world’s largest and most important collection of Brontë manuscripts, works of art, household items and personal belongings.

A specific time is important to bear in mind when visiting the museum: admission is not timed, but the last admission is at 4 pm. This allows you to factor the visit into your daily itinerary without having to derive a fixed length of stay from it. The Haworth Conservation Area also includes more than 80 listed buildings. The grave of the Brontë family is located in the nave of St Michael & All Angels Church. Brontë Bridge is also considered one of the Brontë sisters’ favourite places.

Moorland and Trails Around Haworth

Penistone Hill Country Park is located just outside Haworth. It forms part of the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve and covers 72 hectares of moorland. Various walking trails cater to different fitness levels. The park’s defining features include former quarries and small ponds.

The Brontë Waterfalls can also be considered a landscape experience: they are most impressive after heavy rainfall. Top Withens is located on Haworth Moor, a ruined farmhouse near Haworth in West Yorkshire. From there, there are expansive views across Brontë Country. Top Withens is considered the place that is said to have inspired Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. The self-guided Brontë Connection Walk follows the Pennine Way across Haworth Moor to Top Withins Farm.

The Brontë Way is a walking trail outside Haworth that connects important places from the history of the Brontë family. This gives you a choice of different ways to explore: you can visit individual literary locations, plan a longer walk or experience the moorland independently of a museum visit.

Historic Railway as a Separate Excursion

Another option is the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. The historic railway line runs from Keighley to Oxenhope through Brontë Country and offers a five-mile journey. This excursion has a different focus from the routes across Haworth Moor: rather than hiking, the journey through the landscape takes centre stage.

Choosing the Right Accommodation for Your Travel Plans

When looking for a holiday apartment in Haworth, it helps to first decide what you want the trip to focus on. If Brontë heritage is the main focus, you can plan your days around the museum, Conservation Area, church and other literary locations. If you mainly want to spend time outdoors, Penistone Hill Country Park, Haworth Moor, the Brontë Waterfalls and the routes to Top Withens form the main points of interest.

If you are travelling with different interests, you can also choose accommodation based on whether cultural sightseeing, moorland or an excursion on the historic railway should take up more of your time. The available experiences therefore provide clear guidance for your search without requiring any particular accommodation feature.

For further travel planning, you can also visit the pages on Bradford, Keighley, Shipley, Ilkley and Bingley.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Bradford.