Walking Around Haworth, Home of the Brontë Sisters
The village of Haworth in West Yorkshire is famous the world over for being home to Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, also known as Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell when writing under pseudonym. Visitors flock to the parsonage every year to see the ordinary yet special place that fostered the imaginations and writing of these extraordinary women. I was one of the eager throng in January of 2016. My mom was visiting me in England, and we were so excited about our day trip to Haworth. We parked just outside of the village on the top of a hill near the cemetery. The wind whistled and “wuthered” around us as we walked down the hill into the narrow cobbled streets, setting the stage perfectly for a visit to Brontë country. It was almost lunchtime when we arrived so we popped into Cobbles & Clay for the most delicious meal and warming cups of tea. Thus fortified, we could continue our walk through the town, catching glimpses of the surrounding green hills as we walked.
Haworth is a perfectly charming village, and my mother and I had so much fun peeking in the windows and stepping into the few shops that were open, and therein lies the defining part of our visit: It was the first week of January, and most of the shops were closed (most importantly, the bookshops!), and the parsonage was also closed for refurbishment. It seems like such a rookie travel mistake now, but since Haworth wasn’t that far from home, I didn’t think to check the website before hopping in the car. You might think this circumstance would put a complete damper on our outing, but truthfully, we still had such a wonderful time exploring Haworth. We still stood right outside the parsonage, looked at the schoolhouse where Charlotte taught, and walked through the church where many of the family are buried. We heard the wind whistling off the moors and felt its coldness creep into our bones, and the sense of place was very strong, despite not being able to walk through the very rooms where the famous writers lived. I recommend a visit whether the museum is open or not. I definitely plan to go back one day, and this time I will check the opening hours.
For more pictures around Haworth, check out the picture gallery.