Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are just two of the classic novels brought into being by the immensely talented trio of sisters; Emily, Charlotte and Anne Bronte.As a combined History & English Lit student, the Bronte Sister’s novels have been a staple of my degree, and so I’d always wanted to visit their home of Haworth where they all lived and died. I’d previously visited Haworth with York Uni Outdoor Society in early December, and if you want the genuine wild experience, where you are at the mercy of the elements then this is the time to go! I’ve never experienced winds so strong and driving rain sweeping in across the empty moors. It was so strong it made it a real challenge to walk. Needless to say the trek was shortened and we quickly ended up in one of Haworth’s warm,cosy pubs on its pretty main street.
This time round however, I encountered the moors in weather conditions on the complete opposite end of the scale. A late June heatwave had hit Yorkshire and most of the country, making our trek across the moors one of baking sun and bright blue skies. The light breeze was a welcome relief on this occasion! Walking out from the Penistone Hill car park, we made our way along to Bronte falls and then up over the moors to the isolated Top Withens, a deserted farmhouse ruin which has been heralded as an inspirational location for Emily’s imagining of Wuthering Heights.Along the way we saw a noisy pair of curlews who were clearly defending their nest and flocks of lapwings with their distinctive ‘pee-wit’ noise!
Lying under the two lone trees next to the ruined house, mum and I enjoyed a picnic and a rest in the shade. I closed my eyes and all I could hear was silence. The moors are so strangely quiet especially without the usually constant wind.
Looking out across the moors you can’t help but imagine Cathy and Heathcliff running riot through the bracken, and even on a bright, sunny day the moors still possess a stark and beautifully eerie atmosphere.
have you visited Haworth before? let me know what your experience was like in the comments below.
Sarah Clews Photography 