Bronte fans - Haworth parking alert
 

To ensure Fodorites get the message I have taken the liberty of copying the following letters from the Sydney Morning Herald's weekend travel section -

Weekend June, 9-10

<b>Some mistake, officer...</b>
If travellers decide to act on Simon Goldhill's suggestion to visit Haworth and the Bronte parsonage in Britain (Armchair Journey, Traveller, May 26-27), they may do well to heed advice about parking, if driving there. Haworth is a delightful village in West Yorkshire that oozes Bronte history, but unsuspecting visitors who park at the Changegate car park next to the parsonage (opposite the Edinburgh Woollen Mills shop) need to be aware this is a private car park over which the police have no jurisdiction. Unwitting visitors who are five minutes late returning, have parked slightly outside their space or whose ticket has fallen off the dashboard, will find their car wheel clamped. The only way to have it unclamped is to pay £90 ($140) to the parking officer, who also happens to be the car park owner.
- Patricia Farrar

with follow-ups this weekend, June 23-24 -

<b>Timed out at Haworth</b>
We returned to our car at Haworth, Yorkshire (Traveller, June 9-10), to find it clamped, with two tattooed men sitting in a van waiting for us. My husband had to hand over his gold watch as a deposit while we drove to get the £90 ($140) to pay them.
- Marian Hurd

<b>Premium parking</b>
I have also been caught parking "illegally" at Haworth's private car park. I parked for no more than 10 minutes and was lucky that the parking officers (two large men) had just unclamped another car and offered to unclamp my wheel for £75. It would have been more had I phoned them to unclamp it. It ruined my time in Haworth.
- Christine Daly

These regulatons apply to any land in the UK which is managed by an independent, private car park management company. The general rule is follow the rules or you will be fined.

The guy in Haworth is notorious. It's an extreme case.

I'm not sure Padraig, there are extreme examples everywhere here. In many cases, the management staff just wait for you to break the rules, by say 2 minutes, and then dash over with ticket/clamp.

It has become better since the government increased regulation but I don't think the example above in unique to Haworth.

I should know, our management company do the same but it solved our unwanted parking issues on our land.

This guy in Haworth got significant television coverage a few years ago. It's not just overstaying by a minute that gets people's cars clamped. You can be done for an improperly displayed ticket, even if it is clearly visible, or for being marginally outside a delineated space, even if there is no obstruction. It seems clear that his business plan is geared towards profiting from penalty charges more than from the basic business activity. [What makes me think of Ryanair?]

Given that Haworth is a tourist destination (one I have yet to visit) I think farmermog's warning is merited.

Just made me think of Ryanair too!

I think it is worth highlighting the issue of parking in the UK to all visitors. 20 years ago you could probably get away with parking on any private land. If the signs are up and you do not follow the rules now, there is a whole industry ready to take your cash.

Please don't anyone be put off visiting Haworth though. It is a lovely place, just busy and small with plenty of parking pressure on the space available. Which pretty much sums up the UK.