Searching for the Brontes
 

I will have three days in England before taking a short course on the Brontes in Oxford. I would like to spend this time in and around their native turf in West Yorkshire (Haworth) just to get an idea of the landscape. Could someone please give me some direction as to the best method of transportation from Heathrow up to a place (Leeds?) where I could rent a car. Does anyone know of guided tours of the area for an afternoon/day? Suggestions as to where to stay, small hotels or B & Bs. Any and all information on this area will be appreciated.

There is a good rail service from Kings Cross to Leeds, Haworth is in Bradford which is about an hour from Leeds. I suggest you access the Haworth Tourist information web site to get ideas on tours, accommodation etc. I know they do a tour of the Bronte Parsonage but I am not aware of other tours. Howarth is not a big village and is easily walkable, although hilly. You will be able to walk (quite a walk)to Top Withins from the Parsonage, which is the inspiration for Wuthering Heights. I have not been to Howarth for some time as I find it quite depressing, but that is just me, others I have spoken to love it. There is a lovely pub at the top of the village, can't remember its name, which serves lovely food. Hope you enjoy it.

Many thanks coldplay. So Leeds would be the best "hub" for train service from Kings Cross? Would Leeds also be a good base for the area? Keighley and Hebden Bridge also came up in a forum discussion in the past. Please post again if you remember the pub at the top of the village.

Nearest railway 'hub' would be Leeds, easily reached by fast trains from Kings Cross. You can hire a car there and tour Yorkshire, or you can get to Keighley (a short train ride) and catch a bus for Haworth. There are several B&Bs in Haworth, many quite close to the Parsonage. I would stay in the village rather than commute in from elsewhere, as there are some delightful walks to be had in the area, and the village is very quiet and atmospheric when day trippers are gone. There is one very good restaurant (in Good Food Guide for years) called Weavers Restaurant, which also has some accommodation.
http://www.weaversmallhotel.co.uk/
There is a good tourist information office at the top of the hill near the church, and Bronte Society is located at the Parsonage Museum.
http://www.bronte.org.uk/
http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/visitors/visitors.asp

Haworth isn't in Bradford!!
There's the Black Bull very close to the Parsonage Museum (where Branwell drank himself silly) but I don't know if they do accommodation. I've only had a drink there. Plus lots of other B&Bs in the village - I agree it would be best to stay there. The Bronte's aren't the only draw for Haworth - it has the Keighley and Worth Valley Steam railway too, so caters well for visitors. i tend to avoid the place in the summer, but I love to go out of season. The graveyard and the rooks in the trees in front of the Parsonage can be very spooky on a winter's evening.
I have stayed here a few years back and liked it.
www.rosebudcottage.co.uk
The Parsonage Museum is very good and often has special exhibitions, as well as you being able to tour the house. There is a car park above the Parsonage if you don't want to tackle the steep climb up.
Haworth isn't a pretty/pretty place, it's a Pennine 'industrial' village and can be extremely cold and bleak, even in the summer. I once took the car to do a walk above the village and it was so windy I couldn't get the car door open! And yes, this was in the summer. So treat any walks you do on the Moors as 'serious' ones with proper footwear and clothing. The rocky paths can be very slippery, and it can be muddy and marshy too.
This walk takes you past Top Withens and to the Bronte waterfall - Emily's ghost is supposed to walk this path but I have never seen her!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/conten..._feature.shtml
There are other Bronte sites wtithin reach - their birthplace in Thornton on the outskirts of Bradford (there's a blue plaque on the house), Ponden Hall (Thrushcross Grange?) Wycoller, Cowan Bridge and Gawthorpe for example - and you can visit some of these.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-gawthorpehall
http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/br...onden-hall.asp
http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/br...s/wycoller.asp
I also like to go to Anne Bronte's grave high above the cliffs in Scarborough but this would be a longish drive out to the coast for you.
Hope this helps - you will find Pennine Yorkshire very different from Oxford!

Morgana- Haworth is in Bradford Metropolitan Area, the postcode is BD22. I lived in Keighley for a while so I should know. It is easier for the OP to get her bearings if she is aware of the area she is travelling to.

<<< Haworth isn't in Bradford!! >>>

It's part of BradMet - and the sisters were born in Bradford

http://www.brontebirthplace.org.uk/

Anne Bronte is buried in Scarborough - which is probably as far you can get from Haworth and still be in Yorkshire (it's a 2 hour drive each way)

Oh - beware of the Yorhsire Clamper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/20...rkshire-review

I live in Yorkshire and I'm fully aware of how postcodes etc work (I have relatives who live in Norfolk but have a Suffolk postcode!!That still doesn't make Haworth part of Bradford, only part of Bradford MET which is a different thing altogether!
Haworth is a village several miles outside Bradford. More important the poster knows that than travels to the city itself.
And if she travels to Haworth from Leeds she will probably go by bus - Leeds - Keighley - Haworth, therefore not going to Bradford at all.

And before the pedants leap in - yep, I know the original idea is to hire a car, not go by bus, lol.

If you are not thinking of staying in Haworth consider Keighley or Bingley (both nice towns and both 6 miles away)I would also consider staying in the very atmospheric Hebden Bridge with its associations with Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath and Branwell worked in the nearby 'olde' village of Luddenden (it is 8 miles from Haworth - Bradford is 10 miles away but dont stay there). Leeds is quite a pleasant City well known for its shopping to us Northerners and could be a good base.

*reads thread*

*Is consumed with a rage hotter than a thousand suns*

Lol Cholmondley. To be honest I'm never been angry about anything written on here - there's far more important things to vent my spleen on, believe me! Apologies if I came over all cross and annoyed.
Hebden Bridge is a great idea, I do like that place.

Hebden Bridge is a great idea, I do like that place.>>>

And its very popular with wimmins.

'nuff said.

Unless you have a car then it's a pain to get from Hebden Bridge to Haworth

<<< And if she travels to Haworth from Leeds she will probably go by bus - Leeds - Keighley - Haworth, therefore not going to Bradford at all. >>>

Or just get the train to Keighley, walk past Sainsburys into Cavendish Street to get to the bus station

http://www.keighleyanddistrict.co.uk...63_664_665.asp

And you can go line dancig in Hebden Bridge.

It's famous for its diving too.

I can hardly wait to go line dancing but not certain what you mean about the diving. Off what, into what? Not that it matters much because I am certain I will not be doing such. Hebden Bridge sounds good to me. Now the idea is to catch a train from London to Leeds. Overnight in Leeds (a good hotel within walking distance from station?), rent a car and find a place in Hebden Bridge for two nights for exploring and pub crawling. And thanks for all the help.

Hebden Bridge has the highest concentration of Lesbians anywhere in Britain.

There may be something interesting in this article from The Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...m-Haworth.html

Anyone know how this Bronte pilgrimmage worked out?