Monday 7 August 2017

Back To Haworth

Did you watch To Walk Invisible, the television film about the Bronte family, which was shown over the Christmas period last year? I really enjoyed it. Much of the filming took place in Haworth, a village in West Yorkshire, where the Brontes grew up. If you didn't manage to catch it, I can highly recommend it if you get the chance to see it.

We often have a drive out to Haworth, it's a lovely little village and a nice place for a stroll. We decided to visit again yesterday and I'm pleased to say that although it started spitting with rain just as we arrived, the rain held off and the sun kept making an appearance.

This is the parsonage where the Brontes lived and wrote their famous novels, it is now the Bronte Parsonage Museum. We didn't go inside as we had Archie with us, but I believe that there's an exhibition of costumes, props and photography from To Walk Invisible on until the end of the year which is free with admission to the museum.


From the parsonage garden, you can look across the graveyard and see St Michael and All Angels' church where Patrick Bronte was perpetual curate. The Bronte family, with the exception of Anne who is buried in St Mary's churchyard in Scarborough, are buried in a crypt beneath the east end of the church.


Patrick Bronte was responsible for the building of the Sunday school.


As the blue plaque shows, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne all taught here and Charlotte's wedding reception was held here in 1854.


Haworth Main Street is set on a steep hill, it's fine walking down but it's a bit of a challenge walking back up it again.


It was nice to see some new businesses had opened since we were last there, selling all manner of things.



The Souk has been here for a long time, it's a treasure trove of vintage items and jewellery and is always very popular.


The old apothecary at the top of Main Street is well known for being the place where Branwell bought his laudanum. It's still owned by the same family who bought the shop over thirty years ago but it's been rebranded since we last visited and it's now known as Cabinet of Curiosities. The beautiful cabinets and units which have been salvaged from chemists, grocery shops and museums still hold handmade candles, soaps and bath powders but now there's also a new range of gifts, inspired by the Cabinets of Curiosity or "wonder-rooms" of Renaissance Europe.


I love how attractive some of the shops are.


There's also cottages on Main Street and some of these are beautifully decorated outside too.


Haworth is very dog friendly, they can't be taken in the museum, of course, but many of the shops allow dogs inside and so do the pubs.


If you're ever in the area, Haworth is a lovely place for a day out. We didn't venture further than the parsonage and on Main Street, but there's also the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. You can take a ride to Oakworth station where The Railway Children was filmed, or if you enjoy walking you can take a hike to Top Withens, a ruined farmhouse which is said to have been the inspiration for the Earnshaw home in Wuthering Heights. About two miles from Haworth is Coldspring Mill, an old soap mill which has been restored and now sells outdoor clothing and equipment as well as one floor being stocked from floor to ceiling with knitting yarn. We did stop by on our way home but I didn't buy anything on this occasion.

It was a lovely day out and as Mick is on holiday again this week, I'm hoping that we can have some more nice days out during the week. Weather permitting.

38 comments:

  1. Lovely photos, I absolutely love the Bronte family and the history behind them. The street are beautiful and the planting exquisite.

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    1. It's such a lovely place to visit and the history so interesting. I never tire of visiting.

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  2. I've never been to that area before but it looks beautiful. I'm not surprised you enjoy visiting. X

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    1. We have so many lovely places in the UK, we're spoilt for choice.

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  3. I visited Haworth for the first time last October.My children paid for a weekend away at 'The Old Registry' at the bottom of the high street for my husband and I. It has been a dream of mine to go there since I watched the 1970s TV series 'The Brontes' and also because of the connections with the Railway Children. We had a wonderful time and your lovely photos have brought back some very happy memories, thank you.

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    1. It sounds like you had a wonderful time in Haworth, I'm pleased my photos have brought back some happy memories. I noticed The Old Registry yesterday, in fact, there's quite a few holiday lets on Main Street, what a lovely place to stay.

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  4. Wonderful to go visiting with you! I love the fairy doors, one of those would look so cute at the bottom of one of our trees - but we do already have a lot of garden ornaments, so perhaps not!

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    1. Those fairy doors are very cute. I have a lot of garden ornaments too, I do like a bit of quirkiness in a garden.

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  5. A most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. I'm been there once a long time ago and do remember The Souk. xx

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    1. The Souk is like a treasure trove filled with lots of interesting things, it's been there for a long time.

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  6. Yet another place to add to the "must-visit" list!!

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    1. I don't think you'd be disappointed, it's such an interesting place with all the history and the little shops are a delight to look around too.

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  7. I really enjoyed the tour around Haworth, thanks for showing us your lovely photos. 😊

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    1. There's lots to see in Haworth, a lovely place to visit.

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  8. Haworth is a place I'd like to visit and your photos make me want to go there even more! :o)

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    1. Perhaps one day you'll get to visit, I'm sure you'd enjoy it.

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  9. Now that brings back memories of my first ever trip in 1991. We visited Haworth, the Parsonage, the town, & also came in on the steam train. It was great, but alas haven't had time to do it again on any of our further trips across. Maybe we'll remedy that one day. Thanks for your wonderful photos & words. Have a lovely week with Mick & take care.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed visiting Haworth too. I love all the history associated with the village.

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  10. When I visited the parsonage years ago the thing that struck me was just how tiny their shoes were.

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    1. I find it amazing that we get to see the Bronte's actual possessions. I bet they never dreamed that their house and belongings would be of interest to anyone all these years later.

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  11. What a wonderful day out, it's a place I'd very much like to go. It looks like there are some interesting shops to browse too xx

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    1. It's definitely worth a trip out, though not very wheelchair friendly I'm afraid. The street is very steep and cobbled, I remember visiting when we had one of the children in the pushchair and even that wasn't very easy.

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  12. Sounds a perfect day out, you were lucky with the weather.

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    1. We didn't know how the weather was going to pan out when we set off but it stayed fine, thank goodness. I don't think we'll be going far today, it's throwing it down again.

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  13. Haworth is wonderful to stroll round; the churchyard is like something out of a Hammer movie, though! Great tour.

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    1. I really enjoy looking round churchyards and reading the headstones, I found it so interesting when I was researching my family tree.

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  14. Sounds like a wonderful time and isn't that home lovely with all of the potted plants. I would love to do something like that but my ability to remember to water them would have to improve greatly :)

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    1. I used to grow all my veggies in containers and it's quite a chore when it comes to watering time. Flowers do look lovely in pots though, especially when grouped together in this way.

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  15. Looks like a lovely place to visit, I love that we have so many place like this in the UK with so much history and so many links to the past, we are very lucky.
    I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and the weather behaves so you can go out and about.

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    1. We're very lucky here in the UK, we have a lot of history and wonderful places to visit. Haworth is a favourite of ours, we never tire of going back.

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  16. If ever I'm near to Haworth ...I'd definitely visit.
    What a super place it looks and such a great variety of shops in the high street.
    Love those Fairy Doors!

    Woke up today to heavy rain, Yuck!
    Whatever the weather is like for the rest of this week, I hope you enjoy your days.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Haworth is somewhere I'd definitely recommend you visit if you're ever in the area, it's such a lovely place and so interesting too. We've had a decent day today weather wise, I just wish the wind would drop, but we managed to have a lovely day out.

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  17. How lovely, seeped in history and utterly charming. You have inspired me now, I really must go for a weekend, daughter would just love it. Being a huge fan of all things Bronte I really must search that programme.xxx

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    1. I really enjoyed To Walk Invisible, I'm sure you'd enjoy it too if you can find it. Some of the cottages on Main Street are holiday cottages, they'd be a lovely place to stay if you do book a weekend.

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  18. Hey Jo,
    I watched the programme over Christmas too, and it had quite an impact. Poor Bramwell....
    I've never been to Haworth, but I have a treasured book mark that my Mum bought me back from there in the early 90s.When I was a student at Leeds Uni, me and my friend Nina would always talk about going, but I'm afraid other things got in the way.
    Leanne xx

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    1. I wasn't really sure what to expect from To Walk Invisible but I was pleasantly surprised, I thought it was excellent. I enjoy other Sally Wainwright productions though too. What a shame you didn't get to Haworth whilst you were in the area, I'm sure you'd have enjoyed it.

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  19. Haworth has been on my to visit list forever!
    We recorded that programme then and our TV died and I lost it without seeing it, so annoying.
    It looks to be such a pretty village. I think if you live somewhere like that you really do have a responsibility to keep your home looking as spic and span as possible.
    Lisa x

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    1. You'd love Howarth, and the TV programme too, I hope they show it again as, even though I watched it at the time, I'd quite happily watch it again. I think you're right about keeping your home spic and span when you live in a tourist area such as this.

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