Bronte country cottages, West Yorkshire self-catering accommodation.

Staying in Haworth and visit the Brontë family places of inspiration

Staying in Haworth and West Yorshire Bronte country

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Probably the most famous, and popular, tourist destination in this part of Yorkshire is Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters. This is a handsome village of cobbled streets, flanked by 18th and 19th century stone houses, and behind the church, the Parsonage, where some of the world's most influential and popular novels were written. The house is now a museum to the family, and is meticulously furnished and decorated exactly as it would have been when they live there. The Brontes were a remarkably unlucky family, for within five years of arriving in Haworth the mother and two eldest daughters were dead, and the year after they set the London literary world alight, in 1848 Branwell, Emily, and Anne all died from tuberculosis. Is it any wonder that after Charlottes' death, in childbirth eight years later, that their father went slowly insane. The family provides the majority of the living in the town and there are lots of idyllic holiday cottages in Haworth. There are some lovely walks on the moors, some inspired by the books (Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Villette); alternatively you can join the Pennine Way and head south to Hebden Bridge.

Hebden Bridge has reinvented itself from a textile centre to a more eclectic arty community. Apart from the families who have lived here for decades Hebden Bridge is now home to university academics, life-long hippies, and a large gay section, and as such has a inordinate number of book-shops, arts and crafts galleries, organic cafes, and the like. In the visitor centre you will find a comprehensive selection of maps and leaflets, most notably on Hardcastle Crags, two secluded, wooded valleys, with several waterfalls, streams, and plenty of walking trails for all levels of experience.

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Stay near The Bronte Way - walking route

The Bronte Way is a 43 mile cross Pennine walking route joining towns and villages associated with the work and lives of the Bronte sisters. The route starts at Oakwell Hall in Birstall, and passes Clayton village, Thornton village (Bronte Birthplace), Haworth village, The Bronte Waterfall, The Bronte Chair, The Bronte Bridge, Ponden Hall, Top Withens, Wycoller, and finishes at Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham, near Burnley in Lancashire. A 43 mile challenging walk that can take around 4 days with literacy and inspirational associations with the writings of the Brontë family, heritage and Yorkshire dales and moorlands.

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Rent holiday cottages in Haworth

Holiday accommodation in Haworth in the heart of the Pennines, with a golf course close by and pubs for wonderful Yorkshire Beer and food!

You can travel to Haworth via the famous Keighley and Worth Valley Railway by steam train on a journey very often featured in films (the most famous being The Railway Children) and on TV. There is a regular timetable available and very often special weekends and children’s events are organised with fun for all the family.

The nearest major centre to Haworth is Keighly, with its famous indoor market. There is also a modern shopping centre in the town and the shopping area of Cavendish Street with its Edwardian street canopy and cobbled indoor courtyard is well worth a visit. Summer is a busy time in Keighley with the annual Festival and Temple Street Fair held in June, the Keighley Gala in August and the Keighley Show and Beer Festival in September. And of course the Picture House and Playhouse offer a comprehensive range of entertainment throughout the year.

The administrative centre for the region is of course the city of Bradford. Well connected to Brontë Country by Rail and Bus, and less than an hour away by car, Bradford is perhaps best known for its remarkable Asian-style restaurants, boasting amongst its varied styles of cuisine several award-winning establishments. The city is currently undergoing a major redevelopment.

As well as the wonderful Alhambra Theatre, the city is home to the National Film and Television museum, where you can try your hand at television presentation and enjoy plenty of interactive activity tracing the origins of that great British invention, television. And for those feeling a little energetic, there is an ice rink next door to the museum where children from 8 to 80 can enjoy a few hours on ice.