The Brontës and Haworth

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or many readers, Yorkshire and the Brontës are inseparable.  Renowned for living in almost complete isolation on the Yorkshire moors, many literary critics and biographers have used the idea of the Brontës living secluded lives as an explanation for the dark, gothic themes of the well-known novels they created like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.   In fact, it has often been considered that the only reason these books were written is because their authors were completely removed from civilised society!

It has often been considered that the only reason these books were written is because their authors were completely removed from civilised society

However, this notion of the sisters living isolated lives is far from the truth.  The Brontë sisters actually lived in the small village of Haworth, and grew up in the Parsonage there, with their father being the vicar of the surrounding area.  For this reason, they lived in one of the largest houses in Haworth and were prominent figures in their local community.  It is also often considered that the Brontës lived hermitic lives, never venturing far from the village.  This is another myth though, as the sisters were actually surprisingly well-travelled, with Emily and Charlotte both travelling to Brussels to improve their education.

Nowadays, it is now a quaint village and tourist centre filled with vintage teashops and second-hand bookshops

In the time of the Brontës, Haworth was an industrial centre, not the isolated, secluded place that is so often imagined.  Nowadays, it is now a quaint village and tourist centre filled with vintage teashops and second-hand bookshops.  The Parsonage is worth visiting, now a busy museum and tourist attraction run by The Brontë Society.  The house itself looks directly onto the gloomy and bleak landscape of the surrounding moor made so famous in Wuthering Heights, so it is not hard to see where all these myths originated from.  A visit to the Parsonage means you can quite literally step back into the mysterious world of the Brontës, seeing the rooms in which they used to write and live.  Again, there are many famous stories about the sisters, including one where they are rumoured to have walked around the dinner table planning their novels in the evenings.  With the dramatic backdrop of the moors and the eerie setting of the house, it is not hard to imagine these stories coming to life.

In the village of Haworth you can also visit the Brontë Falls, the Brontë Bridge, and the Brontë Stone Chair, where the sister supposedly sat and wrote their first stories.  Haworth is the location of Top Withens farm, rumoured to be the inspiration for the farm of Wuthering Heights itself, which is now a place of pilgrimage for avid readers and tourists, although the debate about whether this farmhouse really was the inspiration for Wuthering Heights is ongoing.  There are many other local buildings and places around Haworth which are considered to be inspirations for the famous novels – the connections to the Brontë in this small village are seemingly endless!

A visit to the Parsonage means you can quite literally step back into the mysterious world of the Brontës, seeing the rooms in which they used to write and live

After visiting Haworth and the Brontë Parsonage, it’s clear that the famous authors still hold an important place in the life of the community.  What’s even more evident, however, is that there are many myths about the Brontë sisters which are actually far from the truth.

Image credits: Chris Cox / Flickr (Header), Madelaine Grambow / Flickr (Insert)