11 Comments
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LIMINAL BRITAIN's avatar

Been a while since I walked around the place

Jennifer's avatar

Thank you for posting this. So interesting.

Lucy Hearne Keane's avatar

Thank you for this great guide to Haworth. Its a place I dream of visiting someday.

La Bibliotrek | Read the World's avatar

This was a lovely post - thank you. It's been a while since I have visited the Yorkshire moors and this made me think I need to book a walking weekend there soon!

Literary Britain's avatar

Thanks so much for your comments. Haworth certainly warrants a revisit and I will complete the walk over the moor to Hebden Bridge one day! Thanks for reading.

Jane Saunte's avatar

Had to laugh at the reality of the moor compared to the imagined walk!

Lydia MacKinnon's avatar

Haworth is proudly in WEST Yorkshire. It is a village, not a town. Elizabeth Branwell didn't squeeze into the parsonage until after the death of her sister Maria. Ponden Hall is no longer a B&B but you can rent its Peat House via AirBnB. Your assertion that Top Withins was 'never the model for Wuthering Heights' is incorrect. It has long been associated with Wuthering Heights as the inspiration for the LOCATION of WH. Forthcoming scholarship will further strengthen this. The Brontë Birthplace in Thornton is now a museum, where you can also stay overnight www.brontebirthplace.com .

Literary Britain's avatar

Well that's wonderful, thank you. I will update my database accordingly. The article was written in 2017, so some facts may have changed. I stand by Top Withens, though. It was never associated with Wuthering Heights until it was used as a cover illustration in 1873. As for West Yorkshire. My bad; I apologise. Thanks for reading.

Literary Britain's avatar

I have now made the changes you suggested. I'm afraid I can't use "forthcoming scholarship" as a source. I am going on the plaque placed by the Brontë Society in 1964, and the description of WH in the novel, which is entirely dissimilar to Top Withens. Many thanks for your contribution.

Lydia MacKinnon's avatar

The illustrations by Wimperis were based on a list of actual locations for various locations in the novels which was provided to the publishers Smith and Elder by Ellen Nussey. Top Withins was never intended to be the house, Wuthering Heights. High Sunderland Hall is a better fit for that. However, Top Withins is quite possibly the inspiration for the location of WH and when this new scholarship is published I will send it to you. All best.