The Bronte Parsonage is the house where one of the most famous literary families in the English language grew up, wrote and, in too many cases, died young. It stands at the top of the steep cobbled Main Street in Haworth, beside the church and the moorland graveyard, and it was the home of Patrick Bronte, the village clergyman, and his six children from 1820. Three of those children, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, became novelists whose books, among them Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, are still read all over the world. Their brother Branwell painted and wrote poetry and struggled with drink and debt. Today the parsonage is a museum run by the Bronte Society, and it is one of the best-loved writers' houses in Britain. The rooms have been arranged to reflect how the family lived, with the dining room where the sisters walked round the table at night, reading out their work to each other, the small study, the kitchen and the bedrooms upstairs. Alongside the rooms there are galleries that show manuscripts, tiny handwritten books, letters, clothing, drawings and everyday objects, so you see not only the famous novels but the household they came from. The house sits right at the edge of the moors that shaped the books, and standing in the garden with the churchyard on one side and the heather hills on the other makes the link between landscape and story unusually clear.
How to visit
Haworth is a village in the hills above Keighley, and the museum is at the top of Main Street, a steep cobbled road lined with independent shops and tea rooms. Most visitors arrive by car and park in the village car parks lower down, then walk up. You can also come by bus from Keighley or ride the heritage Keighley and Worth Valley Railway to Haworth station, which is a pleasant way to arrive and a short but steep walk from the house.
Opening days and hours change with the season and the museum can close for part of the winter, so check the days for your date on the museum website before you travel, and buy a ticket there if advance entry is offered.
What to expect
The house is a modest Georgian building, so the rooms are small and can feel crowded in busy periods. Expect to follow a route through the ground floor and upstairs, with information panels and staff on hand to answer questions. The exhibitions change from year to year, which makes the museum worth a second visit for readers who have been before, and they usually concentrate on a theme in the sisters' lives or work.
Give yourself about an hour and a half for the house and garden, longer if you read every label. There is a shop with books and gifts, and the village has plenty of cafes for a break afterwards. Photography rules inside the house vary, so ask when you arrive.
Making the most of it
Go early in the day or in the quieter months for the best atmosphere, because the rooms are at their most evocative when you can linger. Read a little before you go, even just the first chapters of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, since the house means more when the books are fresh in your mind. After the museum, walk down into the churchyard and visit St Michael and All Angels church, where the family is commemorated, and then take the footpath onto the moors.
The route to Bronte Bridge and the ruined farmhouse of Top Withens, often linked with Wuthering Heights, is a popular walk of a few hours, though it is exposed, so wear boots and carry a waterproof. Haworth also pairs naturally with Bolton Abbey and a Dales day, and many tours from York and Harrogate combine them.
Who it suits
Literature students, book clubs, fans of period drama and anyone who enjoys a writer's house will find it rewarding. Couples enjoy the village and the moor walk, and older children who have met the novels at school usually get something from it, although younger children may find the quiet galleries slow. Access is limited by the age of the building and the steep village street, so visitors with limited mobility should check the access information in advance and consider a taxi up the hill.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided visit to the Georgian parsonage, its furnished rooms, galleries and garden, in the village of Haworth.
Best time
A weekday morning outside school holidays for fewer people; autumn and winter moods suit the books, but check seasonal opening.
How long
About an hour and a half, plus time for the village and the church.
Tips
Wear shoes for the steep cobbled street, check opening days before you travel and read a little of the novels beforehand.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Readers, literature students and fans of period drama.
- Families
- Best with older children who know the books; younger ones may find it quiet.
- Couples
- Pair the house with a walk on the moors above the village.
- Pair with
- Haworth Main Street, the churchyard and the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
- Time needed
- Allow half a day with the village, or a full day with the moor walk.
Good questions
Who lived at the Bronte Parsonage?+
Patrick Bronte, the village clergyman, lived there from 1820 with his children, including Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell.
How long do I need?+
Allow about an hour and a half for the house and garden, and more if you want to see the church and walk onto the moors.
Can I walk to Top Withens from Haworth?+
Yes. It is a well-known moorland walk of a few hours there and back, but it is exposed and the ground can be wet, so wear boots and take a waterproof.
How do I get to Haworth without a car?+
Take a bus or train to Keighley and then either a bus to Haworth or the heritage Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, which stops at Haworth station.
Is the museum open every day?+
Opening days and hours vary with the season, and the museum can close for part of the winter. Check the days for your date before you travel.
