If you're looking for somewhere beautiful to visit after lockdown, you'd do well to consider picturesque Haworth during a staycation to Yorkshire this summer.
Strolling around the village of Haworth in the Airedale Valley is like stepping into another era. It’s got a buzzy high street with tea rooms, pubs and craft shops, and steep cobbled alleys which you can climb for never-ending views of the beautiful moorland all around.
VISIT HAWORTH ON A GH WALKING TOUR
You’ll also sense its proud literary heritage in the town’s storied streets - a certain local family’s name is everywhere, with landmarks, museums and natural sights named after its most famous residents.
Haworth was home to beloved writers the Brontë sisters in the late 19th century. It was here that Charlotte, Emily and Anne penned some of the UK’s most iconic books, like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
The history of the Brontë family can be traced in Haworth’s world-famous Brontë Parsonage Museum, where you’ll find 19-century furniture, clothing and the sisters’ own personal possessions.
Following the path from the Parsonage Museum, you’ll reach the rugged moors where so much of their writing was set in a few minutes. This dramatic landscape was the backdrop to Catherine and Heathcliffe’s love affair in the legendary Wuthering Heights, which you should wrap up warm and relive!
Marrying the town’s two golden treasures - the Brontës and country walks - is the Brontë Trail, which takes you across the moors from Haworth to the lovely Brontë Waterfall in just 45 minutes.
As well as its literary fame, Haworth is also a special place for railway enthusiasts, thanks to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Lovers of British TV classics will recognise Haworth Station, where you can board the vintage steam train, too.
It’s appeared in some of the country’s best loved shows: The Railway Children, Last of the Summer Wine, Where The Heart Is and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.
Watching steam trains puff in and out of the valley is a really special experience. For a longer ride which brings to life the Edwardian golden era of rail travel, take the historic line up to Oakworth Railway Station, watching picturesque landscapes roll by along the way.
EXPERIENCE THE KEIGHLEY & WORTH VALLEY RAILWAY
And for even more period charm, we love East Riddleston Hall, a relaxed 17th-century manor house in Keighley, with a fascinating collection of furniture and tapestries, an aromatic rose and clematis garden and of course, a tea room where you can stick your nose into one of those wonderful Brontë novels!
Where to stay
You can’t go wrong at the popular Fleece Inn B&B, with its local restaurant, rooftop beer garden and traditional flagstone flooring.
Or if you’d prefer to have your own space, Chloe’s Cottage is a lovely alternative, just 100 yards from the Brontë Parsonage Museum, with its own private garden, kitchen, lounge and dining space.
You can join Good Housekeeping's exclusive walking holiday to Yorkshire this year or next, when you'll visit Haworth and stay at the family-run Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton.
Looking for more book-themed trips? Meet famous authors including Dame Jenni Murray, Louis de Bernières, Joanna Trollope and Jeremy Paxman during Good Housekeeping's first-ever literary festival on water as you sail the spectacular Danube River this autumn.
We want to help you stay inspired. Sign up for the latest travel tales and to hear about our favourite financially protected escapes and bucket list adventures.
