Walk Leader: Peter Hitchcock
Total Distance: 12.1 mls
Total Ascent/Descent: 1840ft
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| A Walk Route |
HAWORTH, home of the Brontë sisters, is a delightful cobble-street village in the heart of West Yorkshire Brontë country. It is surprisingly twinned with Mach-Piccu! The Brontë sisters, Emily, Anne and Charlotte, were born in Thornton, Bradford, before moving to the Parsonage, Haworth, where Patrick Brontë, the father, was vicar. Family life was full of tragedy and Patrick outlived his son, 5 daughters and his wife. This walk takes you through some of their favourite spots – The Brontë Falls and Top Withins where a ruined farmhouse is said, by some, to be Wuthering Heights!
From the coach car park, an initial ‘b’-line to the Parsonage will take you in 5 mins to a decent toilet stop! [the rest of the walk necessitates ‘natural’ breaks’]! We head out past ‘Hathaway’ Cottages and ‘Wuthering Heights’ pub - literary licence at its best! A gentle climb then descent takes you to Lower Laith reservoir where we cross a very well-maintained dam. After a short stroll thru’ the village of Stanbury we start a gentle climb up onto Stanbury then Wadsworth Moors. The path is good stone track for most of the day involving stretches of the Pennine and Millenium Ways BUT, dependant on the weather, it is now that you could begin to feel strong freshwinds in your face for a couple of hours.
A decent pace is required to reach the derelict but quaint remains of Withins Height within 2 hrs then on the top of the moor where, if the visibility is clear, marvellous panoramic views of Yorkshire and Lancashire can be had. The turn-round point will depend on time/pace but, hopefully, a quick glimpse of a blaze of rhododendron bordering
Walshaw Dean reservoir will be worth the effort before returning to Haworth via the Bronte Way, Bronte Bridge and Bronte Falls - a delightful, romantic setting if the sun is shining! The route is a good ‘hike’ of about 14 miles but eased by generally solid tracks and gentle contours.
Return to the coach with an impressive wind or sun tan!
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