Wuthering Heights walk

Follow the footsteps of the Bronte Sisters on the classic Wuthering Heights walk. Pass the Bronte Bridge and waterfall before heading up to Top Withins and back via the reservoir at Stanbury.

The Walk

When I worked in Earby in West Yorkshire my boss at the time (clearly bored with what I was saying) was staring out the window over the bleak moorland with rain lashing down and just shook his head muttering ‘Not hard to see where the Bronte’s drew their inspiration’. He was right, there is nothing as bleak and forbidding as a West Yorkshire Moor in the rain and the wind. However it is also inspirational and invigorating.

Many years later I set out to find Wuthering Heights from Haworth and seek the very same inspiration. Fortunately it was summer, the sun was shining and I thoroughly enjoyed a walk along good paths and open moorland. For those wanting to find more about the Brontes the walk is not so useful. Top Withens may have been the inspiration behind the Earnshaw House of Wuthering Heights. However it bares little resemblance to the description. In addition the original Bronte Bridge was washed away and the waterfalls offer no more than a very pleasant picnic spot.

However starting at the Parsonage Museum (the home of the Brontes) offers a real incite in to the family. Following the research it is really a case of just stepping out in to the Moors. From here start to imagine how the sisters gained inspiration from such a fabulous landscape. Whatever the weather it is not hard to see how.

Recommend

Apart from literary interest the walk passes through the village of Stanbury with good views over Stanbury Reservoir. It is an interesting village and a strong reminder of the area’s industrial heritage.

Navigation Tips for Wuthering Heights walk

From Top Withins to Stanbury the route is along a section of the Pennine Way. Routes on long distance national trails are the best signposted/waymarked in the country. Off these trails signposting is more variable.