Our Visit to Haworth

This may have been the first CLOG visit to Brontë Country ever. Our visit was ably organised by Helen and supported by the walk and activity leaders. The weather started off on the Saturday on a sombre note, but Cloggies, as resourceful as ever took up the challenge and did some interesting things.

On the Brontë Way

Sunday's and Monday's weather smiled much more benignly on our exploits and enabled us all to savour the attractiveness and vast expanse of the Yorkshire moors, aspects that feature so vividly in the Brontë novels. I stayed on a day or so to soak up the pleasures of rail travel in an age when the railways held sway over the social fabric of the nation.

So, this is what you will see here.

Some Introductory Notes
Our Visit to Haworth & Brontë Country
More of What We did
Thanks to our Organizer, Event Leaders and Participants!

Spoken Narrative.
This is a one and a half minute audio presentation of my personal perspective of our visit to Haworth. It should work with the three main browsers, but please click here if you would like more logistical details on this audio presentation.

Contact, Copyright & "Readme"
Some Helpful Extra Notes

More of What we did

The activities and walks I describe here are viewed, as always, from a personal perspective, and comprise an encounter, on August 24, with aspects of local history and heritage - the 16th Century East Riddlesden Hall (National Trust) and Saltaire, a World Heritage site dating from the Industrial Revolution - as well as two moorland walks - the Brontë Way on August 25 and a circular walk around Oxenhope on August 26. On the next day, I did some time travel, savouring the halcyon delights of the age of steam in the form of the enthusiastically run Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

On Sunday we took the Brontë Way to Top Withins with its famous ruins that reputedly inspired the Brontës' "Wuthering Heights".

There were, of course, other activities. On Saturday some of us braved the weather to walk to Hebden Bridge about 8 to 10 miles to the south; he (or she) who dares, wins, for there was actually hardly any rain. On the next day, Helen led a longer walk of about 14 to 15 miles to the same destination, taking in a mill owned by the National Trust.

Once again, it was August Bank Holiday,
the time for a Cloggies' "few-days-away".
Thanks Helen, for a memorable treat,
for it was Brontë Country we did greet.
At Haworth's sumptuous hostel we stayed;
t'was Victorian affluence, now replayed.
And activity organisers all gave their support,
so a it's a very nice time we can all report.

On Saturday, many to Hebden Bridge did walk,
but for some, local history was the talk.
On Sunday, it was to Hebden Bridge again for a few,
while others, from the Brontë landscape took the cue.
On Monday, on the moors around Oxenhope we circled,
then after our goodbyes, homewards to the south we hurtled.
In Haworth I stayed on, one fine day more,
with delight the Worth Valley Railway to explore.

Now some of you can rekindle your memories. I wish you happy viewing!

Thank You

I'm sure we would all like to thank Helen for organising this, possibly the first CLOG visit to Brontë Country. Many thanks are of course also due to the walk and event leaders including Nigel, John E., Melissa and Helen. We all had a good time, good company, and, as it actually turned out, good walking weather!