Last Thursday I was back in my beloved Haworth after two whole months. Where has this summer gone?! I've never known a summer flew by so quick! I longed for a distant moorland walk, but there was a few things I wanted to do this time around, so I settled for just a ramble on Penistone Hill. I thought I'd do something I've never done before on my blog - take photos and videos that will tell a story of my visit to Haworth and document my activities as they happened on the day.
I arrived just after 10 o'clock. It was a beautiful morning, the village basking in the mellow early autumn sunshine.
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| Corner of Main Street and Lodge Street |
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| As usual, the first thing I did on arriving to Haworth is have a quick coffee at "Cobbles and Clay" |
I walked through the Parsonage graveyard on my way to the moor. I always seem to go that way out and return by the path behind the Parsonage. It is a great time of the year for a walk on the moors. Apart from the gorgeous purple heather in full bloom there are red berry bushes and trees dotted around giving the landscape an extra splash of colour. It was very windy, as most days throughout the year, and rather cold, but nevertheless I enjoyed my walk immensely. Nothing can ever restore my body and soul better than a walk on Haworth moors.
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| I decided to have a picnic at this large slab of rock with a stunning view of Lower Laithe reservoir and Worth Valley beyond. I thought that if I could walk in the wind I could eat in it as well. I admit it wasn't a most pleasant picnic having to hang onto my crisps and drink while holding a sandwich in the other hand. I did think of taking a picnic photo, but holding my phone steady while at the same time trying to stop my food from flying away was nigh on impossible. |
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| "Literary Landscape" sandstone book statues. They are a lovely and fitting sight on a Haworth moor path |
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| On my way back to the village I thought I'd nip to Haworth Cemetery and try to find Lily Cove's grave again. There was a local lady walking her dog there who told me where the grave is. Funnily enough, it's not far from the entrance to the cemetery. Lily Cove was a young hot air balloonist who tragically plummeted to her death in the field behind Ponden Hall in 1906. |
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| Anne Brontë stone lying in Parson's field behind the Parsonage. It was unveiled just after my last visit, so I made sure to see it for the first time. |
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| Anne Brontë stone carved with a beautiful poem by the contemporary poet Jackie Kay. |
It was time for some refreshment now, so I decided to check out the recently reopened Black Bull, which was Branwell Brontë's favourite haunt.
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| Half a pint of dark fruit cider went down a treat. |
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| View of Main Street from the Black Bull's balcony |
A visit to Haworth for me always entails a visit to
Brontë Parsonage Museum; I cannot come to this village without saying hello to the beloved Brontë family. This year sees the fourth of five consecutive bicentenaries in the family - that of 200 years of Patrick Brontë becoming a perpetual curate of Haworth Church. There is an exhibition going on in the Parsonage under the title "In Sickness and in Health" in celebration of this remarkable man who was, among other extraordinary things, the father of literary genius. As my own little personal tribute I include some of the photographs related to Patrick that I took in the Parsonage which was his home for the last 40 years of his life.
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| Patrick Brontë's study |
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| Replica of Patrick Brontë's bed |
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| A book of Patrick Brontë's poems (pic taken in 2017) |
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| Patrick Brontë's neckerchief (pic taken in 2017) |
While at the Parsonage I saw an amazing installation in the cellar of the house called "How My Light is Spent". It is reminiscent of Patrick's cataract operation and convalescence period in Manchester in 1846 and is devised by the Brontë Society 2019 creative partner, Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
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| Stairs to the Parsonage cellar. It was the first time I'd been in the cellar. Apparently the Brontë siblings played here often and called it "dangeon" when enacting their stories of Gondal and Glass Town and Angria. |
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| Part of "How My Light is Spent" installation |
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| Part of "How My Light is Spent" installation |
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| Part of a darkened room where Patrick spent weeks recovering from his cataract operation. The room installation is very impressive and brilliantly created. |
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| Charlotte Brontë's dress in the darkened room. She cared for her father during his recovery and started to write Jane Eyre at this time. |
Having left the Parsonage I wandered around a few shops looking for some presents to take over to Zagreb when I go there soon, and then it was time for another coffee. I thought I'd try the new Forteas 1940's tearoom that recently opened at the bottom of Main Street.
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| The two friendly and very hospitable ladies at the new 40's tearoom at the bottom of Main Street |
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| The charming, vintage, right up my street interior of the new Forteas tearoom. |
Every trip I made to Haworth is rounded with a hearty meal at one of the many places to eat in the village, and this time it was Black Bull, purely because I hadn't eaten there for a long time, and thought I'd give it the nod since it had struggled to stay open.
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| My dinner at the Black Bull: grilled halloumi salad, skin on fries and a glass of white wine; it was scrummy! |
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| The Black Bull as I saw it before heading back home |
I brought back home in my rucksack some heather from Penistone Hill. Here are a couple of pics of it.
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| Still life with Haworth Moor heather |
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| Haworth Moor heather and its place in my dining room |
Beautiful pictures
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