Brontë Country

53.830°N 1.954°W / 53.830; -1.954

The Brontë sisters, painted by their brother, Branwell c. 1834.[1]

Brontë Country is a name given to an area of south Pennine hills west of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England.[2][3] The name comes from the Brontë sisters, who wrote such literary classics as Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë), Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë), and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne Brontë) while living in the area.[4]

Geology

The geology of the Brontë country is mainly gritstone.

Points of interest

The area includes the village of Haworth, where the Brontë sisters lived, and where the Brontë Parsonage Museum is located today. Top Withens is said to have been the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.[5] Ponden Hall, which located about half a mile outside Stanbury, is believed to inspire at least two buildings in Brontës' novels: Thrushcross Grange in Wuthering Heights and the eponymous mansion in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.[6] Thornton, on the outskirts of Bradford, is the birthplace of the Brontë sisters and their brother Branwell (their father was rector of Thornton church).[7] The house where they were born still exists as the Brontë Birthplace and is open to visitors by appointment. It is located on Market Street in the centre of the village [8]

Other places of interest from the Brontë sisters' novels include Oakwell Hall (Fieldhead in Shirley), Red House (Briarmains in Shirley), and Gawthorpe Hall and Wycoller Hall (Ferndean Manor in Jane Eyre).[9]

In media and culture

The film Brontë Country: The Story of the Emily, Charlotte & Anne Brontë discusses the area's geography and history, and the history of the Brontë family.[10]

  • The birthplace of the Brontë brothers and sisters in Market Street, Thornton Village
    The birthplace of the Brontë brothers and sisters in Market Street, Thornton Village
  • Bronte bridge
    Bronte bridge
  • Plaque at Bronte waterfall
    Plaque at Bronte waterfall
  • The Bronte Way, looking SW towards Bronte Bridge
    The Bronte Way, looking SW towards Bronte Bridge
  • Haworth
    Haworth
  • Haworth Churchyard
    Haworth Churchyard
  • Chancel east wall of the ruin of St James' chapel, Thornton, West Yorkshire
    Chancel east wall of the ruin of St James' chapel, Thornton, West Yorkshire
  • Oakwell Hall
    Oakwell Hall
  • Gawthorpe hall, Padiham seen from the south east
    Gawthorpe hall, Padiham seen from the south east
  • St Barnabas' parish church, Hightown, Liversedge, West Yorkshire
    St Barnabas' parish church, Hightown, Liversedge, West Yorkshire
  • Red House Museum, Gomersal, often visited by Charlotte Brontë who featured the house as "Briarmains" in "Shirley"
    Red House Museum, Gomersal, often visited by Charlotte Brontë who featured the house as "Briarmains" in "Shirley"

See also

References
  1. Furness, Hannah (18 December 2015). "National Portrait Gallery to reveal mysteries of shadowy Bronte brother". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  2. "Walking Through History - Articles - Bronte Country - West Yorkshire - All 4". www.channel4.com. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  3. "Bronte Country". Eagle Intermedia Publishing Ltd. 1997. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  4. "Bronte Homeland Interpretative Centre". DiscoverNorthernIreland.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  5. Smith, Roly (23 December 2000). "Brontë country". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  6. Introductions for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Worth Press Limited. 2008. ISBN 978-1-903025-57-4.
  7. "Bronte sisters chapel at Thornton targeted by thieves". BBC News. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  8. "View of the Brontë Birthplace on Market Street". Google Maps. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  9. Barnett, David (27 January 2016). "House portrayed in Jane Eyre set to lose public funding". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  10. "Brontë Country: The Story of the Emily, Charlotte & Anne Brontë". The Great British Channel. DeltaOne Media. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Brontë Country.
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