Haworth: Village of the Brontes
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Haworth: village of the Brontës were written the famous novels – Jane Eyre, a tempting array of loaves round and square, of A late-19th-century depiction of wool combing (detail from SC Lister's statue in Manningham) Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and tea cakes and currant buns and seed and plum Haworth ‘We no sooner reached the foot of the hill others – which shook the literary world in the cakes, riveted their gaze. The vicar passed by than we had to begin to mount again, over a middle of the 19th century. At first, the identity with the Curate in earnest conversation … a narrow, rough stone-paved road; the horses’ of the authors was hidden from the public, huge cart horse struggled upward with a heavy Village of the Brontës feet seemed to catch at boulders, as if climbing. but soon the names of Charlotte, Emily and load, slipping backward almost every step of When we reached the top of the village there Anne Brontë – and of Haworth – were known the steep way, while the carter in dingy smock was apparently no outlet, but we were directed across the country. The family was touched by walked at his head and sought to ease and to drive into an entry which just admitted the tragedy, however. Their brother Branwell died encourage his beast. Grimy mill hands passed, gig; we wound round in the entry and then in 1848, aged 31, Emily soon followed, aged 30, taciturn and grave; a man with a squealing pig saw the church close at hand, and we entered Anne died in 1849, aged 29, and Charlotte died had difficulties in driving the porker, who bolted on the short lane which led to the parsonage in 1855 at the age of 38. Their father Patrick into every lane and doorway … the draper gateway. Here Charlotte was waiting, having lived on until 1861, aged 84. He had buried all next door came to his window to watch the caught the sound of the approaching gig’. his children. pig’s divagations’. So wrote Ellen Nussey, describing a visit to Haworth lies four miles from Keighley and Many of the buildings on Main Street were Haworth and her great friend Charlotte Brontë even further from the bigger towns of Halifax built as shops, with large display windows – in 1833. Her experience of arrival at the village and Bradford. The village climbs the side of Shops on Main Street (13) some with handsome stone surrounds – to has been shared by visitors ever since: the a steep hill and behind it, stretching to the attract customers. The village had a Co- steep hill is still a challenge and the way to the Pennine watershed, rise the lonely, desolate time of the Brontës it had booksellers, grocers, operative Society with a shop, once in the Parsonage, home of the Brontë family, remains moors so beloved of the Brontë sisters and tailors, drapers, a clockmaker and surgeons. the same. made famous by Emily’s great novel Wuthering Around the miniature square at the church Haworth is, of course, best known for its Heights. Due to its remoteness and because steps (8) were an apothecary, a wine and spirit association with the Brontës. Patrick Brontë it lay on an important trans-Pennine turnpike merchant, an ironmonger (who doubled as was appointed curate in 1820 and the family road, Haworth was rather more than a rural a postmaster), a temperance hotel and four took up residence in the Parsonage. Here village, for it served a large hinterland. In the inns (the Black Bull, the Old White Lion, the was the production of worsted yarn and cloth: Many of the cottages in the village today were Cross, and the King’s Arms). In among these worsteds were fine cloths using long-fibre wool. once used for wool combing. businesses were more humble trades: many The work was mainly carried out in factories: Historic Haworth is largely a product of the boot and clog makers, a blacksmith and joiners, the biggest in Haworth was Bridgehouse Mills 19th century. The Brontës knew a village that plasterers and stone masons. The atmosphere (24), on the Bridgehouse Beck in the valley was a scene of constant building activity: new was captured vividly by a 19th-century visitor: below the village. The mid-19th-century houses and shops were always in the course of staying at the Black Bull, she was ‘just looking census returns show that many households had construction and old houses were replaced by from the window which gave on the square. fathers, mothers, sons and daughters employed new. The cottages are substantially built of local Indifferent to the rain, the people clattered by in in the textile industry. In 1851, the 60-year sandstone and gritstone, with dressed stone their wooden shoes. Two toddlers, bare necked The Co-operative Stores (15) old John Mitchell and his wife, of Hall Green, surrounds to the doorways and mullioned and bare armed, stood hand-in-hand, looking worked as handloom weavers, a vanishing windows in characteristic Pennine style. Some wistfully into the window of a bake shop, where central ‘square’ but later further down Main occupation by that time. They probably had houses were built back-to-back and some Street, where its premises, built in 1897, proudly their looms in their cottage. Two daughters, had a main dwelling at one level and a cellar display the inscription ‘Haworth Industrial however, worked as powerloom weavers in dwelling below: a short back-to-back terrace on Cooperative Society Limited Central Stores’ one of the local mills. In addition, a son was a West Lane (5) has four cellar dwellings below (15). The village also had a branch of the wool comber. This last process, which involved the houses on the main street front. Not all Yorkshire Penny Bank, which opened in 1860 the combing of raw wool to produce fibres of Haworth’s houses, however, were relatively and by 1894 had moved to what is now the ready for spinning, was still carried out in the new in the time of the Brontës. The Old Hall Visitor Information Centre (7), adding the houses of the workers. It was an arduous and at Hall Green (18) is an excellent example of Brontës the of Village prominent turret on the older building to dangerous occupation, for it required charcoal 17th-century Yorkshire Pennine housing and proclaim its importance. or coal stoves to heat the combs. These stoves on North Street is another fine 17th-century In the time of the Brontës, Haworth was very were rarely extinguished, windows were rarely house with its aisled barn alongside (4). Haworth The Parsonage (11) The Black Bull inn (8) much a working village. The main industry opened and fumes caused illness and death. the Methodists ran a school in the village Branwell Brontë was a member of the Three before they were six years old. In St Michael’s charm; buildings of different size, type and age from 1821 and in 1832 the Church of England Graces Lodge, which met in rooms in Newell churchyard, one memorial records that Joseph are set at different angles and distances from responded by building a National School (10), Hill (now Lodge Street) (14). Another form Heaton buried seven infant children, and there the street, but are nevertheless united by their close to the church and parsonage. Patrick of association is represented by Victoria Hall are many similar gravestones in the village’s level of preservation and by the colour of the Brontë was instrumental in founding the school (20), adjacent to the Hall Green Baptist Chapel. burial grounds. For those who survived infancy, stone from which they are built. Together they and Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell all Built in 1854, the hall provided a meeting place life expectancy was around 44 years. The reflect the gradual and organic development taught there. Only with the building of the for the Oddfellows Friendly Society, formed Brontë family itself illustrated the devastating and the diverse assortment of facilities, Central Board Schools in Butt Lane (16) in to provide help and support to its members. impact of disease and sickness: none of the six employers, people and institutions once found 1895 was non-denominational education Nearby, in Minnie Street, is the Drill Hall (21), children died in infancy, but none reached the in an industrious, self-sufficient Pennine hill Townend Farm (4) provided for the children of Haworth. built in 1873 to provide training facilities for age of forty. village. They also provide the very fabric of Despite the widespread ignorance which the present-day living village, which is home The wealthier or higher status inhabitants Patrick Brontë complained about, the village did to a thriving community and is also a popular lived in houses which introduced new styles of enjoy a social and cultural life. A Philosophical and friendly tourist destination. In partnership architecture to the village: the Parsonage (11), Society was formed in 1780 and orchestral and with Bradford Council, local groups and built in 1779, has a symmetrical elevation and choral concerts were held in the church and Memorial to Joseph Heaton's children (9) business owners, Historic England is working sash windows, in contrast to the mullioned the Black Bull. Brass bands from the mills held to maintain the character of Haworth and its windows of the cottages, and Woodlands (22), concerts and the Haworth Brass Band, formed Conservation in Haworth authentic atmosphere, for visitors and residents the home of the family that ran Bridgehouse in 1854 and originating as the Springhead mill alike, by assisting and advising on schemes of Mills, has a fine restrained classical front.