‘I’ll walk where my own nature would be leading: It vexes me to choose another guide.’ Emily Brontë, ‘Often Rebuked’
Distance: 14½ miles (23.7km)
Ascent: 510m
Difficulty: Strenuous
A hearty yomp across the wild moorland Emily loved to roam high above Haworth and Oxenhope. The route takes in Top Withins, Alcomden Stones and Ponden Hall, as well as various other beautiful sites. Parts of the route are wet year-round so good footwear is essential and, although most of it is on clear paths, a compass and good navigational skills may be needed in bad weather.
Discover the full route, further details and more Brontë walks in Michael Stewart’s upcoming new book, Walking the Invisible
Following in the footsteps of the Brontës across meadow and moor, through village and town, award-winning writer Michael Stewart takes a series of inspirational walks through the lives and landscapes of the Brontë family, investigating the geographical and social features that shaped their work.
This is a literary study of both the social and natural history that has inspired writers and walkers, and the writings of a family that have touched readers for generations. Finally we get to understand the ‘wild, windy moors’ that Kate Bush sang about in ‘Wuthering Heights’, see the imposing halls that may have inspired Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre, and learn about Bramwell’s affair with a real life Mrs Robinson while treading the same landscapes. As well as describing in vivid detail the natural beauty of the moors and their surroundings, Walking the Invisible also encompasses the history of the north and the changing lives of those that have lived there.
Available to pre-order here.
