Brontë walks pull in tourists

The literary tourists are being encouraged to make the trip by Bradford businesswoman Helen Broadhead, a historian and Brontë expert.

Ms Broadhead leads Brontë fans on walks to buildings and places that were significant in the lives of the sisters.

After relaunching her website, www.helensheritagewalks.co.uk, she has seen a rise in interest from across the globe.

“I have already received several inquiries from Brontë enthusiasts in the USA and Australia about my guided Brontë walks around Haworth and venues, such as Oakwell Hall, Red House Museum – now, sadly, threatened with closure – and Shibden Hall in Calderdale.

“All these venues have Brontë connections: Oakwell Hall and Red House were used by Charlotte Brontë as models for her houses in Shirley, and it is widely accepted by Brontë scholars that, in her writing of Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë was influenced by the stories and houses she came across during her time at Law Hill School in Southowram, near Shibden Hall.

“It seems that international tourists are not put off by the winter weather. This week I took two Korean ladies, a mother and daughter from New York, on a first ‘Taste of the Moors’ walk.

“The weather had taken a turn for the worse but they felt that the wind and rain only added to the atmosphere.

“The older lady said that her heart started to beat with excitement as she came onto the moors on Penistone Hill.

“Her favourite of the Brontës’ novels was Wuthering Heights, a favourite with many Korean females, her daughter said.”

Ms Broadhead said Haworth needed improved transport links to capitalise on international tourism.