Haworth: I went to the Brontë country by bus and this is my biggest regret

I'd heard so much about the Brontë sisters during my school years that I had become immune to their greatness.

I was ignorant to what these young women had achieved and continue to achieve through their literary masterpieces, namely Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights among others.

The books are set in the stunning backdrop of the West Yorkshire moors and the more I have learned about them, the more I have become intrigued to go on my own journey exploring the romantic landscape which inspired the novels.

I plotted my route from Wakefield to Haworth which would take me by train via Leeds to Keighley then the Brontë bus to Haworth. It wasn’t quite so smooth as it sounded however.

It was a ten minute walk from home to Wakefield Library which acts as a thoroughfare for the city centre and Wakefield Westgate station.

I wanted to pass by to borrow some Brontë books for research on the train. Then it was a two minute trip to the station which is in the shadows of Wakefield Prison.

After a quick change of trains at Leeds, I was pleased to board a much quieter train to Keighley.

We travelled along the Leeds to Liverpool canal route to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway line which is currently closed undergoing maintenance work.

Jumping off at Keighley, one of the locations which feature on The Railway Children film, it was a short walk uphill through the town centre to the bus station.

I couldn’t help but appreciate some of the picturesque buildings when you look up, as well as the 120-year-old library at the top of the hill with the bus station to my left.

Next followed a short walk past World Peace Cafe opposite the bus station near to the Arndale Centre. Here you can find the Transdev buses which were rebranded in 2015 as the Brontë bus.

These striking green buses run hourly between Keighley and Hebden Bridge. Fortunately I was in luck as a bus was due as I entered Keighley bus station which proudly flies the Yorkshire Flag at full mast.

The Brontë buses transport people from Keighley through Brontë Country to Hebden Bridge.

It cost me £2 to board the bus which would take 15 minutes to Haworth. These single decker buses are clean, modern and even show off maps and share Brontë facts.

I was apparently the only excited tourist on the bus as I snapped photos of the Brontë signs and gazed out of the window to take in the stunning views which cascaded around me.

Other passengers had clearly been doing their shopping.

For me however I felt like I was journeying back in time - bar the helpful wifi and USB ports on board the bus.

I had gone from travelling by train along the Leeds Liverpool Canal route and then on the bus skirting the historic Keighley and Worth Valley railway tracks. Today was a good day for me as a public transport user.

It gave me a momentary feeling of freedom that driving a vehicle never gives me as I could just be driven to the heart of the Brontë Country without having to worry about sat nav, parking or watching the road.

This was short lived however as the bus driver duly interrupted my thoughts because we had arrived at Haworth train station already.

I hadn’t realised I should have stayed on the bus to the top of the hill because now I would have to endure a 15 minute walk in the sun. Even for someone fit like me with a heavy bag, it was a steep incline from the station but fortunately there were plenty of signs to the Brontë Parsonage.

While this walk isn’t for the faint hearted, for Haworth novices like me, it was a great way to explore a bit more of the landscape.

I crossed Brontë bridge which overlooks the railway line to be welcomed by Brontë Bridge Cafe which was sadly closed.

This greasy spoon has a five star rating on TripAdvisor but like most places in Haworth it’s closed Mondays.

You can cut through Central Park or follow the road up on the narrow pavement.

I did the latter to reach the centre of the village towards the main street where the Church is located at the top near to the Brontë Parsonage.

Walking along the cobbled streets, seeing all the Brontë themed shops, tea rooms and even enjoying the sound of a busker playing acoustic guitar while I basked in the sun, I felt like I was on holiday.

I chuckled to myself hearing American tourists muse over how “very British” this village is, how different they would feel if they ever visited the industrial heartlands where I was born and raised.

This was a pretty picture perfect place and I was more than happy to pretend that I too was strolling through a Bronte novel.

Inspired by this poetic place in the Worth Valley area which lies within the Bradford district, I spent the entire day gathering stories, marvelling at the Brontë references and memorabilia and feeling pangs of guilt and regret because I could not believe I had never visited Haworth before.

Travelling there on public transport, especially the Brontë bus, was easy and gave me a chance to geek out on facts about the sisters who left this lasting legacy.

My journey home was spent plotting out my next trip to the Brontë Country and next time I would encourage our older daughters to come.

Perhaps they too would be in awe of these women who defied the odds and made their mark on the world for generations to come.