‘I am no bird, and no net ensares me.’ Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Distance: 4 miles (6.3km)
Ascent: 175m
Difficulty: Easy
A straight-forward short loop across the hills around Thornton. The route starts in the village at St James’ Church, opposite the site of the old Bell Chapel where Patrick Brontë worked. The route takes in Thornton Hall, Hanging Fall, the Brontë Birthplace and Thornton Viaduct, and has some great views over the valley. The walk is on good paths that are generally dry.
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.
