A very special visit to the Brontë Birthplace in Thornton

Brussels Brontë Group member Marina Saegerman has been involved in a fundraising project for the Brontë Birthplace in Thornton in a unique way. In this blog post, Marina tells about her particular experience in this extraordinary endeavour. 

Marina Saegerman and Liliana Pasterska

Haworth trip — the tour organiser’s perspective!

The idea of organising an excursion of Brussels Brontë Group members to Haworth grew out of Joanne Wilcock’s talk to us in October 2024 – "In the Footsteps of the Brontës in the North of England."

Joanne, a tireless Brontë traveller based in Lancashire, often shepherds Brontë fans around the places she knows so well. She and I discussed the possibility of organising a trip together. 

Joanne and Helen in action

Brussels Brontë Group goes to Haworth (Part Three)

Monday was Anne Brontë day for the Brussels Brontë Group in Yorkshire, with a trip to Scarborough, where the youngest of the literary siblings is buried. 

The excursion included a walk on The Sands, which Anne knew well, lunch in an old funicular and a stop at Anne’s grave. The group was once again in the capable hands of Joanne Wilcock, who was joined at the seaside by Lauren Bruce, head of the Anne Brontë Association.

Brussels Brontë Group members at Anne Brontë's grave

 

Brussels Brontë Group goes to Haworth (Part Two)

Sunday was the day for the Brussels Brontë Group to visit the Parsonage Museum in Haworth and trek across the moors to Top Withens, which is considered by many to be an inspiration for Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights farmhouse. 

 

The moorland walk was led by author and Haworth resident Michael Stewart, whose book Walking the Invisible – Following in the Brontës’ Footsteps is a plunge into the lives and landscapes of the literary sisters. The ramble also took in the Brontë Waterfall, though the dry conditions meant not much water was falling.

Brussels Brontë Group goes to Haworth (Part One)

Members of the Brussels Brontë Group enjoyed a wonderful trip to Haworth last weekend to visit the Parsonage and the surrounding Brontë Country, including stops at the Brontë Birthplace and Roe Head School. 

 

The excursion, organized by the indomitable Helen MacEwan and Joanne Wilcock, also featured a trek over the moors to Top Withens, as well as visits to Oakwell Hall in Birstall and Shibden Hall in Halifax. Farther afield, there was also an expedition to Scarborough, where Anne Brontë died.