Take a trip back in time on this popular waterfall and moorland walk

Start: Haworth Main Street, near the Brontë Parsonage Museum

Distance: 5 miles

Elevation: 400 feet

Duration: 2 hours

Difficulty: Easy

Navigation: Follow step-by-step on komoot or download GPX file

About the route

This relaxed walk through the Haworth moorlands makes for an ideal day out, ending with beautiful views and historic locations tied to Brontë history. The walk from Haworth leads you across scenic moorlands, rich with Brontë history and captivating scenery. The route highlights both natural beauty and literary lore, including Top Withens—the inspiration behind Wuthering Heights—and the striking Brontë Waterfall.

Route difficulty

Walk type: Easy circular walk with limited elevation gain and some uneven paths

Parking: Village parking near Haworth Main Street or the Brontë Parsonage Museum

Walk highlights:

Haworth Village
The Cabinet of Curiosities
Wuthering Heights pub

Route highlights

Haworth

Your walk begins and ends in the enchanting village of Haworth, nestled in the heart of West Yorkshire’s Brontë Country. This historic village is famous as the home of the Brontë sisters—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—and is filled with cobbled streets, quaint shops, and atmospheric tea rooms that take you back to the Victorian era. Here, you’ll find the Brontë Parsonage Museum, where the sisters lived and wrote their novels, along with several charming cafes and boutiques perfect for exploring before or after your walk.

Don’t miss a visit to the Cabinet of Curiosities for a peek into local Victorian artifacts or the iconic Black Bull pub, often frequented by Branwell Brontë.

Bronte Waterfall

The Bronte Waterfall is a great place to rest on your way to Top Withens (Wuthering Heights), Alcomden Stones or Ponden Kirk (The Fairy Cave). Top Withens (also known as Top Withins) is a ruined farmhouse near which is said to have been the inspiration for the location of the Earnshaw family house in Wuthering Heights.

Just a short distance from Top Withens, this lovely waterfall cascades down the rocks and has long attracted visitors drawn by its natural beauty and historical ties. Charlotte Brontë is said to have found solace here, and it remains a serene spot for reflection or a quick picnic.

Top Withens

Perched atop the moors, Top Withens is reputedly the site that inspired Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Although the building itself is now a ruin, the sense of desolation and beauty is vivid. This spot offers panoramic views over the Yorkshire moors, best enjoyed on a breezy day to truly feel the spirit of the landscape. Originally known as ‘Top of th'Withens’, Top Withens is thought to have been built in the second half of the 16th century by George Bentley. At the time of the Brontës, it was inhabited by Jonas Sunderland and his wife Ann Crabtree (from 1811) and then their son, Jonas, with Mary Feather (from 1833). It was last inhabited by Ernest Roddy in 1926.

Today, it attracts literary fans from across the globe wanting to take a peek at Heathcliff’s house.

Cabinet of Curiosities

Back in Haworth, step into the Cabinet of Curiosities, a quirky little shop filled with Victorian oddities, local curios, and trinkets that evoke the historical and imaginative spirit of the village. It’s a treasure trove for those interested in the unique and unusual. This museum-like shop truly is like stepping foot in an old apothecary store, warmly lit by glass globes, fragranced with exotic oils, and packed from floor to ceiling with rich mahogany and glass display cases. Over the years the family-run business has taken on a true labour of love, salvaging many of the shops fittings from chemists, grocery shops and museums to replicate the ‘wonder-rooms’ of a time gone by.

You could easily spend a full day here, but we were dying to check out Bronte Waterfall and Top Withens, a ruined farmhouse which is thought to be the inspiration for Heathcliff’s home in Wuthering Heights.

Wuthering Heights Pub

End your walk at the Wuthering Heights pub in Stanbury, a cosy spot to enjoy a pint or a hot meal after a day on the moors. This traditional Yorkshire pub has rustic charm, providing a hearty menu and an atmosphere that perfectly complements a moody moorland adventure.

Options to extend the route

For a longer hike, consider adding a detour to nearby Ponden Kirk, a rocky outcrop believed to be the inspiration for Wuthering Heights’ Penistone Crags. This can turn the walk into a full day’s outing, with more moorland views and a touch of rock scrambling for the adventurous.

Where is Haworth?

Haworth is a picturesque village located in West Yorkshire, England, renowned worldwide as the home of the Brontë sisters, the celebrated authors of Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Situated near the larger town of Keighley and easily accessible from Leeds, Haworth is part of the scenic region known as Brontë Country, an area of natural beauty that inspired much of the sisters' work.

The village itself is home to many quaint tea rooms, souvenir shops and a few quirky pitstops you can’t afford to miss. Our favourite is The Cabinet of Curiosities, a traditional shop that’s been restored it to it's former glory as a Victorian druggists and apothecary shop.

Getting to the starting point

Arriving by car

There is limited parking along Main Street in Haworth, with additional spaces near the Brontë Parsonage Museum and pay-and-display lots available for a small fee.

Public transport

The Keighley Bus Company operates regular services to Haworth from Keighley, making it accessible by public transport from nearby towns. Check current schedules as timings vary, especially on weekends and holidays.

✔️ Good to knows

Difficulty: This walk has gentle climbs and is suitable for all abilities.

Accessibility: This is a carrier only route. There are some steep steps and rocky paths, particularly around the waterfall itself, which aren’t suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. This route includes stiles.

Navigation: The walk to the falls is pretty well signposted, and if you’re following our route on komoot you can’t go wrong.

Food and drink: Options are available in Haworth at the start and end of the walk, including tearooms, pubs, and the café at the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

Parking: Public parking lots are available near Haworth’s Main Street; charges vary. We parked in the main pay and display car park in Haworth.

🧭 Following the route

I use komoot and OS Maps for offline navigation. To follow this walk step-by-step on komoot, simply click this link here or download the GPX file and upload it to your chosen app, such as OS Maps.

BRONTE WATERFALL WALK, HAWORTH