Walking Through Stories: Brontë Country & The Railway Children
Spend a sociable weekend exploring the stories connected to Haworth and the Worth Valley. This two-night hotel-based walking break combines the moorland associated with the Brontë sisters and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights with locations used in the 1970 film of E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children.
We’ll walk from Haworth across the surrounding moors to Top Withens and the Brontë Waterfall, spend time exploring Haworth’s cobbled streets, shops and literary connections, and follow a second route through locations featured in The Railway Children.
With a maximum group of eight, guided walks, hotel accommodation and transport during the weekend included, this is a relaxed way to explore two sides of West Yorkshire’s literary and screen heritage.
Trip Overview
Location: Haworth, Yorkshire
Duration: 2 nights
Group Size: Max 8 (small group)
Style: Sociable walking break
Walking Grade: Leisurely
Steady-paced, sociable walking with manageable distances and varied terrain, with time to stop and enjoy the surroundings.
Typical Distance: Around 6–10 miles per day
With plenty of time for breaks and photos at a relaxed pace,
Accommodation: Hotel
Room Type: En-suite single, twin or double rooms
Transport: Car-free (station pick-up included)
Meals: Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
Price: From £??? per person
Check Dates & Book Your Place
Select a date to view availability, room options and prices, and book your place to join Large Outdoors.
Dates & Availability
We run this trip on selected dates throughout the year.
Upcoming dates:
Friday 23 - Sunday 25 October 2026
Simply select your preferred date in the booking box to check availability and book.
Can I Book with a Deposit?
Book more than 12 weeks before departure with a 20% deposit. Within 12 weeks of departure, full payment is required at booking.
A Good Fit for You If…
You enjoy walking with an added literary, historical or film connection.
You would like to explore Haworth and the surrounding moorland with a guide.
You prefer a small group and a sociable but unhurried weekend.
You are comfortable walking up to approximately 10 miles over moorland, field paths and uneven ground.
You would like a car-free trip with local transport organised for you.
You are happy to buy your own lunches and evening meals, with the option of eating together as a group.
Probably not for you if…
You want a trip focused on challenging summits or fast-paced mountain walking.
You are looking for a detailed academic study of the Brontës or E. Nesbit rather than a walking break with literary connections.
You are not comfortable walking across muddy, exposed or uneven moorland.
You want a large group or a busy evening entertainment programme.
“A superb company. The group leaders go above and beyond to ensure everyone feels safe and included. Great walks, plenty of laughs and a really sociable atmosphere.”
Exploring Haworth and the Worth Valley
Haworth is known internationally for its connection with Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë. The sisters grew up at Haworth Parsonage, where their father, Patrick Brontë, served as the local clergyman. The parsonage is now the Brontë Parsonage Museum.
The family’s life in Haworth was closely connected to the surrounding moors. Charlotte, Emily, Anne and their brother Branwell created stories and imaginary worlds from an early age, later producing novels including Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
Haworth today is very different from the crowded and polluted village the Brontës knew during the 19th century, but many of its buildings and surrounding landscapes would still have been familiar to them. Its steep cobbled Main Street is now lined with independent shops, cafés and pubs, while the churchyard and former parsonage remain at the centre of the village’s Brontë story.
The Worth Valley has another well-known cultural connection. Its heritage railway and surrounding countryside were extensively used during the making of the 1970 film The Railway Children. Oakworth Station became one of the film’s most recognisable locations, while scenes were also filmed around Mytholmes Tunnel, Bents House near Oxenhope and Haworth itself.
This weekend brings these connections together, with time to explore the village as well as following the paths, moors and railway that helped place the area in books and on screen.
Highlights
Walk across Haworth Moor to Top Withens, traditionally associated with the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.
Visit the Brontë Waterfall and cross countryside regularly explored by the Brontë family.
Enjoy free time among Haworth’s cobbled streets, independent shops, cafés and pubs.
Follow The Railway Children Walk through locations connected to the 1970 film.
Stay in an en-suite hotel room, with a maximum group of eight and transport during the trip included.
Here’s what’s included in your trip:
Two nights’ accommodation at Premier Inn Bradford North (Bingley).
An en-suite single, twin or double room, according to the option booked.
Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Two guided walks with a Large Outdoors guide.
Transport between the hotel and the walking locations.
Optional collection from a designated local railway station on Friday.
Return transfer to the designated railway station on Sunday.
What’s not included
Travel to and from the hotel or designated collection point.
Lunches and walking snacks.
Evening meals. We’ll arrange an opportunity to eat together locally, with everyone paying for their own food and drinks.
Entry to the Brontë Parsonage Museum or any other paid attractions.
Railway tickets or heritage railway journeys unless specifically added to the itinerary.
Alcoholic and other drinks purchased from the hotel, pubs or cafés.
Personal walking equipment.
Travel and activity insurance.
Any additional activities or purchases not listed as included.
Suggested Itinerary
The itinerary provides a guide to the weekend. Walking routes, timings and stops may change according to the weather, ground conditions, group pace and opening times.
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Make your way to Premier Inn Bradford North in Sandbeds, near Bingley and Keighley. A complimentary collection will be available from Crossflatts railway station at 18:00.
After checking in, we’ll meet as a group for introductions and talk through the plans for the weekend.
We will eat in the hotel tonight, so if you arrive late you are able to pop down and join us. Food and drinks are not included.
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After breakfast, we’ll travel together to Haworth and begin our main walk of approximately 10 miles.
Leaving the village behind, we’ll cross the open moorland that became closely associated with the Brontë family and their writing. Our route leads towards Top Withens, a ruined farmhouse traditionally linked with Emily Brontë’s inspiration for Wuthering Heights.
There is no suggestion that Top Withens was literally the home of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, and the building does not closely match the house described in the novel. Its remote moorland position, however, has made it an enduring part of the Wuthering Heights story.
Our return route takes us past the Brontë Waterfall and Brontë Bridge, an area traditionally regarded as one of the family’s favourite places to walk and spend time.
Back in Haworth, there will be time to explore independently. You might browse the shops, visit a café or pub, see the church and parsonage from outside, or simply take some time on Main Street.
We’ll return to the hotel later in the afternoon before heading out for an optional group dinner at a local pub or restaurant. Dinner and drinks are not included.
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Following breakfast and hotel check-out, we’ll travel back to Haworth for a walk of approximately 6½ miles through the Worth Valley.
The route follows paths associated with the 1970 film of E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children. It explores the countryside around the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and links a number of filming locations.
Depending on the final route and access conditions, we may see locations including Oakworth Station, Mytholmes Tunnel and Bents House, which became Three Chimneys—the Yorkshire home of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis in the story.
The route mixes field paths, tracks and village sections, with regular reminders of the railway running through the valley. Although graded Leisurely, there will still be hills, stiles and potentially muddy ground.
After returning to Haworth, there will be time to buy a light lunch or refreshments before we begin the journey home. Guests using the car-free collection service will then be returned to the designated railway station.
Check Dates & Book Your Place
Select a date to view availability, room options and prices, and book your place to join Large Outdoors.
Dates & Availability
We run this trip on selected dates throughout the year.
Upcoming dates:
Friday 23 - Sunday 25 October 2026
Simply select your preferred date in the booking box to check availability and book.
Can I Book with a Deposit?
Book more than 12 weeks before departure with a 20% deposit. Within 12 weeks of departure, full payment is required at booking.
Getting There & Accommodation
Here’s everything you need to know about getting there and where you’ll be staying.
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This is one of our car-free experiences. A complimentary collection will be available from a designated local railway station on Friday, followed by a return transfer after Sunday’s walk.
Station: Crossflatts
Friday collection time: 18:00
Expected Sunday return: 15:00 - 17:00If you require the railway station collection, please select this option when booking.
You can also travel directly to the hotel by car. There is free parking on site, but please make sure you register your car details with reception.
Transport between the hotel and the walking locations on Saturday and Sunday is included, so you won’t need to use your own vehicle during the weekend.
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We’ll stay at:
Premier Inn Bradford North (Bingley)
502 Bradford Road
Sandbeds
Keighley
BD20 5NGThe hotel provides a practical base for reaching Haworth and the Worth Valley. Your booking will include an en-suite single, twin or double room, depending on the option selected.
Breakfast is included on both mornings. Evening meals are not included, but we plan to reserve tables locally so that anyone who wishes to can eat with the group.