And we’re in God’s Own County! (Disclaimer: Or so Wikipedia tells me. However, Sarah—my friend from Yorkshire and my travel guide of sorts—insists it’s “God’s Own Country”.) The rain continued on from yesterday, which I actually prefer, since I wanted to experience the West Yorkshire moors in the full glory of gloomy, atmospheric splendour. Our main destination today was Haworth, known for the home of the Bronte sisters, and for inspiring the settings of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

To get there, we left Sarah’s home in Wakefield, and caught two trains to Keighley (£3.55). Our next leg was super duper exciting: we travelled by steam train (£5)! As in, an actual choo-choo train!!

Here’s a video of the steam train!

In short, Haworth was gloriously gloomy. We spent most of the day walking, eating, and exploring the Bronte Parsonage.

A stop at the YHA (£18 for shared dorms) was a pleasant surprise, since the hostel is in a beautiful Victorian mansion. Wanting to have “local” meals, we then stopped at The Stirrup, where I had a beef and onion gravy sandwich with some of the best chips ever (£6.50). Seriously, those chips!

We then shared a slice of raspberry, blackberry, and lime drizzle cake (£3.50, but we split to £1.75 each), and that was glorious.

A short stop by a chocolate shop, and mmm…! (I’ve decided to stop including prices for gifts and such, because these are kinda “optional” purchases.)

I thought the Bronte Parsonage (£6.50) one of the best house museums I’ve visited–there was just the right amount of interesting information and reading material, while almost all the items within the museum were actually owned and used by the Bronte family. There was no photography allowed inside, but I would highly recommend the museum–I’m not the biggest fan of the Bronte novels I’ve read, but I found the family’s stories fascinating.

We did, however, get to take photos “outside” the museum, including the statue in the garden of the three sisters.

And then there was this hilarious knitted scene from Jane Eyre!

Since the moors can’t really be described, here are some photos—but it’s definitely a scene (and atmosphere!) worth experiencing in the flesh.

I tried a half-pint of local beer as a pre-dinner drink (£1.85), but wasn’t a fan (I think I should probably stop trying local beers since I generally don’t like beer at all, but my stubbornness can be problematic in such situations). Dinner was some pub grub at The Fleece, and I had half a pint of Rekorderling cider (£2.15) and a massive chicken and mushroom pie (£9.40). Sarah and I were both so full that there was no room for dessert–we’re talking proper Yorkshire servings here!

The rain was quite heavy by the time we’d finished, so we shared a cab back to the hostel (£1.50 each). And now, with bleary eyes and the rain still going, I shall retire for the evening.

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Accommodation: £18
Food: £21.65
Transport: £10.05
Tickets: £6.50
Total: £56.20