Hobbling around Haworth

I somehow managed to seize up my back a couple of weeks ago. Whilst I've regained some freedom of movement, it still aches. I'm trying to keep moving, as sitting still doesn't help. So, despite the temperature hovering around freezing, I took myself off for a hobble round Haworth. It was cold but there wasn't a breath of wind so it was actually really pleasant wandering around in the weak sunshine. I'd forgotten that the Brontë Parsonage Museum closes during January, as do many of the cafés and tourist shops, so there were only a handful of other visitors and I could appreciate 'the bones' of the village, rather than fighting through the crowds.

It isn't exactly a pretty place (too gritty and 'northern' for that) but it has a lot of charm, with its steep, cobbled main street (made famous recently as a challenging climb on the Tours de France and Yorkshire cycle races). There is a host of little alleys and backstreets to explore too, as well as the area around the Parsonage and church.

The imposing Hall Green Baptist Chapel sits at the bottom of the main street, with a glorious view of fields beyond. Haworth was an important centre during the Evangelical revival in the 18th century, which led to the birth of Methodism. (Interesting article HERE about that and Patrick Brontë's links to it).

The lack of crowds meant it was easier to appreciate the many different shapes and sizes of buildings that line the main street. There is a wondrous hodgepodge of houses, pubs and commercial premises clinging to its slopes.