Harlaxton Day 13: Haworth and The Moors

Our day trip to Haworth and the moors began with the stifling beeping of alarm clocks from 7:15 to 7:45 AM: the earliest morning we’ve had since our trip began. Our coach departed from the front drive at 8 AM, so we all ate a hurried breakfast and scuffled to the bus with Harlaxton’s signature white packed lunch bags in hand. Our bus ride (and, for most, nap) lasted over two and a half hours, but for the first time on this trip, getting off of the bus didn’t mean we had arrived at our final destination. We hopped aboard a steam engine train, which took us from Keighley to Haworth in a quick twenty-minute ride.

Once we arrived in Haworth, we split into two groups, one touring the Bronte Parsonage Home and Museum while the other explored the church where Patrick Bronte worked in the clergy. We milled around the house grounds, looked in the gift shop, and snacked on our lunches. Once the whole group was back together, we began our trek through the moors of northern England.

We hiked up a footpath surrounded by sheep, rocks, and foliage while skillfully navigating around sheep droppings, stopping midway at the Bronte Waterfalls to eat lunch (if you had any left). After our break, we continued up the moors, climbing higher and higher into the hilly terrain. We only had a few minor falls and scrapes, and eventually made it up to Top Withins ruins. The views from what felt like the top of the world were breathtaking, and not just because we’d walked three miles uphill. After a thirty minute rest while gazing over the moors, we began our descent back to civilization, away from the wild winds and tall grass that inspired Wuthering Heights, the book we had studied in class the day before.

After another hour and a mile and a half, we reached our coach bus, which was a sweet sight for our sore feet and sweaty faces. On the way back to Harlaxton, we stopped in Halifax for dinner, sampling an array of (mostly American) food joints. Our hunger satisfied, we laughed, conversed, and listened to music for an hour on the coach before arriving back at our “home”. Settled back in, we spent the evening resting, exploring, studying, and anticipating the much-needed rest that we’d get that night, as class didn’t start until 1 PM the next day.