Inspire your inner Austen with these literature tours that feature in the greatest British books of all time.
Haworth, West Yorkshire
All about the Brontës
Get caught up in the windswept romance of the Brontë sisters with a visit to Haworth and the surrounding moors.
Possibly one of the most important places in British literature, Haworth not only fostered the imaginations of Charlotte, Emily and Anne, but these days remains a living monument to them.
Take a tour of the Brontë parsonage museum, where the three novelists lived until their premature deaths, wander the wilds surrounding the quaint village – as handsome and untameable as Heathcliff himself – and immerse yourself in the wonder of Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hill.
Whitby, North Yorkshire One of the Great Literature Tours
Better the Devil you Know
Perched high upon a cliff, Whitby Abbey is the crowning glory of this stunning seaside town. A former monastery, it was not only home to England’s first-known poet, Cædmon, but also plays a significant role in Bram Stoker’s gothic masterpiece, Dracula.
Make like the macabre novelist himself, who spent time exploring the seaport in 1890, and discover the many wonders of this Northern jewel including the Captain Cook Museum, the 199 steps listed structure that leads up from the harbour, and the breath-taking abbey ruins.
Finally, slake your thirst and hunger, not with blood, but the fare from one of the many fantastic pubs and restaurants including some world-class seafood joints.
Cornwall, England
A Knight at the Inn
A visit to Cornwall requires the use of a car if you really want to explore its vast loveliness, starting with Tintagel Castle which rests above the cliffs of the northern Cornish coast.
Without question, the most famous Arthurian site in the world (though the connection with King Arthur remains in dispute), the castle has been the setting for many literary works including Lord Alfred Tennyson’s epic poem, Idylls of the King.
In addition, at low tide, visitors can also explore Merlin’s Cave where the mythical wizard is said to have resided.
After a walk on this windswept and exposed coastline, the warmth of a pub is surely one’s best medicine. Look no further than the Jamaica Inn, a 40-minute drive from Tintagel, which also serves as the inspiration for Daphne du Maurier’s novel of the same name.
Though the tale is fiction, sadly the reality of the wreckers (plunderers) is not, which the onsite smuggling museum will testify.
Edinburgh and the Scottish Border
Great Scotts!
Novelist, playwright, poet and historian Sir Walter Scott may have been born in Edinburgh, but his roots stretched right down to his homeland’s border with England.
In Scotland’s capital itself, one can alight from Waverly station – which is in fact named after the writer’s much-lauded debut novel – and then marvel at the Scott monument on Prince Street: a gothic monolith which is spectacular to behold.
Venturing a little further south we arrive upon Abbotsford House, one of the most renowned houses in the world. Located ‘on a bare haugh and bleak bank by the side of the Tweed’ river, the stunning property in which Scott made his primary home still possesses the stunning, rambling beauty it did when the great poet lived there, and is certain to inspire any budding scribe.
We hope you have time to take in these literature tours.
