Top Withens

 ( Tourist Attractions In The City Of Bradford ) 

Top Withens (or Top Withins) is a ruined farmhouse near Haworth, West Yorkshire, England, notable for its association with Emily Bronte's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. It occupies a remote and exposed position on Haworth Moor, above sea level. The name comes from a dialect word meaning "willows".

A plaque affixed to a wall reads:

The popular misconception that Earnshaw's house was styled on Top Withens may have arisen from a series of letters between publisher George Smith and Charlotte Brontë's friend Ellen Nussey, as he sought a list of places that had inspired the novels.

The ruin is east of Withins Height below Delf Hill. It lies on two long-distance paths, the Brontë Way and the Pennine Way. It is a popular walking destination from nearby Haworth and Stanbury. Such is the attraction to Japanese Literary tourism that some footpath signs in the area include Japanese text.

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Thunderstorm On 18 May 1893, Top Withens was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Holes were made in the wall, the roof was partially torn off, flags were cracked, and around 30 windows were almost completely removed. A portion of slate was thrown far from the house by the wind, and in the kitchen the blade of a knife had been fused by the heat. A bowl of dough prepared by a resident, Mrs. Sunderland, was smashed to pieces, and her dog and cat fled the building in fear. This was reported by the Todmorden the following week.

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External links

• The Top Withens page at "The Reader's Guide to Wuthering Heights"

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