[Harlaxton ’11] Moors or Less: Students Experience Haworth, Bronte Museum
August 2, 2011 | International, News, People, Students, Summer, Video | No Comments
by Taylor Leet
Today, Academy students went on a day trip to Haworth to delight in the literary history that accompanies the West Yorkshire Moors. A silvery mist only heightened the supernatural sensitivity that goes hand in hand with an expedition to the West Yorkshire Moors. Stepping off the coach, we were met with a slight sprinkle of rain and hint of sunshine. As we made our way up and down the cobblestoned streets of Haworth Village, we took the chance to appreciate the quiet serenity so different from our recent experience in Bath. The streets were decorated in homey, quaint shops and intimate pubs. It’s easy to get caught up in the sights because not long after disembarking from our coach, we effortlessly managed to pass up our first destination, the Bronte Parsonage Museum. After a quick about-face, we trudged up the hill where we came to a place that was once home to three of the most critically acclaimed authors of all time.
Upon entering the Bronte household some, such as myself, we’re required to take a deep breath in order to soak it all in. After regaining our composure, the first wave of Fighting Automatons descended upon the rooms of the house and the secrets they hold. We were able to immerse ourselves in a world in which timeless literature had been woven into the fabric of time. The family parlor which lay immediately to our left still contained original letters and even the couch on which the infamous Emily Bronte passed away. It was in this room where classics such as Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and The Tennant of Wildfell Hall had been written discussed and rewritten until they were finally the novels we know and love today. Stepping lightly up the groaning staircase, we eventually came upon a room containing first editions volumes of Jane Eyre and original poetry by Anne Bronte. Timeless pieces preserved in glass encasings so that many generations may enjoy them for years to come.
As the Bronte house faded into the landscape, though never fading from our memories, the group sectioned off and went about exploring the hillside village. Several students took a daring leap into a local candy store, Mrs. Leighton’s Sweet Shop, where they indulged in what Lori Lovell claims to be “the sourest candy she had ever tasted.” A word to the wise, take caution when treating one’s self to a ploom.
A handful of students ventured off to a local tea shop where they partook in the ancient ritual of tea and scones. The Earl Grey kept you warm and the scones decorated in rich cream and strawberry preserves provided a light meal. After gathering the troop, the automatons made their way back to their bus where the driver promptly whisked us off to the West Yorkshire Moors.
The moors are one of the few places in the world where serenity conspires with superstition to create a place in which fantasy and fiction possess the potential to become reality. Listen closely and you can hear the faint howl of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Traipsing up and down the narrow, rocky footpaths some began to lose their sense of surroundings. We easily began to understand how some get lost in the ups and downs of the Haworth Moors. But as the gloom faded into the horizon, students were dazzled by the cheerful sunlight and the breathtakingly blue skies. You could say that we got to experience the best of both worlds. After a couple of hours of frolicking in the heather bells and perching on jutting rocks, we said goodbye to the moors as we made our way back to Harlaxton Manor.
The day ended in a return trip back to Harlaxton where we enjoyed a traditional English meal of Mexican cuisine and banana tacos coated in powdered sugar. Dinner was followed by a private viewing of the 2011 Sherlock Holmes television series where students and Dr. Langdon discussed how the tale of the great detective has changed through time and in some ways, remained the same. But when the adults go away, the children must play. So while Dr. Langdon retired for the night, many students stayed behind to watch the “classic” B-movie, Orcs! After many good laughs, students retired to their rooms anticipating what the next week and half would have in store for them.
Dinner at the Magpie was followed by a tour through Whitby and an eerie recounting of some of the city’s most gruesome tales. We were led by a sinister-appearing, though quite jovial, man identifying himself as Harry, who was well-versed in the lore and legend of the seaside town. We saw the spot where Count Dracula himself was reported to have come ashore in the shape of a large, black wolf from a beached Russian ship. We heard tell of the spirits professed to haunt the houses and pubs of the area; those unfortunate souls chained to the world after ghastly deaths by hanging, beheading, and yet more grisly mutilation. We were told about two mischievous cats severely wounded after an encounter with two irate townspeople, whose injuries were later noticed to be remarkably similar to those of two laborers then assumed to possess powers beyond the natural world. We learned the secrets the Hand of Glory, an aid to thieves wishing to creep through houses without attracting the notice of the sleeping inhabitants. We also came to know about a one-armed lighthouse keeper who died of a heart attack many years ago, but whose body still appears on occasion to this day on the seventy-first stair of his tower. We finally broke up and headed back to our bed and breakfast for the night, left with much to ponder as we retired to our own rooms.