Haworth and Chatsworth

On 10 October we left Ambleside hostel (it was so nice to spend two nights in one place and not have to pack up and move) to head home. On the way home we stopped at Haworth Parsonage, the home of the Bronte sisters. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are currently on my top three favorite classics list so I was so excited to actually see where they lived.
After seeing this picture you might imagine why some of their stories are a little strange. Their front yard is a cemetery!!! The house you can see on the far left of the picture is theirs. Their father was the clergyman of the parrish and so, as you can imagine, they had to live close to the church.
I found this sign on a little walk I took to view the famous "moors" of Bronte country. "Heathcliff, it's me, your Cathy!"

The beautiful and wild moors with are so famous in the Bronte stories, especially Wuthering Heights! Haworth was so charming and a lot of fun . . . although the professors often give us too much time, this time we didn't have enough!

After we were forced back on the coach we headed to Chatsworth House, which has been on my list of places to go since before this whole adventure even began. It was so nice to just be dropped off at the doors instead of trying to find transportation to visit on my own.

A view of Chatsworth.

Chatsworth has been used in many films, including Pride and Prejudice where it was the interior of Pemberly, and the new British film The Dutchess that I would love to see when I get home! The picture above is a little dark but it is a view of the famous grand staircase.

One thing I really loved about Chatsworth is that the current Duke and Dutchess love the arts and they are striving to keep the house connected to the past as well as to the present. While many of the famous manor houses in England are kept like "museums" of the past Chatsworth has a fun mix of the old and the new. The picture above is a view of the gardens from one of the windows. There was a modern sculpture exhibition when we visited so the gardens were full of amazing pieces of art as you can see.

And then there was of course the famous sculpture room within the house which has also been used in films. This Raffaele Monti sculpture, "Veiled Vestal," is one of my favorite sculptures that I have seen. But the highlight for many, Billy Fury step aside, was Mr. Darcy . . .

Me and my new, new (sorry Billy) boyfriend, Mr. Darcy.

It was a great trip full of adventures!