Literary Worlds Come Alive In The Worth Valley

From the angst ridden characters of the novels of the Bronte family, to the never-say-die Waterbury children lifted from The Railway Children, the Worth Valley in Yorkshire has vivid connections to part of Britain’s great literary heritage.

Trains with a literary connection

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway has always played an important part in the railway conservation movement, with the closure of the line in December 1961 being the catalyst for angry locals to lease the entire five mile stretch from British Rail.

Coincidence plays a big part in the next step as the opening date in 1968 coincided with a planned dramatisation of  The Railway Children, with a more famous version being the 1970 film produced by Lionel Jeffries. Both used the line for location work and the rest as they say is history.

There is great walking in the area mixing the railway with the River Worth and its tributaries, and the Waterbury family house, The Three Chimneys can be seen close to Oakworth Station.

You can use the train to get to Haworth with its steep cobbled streets, that was also famous as the home of the prolific Bronte family of writers. Their home, the Bronte Parsonage is a shrine to their works and their vision of Victorian society. There are many paths and tracks that lead you deep into the moors and it is a simple task to appreciate where they gained the inspiration for their books.


                                                       Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

                                                                 The Bronte Society

                                                          About The Railway Children