Top Withens

Top Withens is a stone farmhouse ruin in the Yorkshire moors, where weathered walls stand against moorland hills in the distance. The remains show the original layout of this building, which sits on an open, exposed plateau high on the moors.

Top Withens dates back to the 17th century and people lived there until the 1920s, when it was abandoned on the Yorkshire moors. The farmhouse reflects centuries of use by farming families before it fell into decay.

Top Withens inspired Emily Brontë when she wrote Wuthering Heights, with the farmhouse shaping how she imagined the Earnshaw family home. The place connects the wild moorland setting to the novel that made it famous.

The ruins can be reached by walking about 2.5 miles from Cemetery Road in Haworth, following the marked Bronte Way route. The path climbs through open moorland, so visitors should wear sturdy shoes and dress for changeable weather conditions.

The site sits at a height where powerful winds regularly sweep across the moors, creating distinctive sounds as they move through the stone remains. These wind patterns shaped Brontë's choice of location and give visitors a sense of the raw conditions that inspired her writing.

Location: England

GPS coordinates: 53.81480,-2.02979

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:20