3 min to read
Hiking Brontë Way & Top Withens
Bleak moorland, literary history and the ruins of Wuthering Heights
Hike Details
🚶♂️ Brontë Way & Top Withens Hike
This walk started right outside The Old Silent Inn, which made for a perfect base camp. It’s not the most luxurious place to stay, but for moorland walking it’s hard to beat straight out of the door and onto open countryside.
From here we joined sections of the Brontë Way, heading out across bleak, atmospheric moorland that immediately sets the tone. You can instantly see how this landscape shaped the imagination of the Brontë sisters it’s exposed, raw and unapologetically dramatic.
📏 Hike Stats
- Distance: ~12 km (7.5 miles)
- Duration: ~4 hours at a steady pace
- Elevation Gain: ~316 m
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Terrain: Moorland tracks, stone flags, some boggy sections were work is underway
🏞️ Route Highlights
➤ Moorland from the Old Silent Inn
Leaving the inn, the trail heads out onto wide, open moorland with very little shelter. Even on a relatively calm day, it feels remote. The paths here are a mix of stone flags and rough ground, with boggy patches that keep you on your toes.
➤ Brontë Bridge & Waterfall
The route drops slightly toward Brontë Bridge and the nearby Brontë Waterfall. While neither is particularly dramatic, they’re historically significant and offer a brief change of scenery before the long pull back onto the moors.
➤ Route Closure & Detour
Part of the Brontë Way was closed due to repair work, forcing us onto a longer detour across the moors. Although unexpected, this actually added to the sense of isolation, with fewer walkers and more open, windswept ground. Navigation was straightforward, but it did add time and distance to the hike.
➤ Top Withens
The highlight of the hike is undoubtedly Top Withens, the ruined farmhouse widely believed to have inspired Wuthering Heights. Sitting high on the moors, it’s completely exposed and wonderfully bleak. Standing there, with wind and mist rolling across the landscape, it’s easy to understand how stories of obsession, isolation and intensity were born here. We stopped here for our lunch that was made up by the kitchen at the Old Silent Inn 😋
➤ Reservoir Loop Return
We continued the route anticlockwise around the reservoir before turning back toward the Old Silent Inn. This section offers big skies, long views and a real sense of solitude even on a popular walking route, it felt quiet and spacious.
🌦️ Conditions & Trail Notes
Conditions were clear and warm, and the ground was rough in places so watch those ankles. Combined with the route closure, this made sections slower going than expected.
Good waterproof boots are essential here, especially after wet weather. There’s little protection from wind and rain, so layers are key even on milder days.
📝 Final Thoughts
This is a classic Yorkshire moorland hike bleak, atmospheric and steeped in literary history. It’s not flashy, and that’s exactly the point. The walking is honest, sometimes tough underfoot, but incredibly rewarding if you enjoy wild landscapes and quiet trails.
Starting and finishing at The Old Silent Inn makes this route even better, giving it a real sense of journey rather than a tourist loop.
✨ Best Moment: Standing at Top Withens, surrounded by views and silence, imagining the world of Wuthering Heights coming to life with a great lunch 🥪
📸 Photo Gallery
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