Two out of four . . .

. . . is okay.

An adventure in four stones

Always the chaser after stones, how could I not be tempted to find the Brontë Stones, especially as it meant wandering familiar places holding so many memories.

We left our friends this morning and went up to the Parsonage in time for the opening. A quick walk through and a bit of time spent looking at the well-known Brontë sisters portrait, currently on loan from the National Portrait Gallery and the little, but quite interesting, Emily exhibition. And then we were on our way, avoiding the influx of visitors.

I knew a bit about the Brontë Stones, but when I found a map and a trail . . . well! The trail is actually a 9 mile ‘strenuous’ walk - we were going to attempt an easier way.

Anne Stone
This sounded easy. It was in Haworth, at the top of Parson’s field - the field of yesterday’s marquee. We climbed to the top and found . . . a space for a stone, but no stone. Great views over the valley though. On our return to the Parsonage, we were told that unfortunately the stone has met with a H&S issue and cannot be placed yet. 0/4

Emily Stone
This was apparently near Ogden, which we knew well, but according to a couple we met, would  involve quite a walk along tracks and across moorland - we were not dressed for this and it looked like rain, so abandoned it. Knowing where a stone is doesn’t count, so still 0/4

Brontë Stone
Thornton Cemetery. We were quietly confident about this, as we have lived in Thornton, I have worked at the school there, my parents lived there, as did my grandmother for a while. But did we know where the Cemetery was - no we did not. We spent a while wandering the narrow, steep hills of Thornton, passing houses we had lived in, places we remembered and places we didn’t. At last we returned to the main road, found the Cemetery and fortunately came across someone who knew exactly where the stone was - poem called Brontosaurus by Jeannette Winterson (My Blip). 1/4

Charlotte Stone
This we found immediately, as it is on the wall of the house on Thornton Main Street where the Brontë sisters were born - a poem by Carol Ann Duffy (first extra). I knew this house very well, as it is next to the school I worked at when I first came out of college and then again years later when I returned as Deputy Head. Sadly the school is no more - all converted into houses. But a great discovery - the Brontë Birthplace house has been turned into a quaint, but rather lovely, cafe, with excellent coffee and cakes. To be sitting drinking espressos, in the actual house, with the original fireplace, 200 years after the Brontë family were there, was a surreal experience (second extra) 2+/4

Two + out of four . . . is more than okay.

We are now in Wakefield (don’t ask!)