October Creative Workshops

At the beautiful historic house of Ponden Hall

 This autumn the Brontë Parsonage Museum is excited to be offering two creative workshops at the beautiful historic house of Ponden Hall.

Ponden Hall
The land-owning Heaton family built Ponden Hall in 1634, although parts of the building date from the 1500s. The Brontë children sheltered here from the great Crow Hill Bog Explosion in 1824 and Emily and Branwell read Gothic romances, local history and Shakespeare First Folio in the library which was considered the finest in the West Riding. Ponden Hall is now a private family home which is also a B&B and arts venue.

Wuthering Heights connection
Ponden Hall traditionally resembles the Lintons' home Thrushcross Grange, although in size and style the house is more similar to Wuthering Heights. According to local tradition, a tiny single paned window at the east gable is where Cathy’s ghost begged to be let in. In the novel, the window opens onto a box bed and we know there was an actual bed of that description in the bedroom until the 1930s. A local joiner has faithfully recreated this to great atmospheric effect! A plaque above the main entrance dates the rebuilt house to1801, the date that begins Wuthering Heights.

Join us for two day workshops which will use the atmospheric Ponden Hall and the surrounding autumnal landscape as inspiration. Both workshops are suitable for the more experienced or beginners interested in writing or botanical illustration. Each workshop will include homemade lunch, a tour of Ponden Hall, a short walk (and cake)! Please bring suitable footwear.

For more information about the workshops and if you would like to book a place one or both of the workshops please click on the links below