The Brontë Society’s Terms and Conditions of Visit and Event Bookings and Membership Subscriptions

Revised 2025

1. Overview and Definitions

1.1 Our ticketing and membership subscription system is operated by Spektrix on behalf of The Brontë Society. The Brontë Society is a registered charity, number 529952, and our address is Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth, Keighley BD22 8DR. Our registered VAT number is 157608195. Reference in these terms and conditions to “Brontë Parsonage Museum”, “we”, “us” or “our” is a reference to The Brontë Society.

1.2 Reference in these terms and conditions to “Museum” is a reference to the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth, West Yorkshire, BD22 8DR, where the authors, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë lived from 1820 until their deaths, and where their great novels were written.

1.3 Reference to “Visit” is a reference to admission to the Museum on a date the Museum is open to the general public. Reference to “Event(s)” is a reference to an event or events organised by us, either at the Museum or at another venue, including online.

1.4 Reference to “Membership” is a reference to membership of the Brontë Society, which involves an annual subscription fee.

2. Terms and Conditions: Visit and Event tickets

2.1 These are the terms and conditions which tell you the rules for using this ticketing service and, together with the Terms of Entry (see 8.5 below) and the Brontë Society Gift Aid Terms and Conditions (see 6.4 below) comprise the terms which are the basis on which we issue tickets for admission to the Museum for your Visit and/or for Events.

2.2 These terms tell you who we are, how we will provide you with the tickets, how you and we may change or end the arrangements for your Visit or Event, what to do if there is a problem and other important information.

2.3 By using this ticketing system you confirm that:-

• you accept that you are booking tickets for the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth; and

• you accept these terms and that you will comply with them. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not book tickets via this ticketing system.

2.4 These terms and conditions refer to our Privacy Policy Statement which applies to your use of the ticketing system. We will only use your personal information as set out in our privacy notice.

3. Your Tickets

3.1 Admission tickets are valid for 12 months from the date of your Visit.

3.2 For admission to the Museum within 12 months of the date of your Visit, you must bring your original ticket with you and show it on arrival at the Museum in accordance with 8.1 below.

3.3 All tickets are valid only for the number of people and for the date and entry time slot (where applicable) stated on the booking confirmation email.

3.4 Subject to these terms, admission tickets booked for a Visit to the Museum are non-refundable and cannot be altered due to a change of mind or if booked by you in error.

3.5 No ticket may be re-sold, exchanged or transferred to a third party for use at the Museum. If any person attempts to use a ticket which has been re-sold or transferred to gain entry to the Museum, we reserve the right to refuse entry and no compensation shall be payable to that person.

4. Ticket Booking Process

4.1 Our acceptance of your booking will take place when we email you to confirm it has been accepted, at which point an agreement will come into existence between you and us on these terms and conditions.

4.2 If we are unable to accept your booking, we will inform you of this over email (using the address you supply as part of your booking) and will not take payment or, if payment has already been made, we will issue you with a refund. This might be because the ticket type or number of tickets selected is sold out, or because we have identified an error in the price or description of the ticket.

4.3 It is your responsibility to check prior to completing your booking that the information you have supplied to us with regard to your booking and your ticket requirements are accurate.

5. Price and Payment

5.1 The price of each ticket will be the price indicated on the booking page when you book your ticket. The price indicated is inclusive of any VAT applicable.

5.2 We accept payment by all debit or credit cards except American Express and Diners Club. Your card will be charged at the point your booking is accepted.

5.3 There is no booking fee charged on tickets for your Visit or Event.

6. Gift Aid

6.1 On our booking page you can opt to make a Gift Aid declaration in respect of your payment for your Visit and any additional donation. If you are a UK taxpayer and pay sufficient income tax to cover this and any other Gift Aid commitments you will make during the current tax year, a Gift Aid declaration will allow the Bronte Society to claim 25% of your admission fee (and/or donation) from the Government, at no extra cost to you.

6.2 A donor cannot make a qualifying donation in respect of a payment for a group of people who are not members of their family.

6.3 A donor has 30 days from the date of the ticket in which to cancel, in writing, the Gift Aid declaration.

6.4 The Terms and Conditions for annual right of admission to the Museum under the Gift Aid scheme are as follows:

Readmittance for the donor, or the donor and their family (if they were admitted on the original ticket), for a period of one year from the date on the ticket, during usual opening hours.
We reserve the right to have a limited number of days per year when readmittance with a ticket is not permitted. These dates will be clearly stated on our website.
Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded in whole or in part after purchase.
Tickets must remain in their original form.
Tickets are non-transferable.
You may be asked for ID to verify the name on your ticket.

7. Supplying the Tickets

7.1 Once your booking is confirmed, our ticketing partner (Spektrix) will send you a confirmation email containing e-ticket(s) for your Museum Visit or specified Event.

7.2 It is your responsibility to ensure that you have received your confirmation email and ticket(s) promptly and in good time before your Visit or Event. Please contact us at bookings@bronte.org.uk if you have lost or misplaced your confirmation email or ticket(s).

7.3 We are not responsible if you do not receive your confirmation email or tickets due to circumstances reasonably outside of our control (for example if you gave us an incorrect email address or your email settings treat our email as spam) and you do not notify us in good time before your Visit or Event.

8. Entry

8.1 In order to gain admission to the Museum for your Visit or Event, you will be required to show your e-ticket(s) on arrival at the Museum, either on your mobile phone or by bringing a printed copy with you. If you are unable to present your e-ticket(s) by either of these methods, you will be asked for the information that you used to book tickets, in order for us to retrieve your booking.

8.2 If you have booked any concession tickets, you may be asked to provide evidence of your entitlement to the concession. We reserve the right to ask for the full price of the relevant ticket if you fail to provide such evidence.

8.3 Unless otherwise stated, the last entry for a Museum visit is 4pm, and for an Event, it is 5 minutes before the advertised start time. We cannot guarantee entry to the Museum or Event if you arrive later than this.

8.4 It is a condition of entry that you comply with the Terms of Entry below which govern, among other things, behaviour while at the Museum and the conditions under which entry to the Museum or an Event may be refused.

8.5 Our Terms of Entry are:

All children aged 11 or under must be accompanied by a responsible older person
Food and/or drink must not be consumed in the Museum
Photography is permitted for personal use only. Commercial photography or filming can only take place with prior consent of the Brontë Parsonage Museum Senior Leadership Team.
Animals, with the exception of registered assistance animals, are not allowed in the Museum or Shop.

8.6. The Brontë Society also operates a Code of Conduct, which is applicable to all Visits and Events, whether held in person or online:

The Brontë Society Code of Conduct represents The Brontë Society’s Duty of Care as convenors of Museum Visits and Events. We are committed to protecting and safeguarding all of our participants and speakers and operate a zero tolerance policy to harassment or intimidation of any kind towards staff, volunteers, artists, authors, creatives, visitors and audiences. We also have a policy of respect which means that all parties are expected to behave towards each other and speak to and about each other with respect at all times and do their utmost to promote and embed respect in all areas of the organisation. The Brontë Society has a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and will not tolerate offensive comments relating to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, race, ethnicity, background or religion. Any person who attempts to harass or intimidate another person within the Museum or Event will be immediately removed.

8.7 In addition, some Events may be subject to their own Terms of Entry. These will be included in all correspondence relating to the Event for which you have booked.

9. Cancellations

9.1 The Museum cannot issue refunds for Visits or Events except under the circumstances listed below.

9.2 If the Museum has had to close unexpectedly for any reason on the day of your Visit, we will contact you as soon as possible, and in the first instance, we will provide details of how to re-arrange your Visit.

9.3 If an Event is cancelled by us, or for any other reason we decide that your Event booking may be cancelled, you will be offered a full refund of the price of the tickets relating to that Event. In the event of cancellation, we will contact you as soon as possible to arrange either a refund or an alternative date.

9.4 Our liability to you in these circumstances is limited to refunding the price you paid for the cancelled Event ticket(s). We are not responsible to you to any greater extent and in particular are not liable to you for any other loss that you may incur as a consequence of the cancellation or closure (including, without limitation, financial loss such as travel, accommodation, subsistence or other expenses).

10. The Museum reserves the right to:

10.1 Refuse entry to the Museum or an Event, or remove a person from the Museum or Event, on the grounds of inappropriate behaviour towards our staff, volunteers, guests, other visitors or audience members.

10.2 Refuse entry to the Museum or an Event due to suspicion that tickets are being used fraudulently;

10.3 Vary the opening and closing times and /or dates of the Museum and to close, remove or cancel all or any part of the displays or facilities for any reason.

10.4 Change the date, format or line-up of an Event or an activity which forms part of our programme.

10.5 Amend these terms and conditions as necessary, at any time.

11. Responsibility for Loss or Damage Suffered by You

11.1 We do not exclude or limit in any way liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors and for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

11.2 We only offer tickets for domestic and private use. You must not use the tickets for any commercial, business or re-sale purpose. We will have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business if you use the tickets for any such unauthorised purpose.

11.3 The Brontë Society cannot accept responsibility for the loss of any personal items during your Visit or attendance at an Event.

11.4 The Brontë Parsonage Museum car park is operated by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the Brontë Society cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or damage to your vehicle, or any fines incurred during your Visit.

12. Terms and Conditions: Brontë Society Membership

12.1 Membership of the Brontë Society is open to any person aged 16 or over.

12.2 By becoming a member of the Brontë Society, you acknowledge and accept the following statement:

“All members are ambassadors for the Brontë Society and are asked to promote our organisational values of excellence, inspiration and creativity and uphold our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Members are expected to treat Society employees, trustees and fellow members with respect, and to help promote a positive culture across the organisation and the wider Brontë community.”

12.3 Once your subscription has been paid, you will receive an automated confirmation email. This will be followed up by a personalised email welcoming you to the Brontë Society.

12.4 It is your responsibility to ensure that you have received your confirmation email and are able to access the Members Area of the website. Please contact us at membership@bronte.org.uk if you do not receive it or have any other problems with taking out your subscription.

12.5 If we are unable to accept your membership subscription for reasons covered by, but not limited to, Articles 11.2.2 and 11.2.4 of the Brontë Society Articles of Association, we will inform you by email (using the address you supply as part of your subscription) and will not take payment. If payment has already been made, we will issue you with a refund.

12.6 It is your responsibility to check prior to completing your membership subscription that the information you have supplied to us with regard to your contact details and preferred type of membership are accurate.

13. Terms and Conditions: Brontë Parsonage Museum shop and online shop

13.1 Terms and Conditions related to shipping, returns and refunds can be found at www.bronteshop.org.uk.

14. Customer Service

14.1 If you need to contact us, please use the form on the Contact Us page of our website and we will respond to you as soon as possible.

14.2 If you have any feedback about our ticketing service, please refer to the Brontë Society Customer Feedback and Complaint Policy. We are always willing to review our processes and will endeavour to resolve any complaint you may have.