Education plans revealed for Bronte Birthplace in Thornton

The move was followed by tragedy - the death of Maria in 1821 and the two eldest daughters in 1825. But Haworth was where the three younger sisters wrote the extraordinary books that changed the literary world.

While Haworth became a world famous literary shrine, the house in Thornton where Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne Bronte were born was a largely forgotten part of the family story.

Now the modest terraced house, on Market Street, is in public ownership, thanks to a crowdfunding project attracting more than 700 investors. Bronte Birthplace Limited has raised over £650,000 from the share offer and grants from Bradford 2025 and the Government’s Levelling Up fund. The plan is to turn the Grade 2* listed building into an education centre and literary retreat, with a community cafe and holiday let allowing visitors to stay in the Brontes’ bedrooms.

The restoration will start in coming weeks and the Bronte Birthplace is due to open in January 2025 - Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture. It is, says Steve Stanworth, vice chair of Bronte Birthplace Limited, the “missing piece of the Bronte story jigsaw”.

“This was a vibrant family home, with six children and all the hustle and bustle,” says Steve. “Walking in here, you feel over 200 years of history. We’re not turning it into a museum with roped-off areas. We want people to be immersed in the house where the Brontes lived as a young family. It’s a hands-on experience. We have big plans for education, book launches, workshops and talks. It will be a place of interest to schools, universities, writers, artists and Bronte scholars, and also somewhere to come and sit by the fire with a coffee or stop for a night and soak up the atmosphere.”

Steve runs the Bronte Bell Chapel, where Patrick Bronte preached from 1815-1820. “Patrick was fond of Thornton, and Thornton was fond of him. He said his ‘happiest days’ were here. In this house the family was together, before Maria and the two girls died. Our aim is to re-create the feel of that happy family home.”

The house has had a chequered past: after the Brontes left it was a butcher’s shop, later a small museum and more recently a cafe, Emily’s. Saving the house, which has been empty for four years, is the culmination of a 10-year dream and a two-year campaign. “This was a humble home but a house of ambition,” says committee member Christa Ackroyd. “It was from here that three girls overcame barriers to succeed on a worldwide stage. We’ll say to children who come here, ‘Stand by this fireplace, where those girls were born, and you too can have ambition. From a humble home, greatness can spring.”

Adds Christa: “I was adopted and when I came to Bradford, aged 10, I felt a bit rootless. My father took me to the Bronte Parsonage and told me about the ‘three Bradford girls who made their own way’. He said, ‘You can be anything you want’. That started my passion for the Brontes, and it has stayed with me.

“The Brontes’ own story is better than anything they wrote. They had little money, they were told they couldn’t, as females, be writers, they were unmarried, they faced prejudice. But they showed that it’s okay to be different, and their writing tackled issues that are still very relevant.”

The house has had various uses over the years (Image: Mark Davis)

Visitors will learn about the Brontes through a storyteller in the guise of Nancy De Garrs, the siblings’ nanny and an integral part of their childhood. Nancy’s bedroom is at the top of a servants’ staircase leading from the scullery.

The scullery where children will be invited to dress up as Brontes (Image: Mark Davis)

Across the landing is the nursery, where the family’s wardrobe stands. This will be let as Charlotte’s Room - three bedrooms will each be individually furnished, with help from Bronte Parsonage archivists, to reflect the personalities of Charlotte, Emily and Anne. The girls’ birthdays will be celebrated at annual open days.

While the house is due to open in 2025, an education programme is being rolled out this year, with a series of projects for primary schools. Under the umbrella ‘Be More Bronte’ schoolchildren will be invited to dress up as the Brontes, ‘build a Bronte’ and add to an ‘Ambition Wall’.

“Inspiring children to have ambition is key,” says headteacher Gillian Wilson. “I brought a class to Thornton, the children stood outside and said, ‘It’s just like my street’. They thought the Brontes were from a big grand house. I told them how those girls, who had none of the opportunities of today, overcame barriers. That resilience and courage is threaded through SMSC teaching today. This house brings history to life - children can walk in the the Brontes’ footsteps and be inspired.”

It is hoped that children will be inspired by the modest terraced house (Image: Mark Davis)

Gillian, who is head of St Oswald’s Primary Academy, says the house also celebrates Patrick: “Born to illiterate parents in rural Ireland, he went on to Cambridge. Education was very important to him; he opened a school in Haworth and insisted his daughters were educated.”

The house still has original features (Image: Mark Davis)

It is from Thornton that Patrick walked, with eldest daughter, Maria, to Bradford to use the library. “Through Patrick, the children learned about social issues of the time,” says Christa. “As we approach 2025, we want the world know that we’re proud of the social changes that came from Bradford - education, sanitation and housing reform, free school meals, industrial legislation. The Brontes were part of that - and it started in this house.”

* Visit the Bronte Birthplace, on Market Street, Thornton, and find out about opportunities to get involved, at an open day on Sunday, April 21 from 11am-4pm.