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Top Withens
Top Withens (also known as Top Withins) is a ruined farmhouse near Haworth, West Yorkshire, England, which is said to have helped inspire Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights. It occupies a high and remote position on Haworth Moor, 1,377 feet (420 metres) above sea level.[1] The name comes from a dialect word meaning "willows".[2][3] A plaque affixed to a wall reads:
The popular misconception that Earnshaw's house was styled on Top Withens may have arisen from a series of letters between publisher George Smith and Charlotte Brontë's friend Ellen Nussey, as he sought a list of places that had inspired the novels.[4] The ruin is east of Withins Height below Delf Hill. It lies on two long-distance paths, the Brontë Way and the Pennine Way. It is a popular walking destination from nearby Haworth and Stanbury. Such is the attraction to Japanese literary tourists that some footpath signs in the area include Japanese text. ThunderstormOn 18 May 1893, Top Withens was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Holes were made in the wall, the roof was partially torn off, flags were cracked, and around 30 windows were almost completely removed. A portion of slate was thrown far from the house by the wind, and in the kitchen the blade of a knife had been fused by the heat. A bowl of dough prepared by the farmer's wife, Mrs. Sunderland, was smashed to pieces, and her dog and cat fled the building in fear. This was reported by the Todmorden & District News the following week.[5]
53°48′53″N 2°01′48″W / 53.81472°N 2.03000°W References
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