The Stables

About the location

TRAWDEN

Haworth 10 miles; Skipton 11.7 miles; Harrogate 35 miles.

Trawden is a small village in the Trawden Forest parish of Pendle, at the foot of Boulsworth Hill, on the border land between Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales. Boulsworth Hill is a large expanse of moorland, the highest point of the South Pennines of south-eastern Lancashire, England, separating the District of Pendle from Calderdale. Its summit, Lad Law, is 1,696 ft (517 m) above sea level, and commands views over Pendle Hill, the Forest of Bowland, the Yorkshire Dales and the South Pennines. On an exceptionally clear day it is possible to see Scafell Pike and Helvellyn to the north, High Peak to the south and Blackpool Tower to the west. The Brontë Way and the Pendle Way both pass along the slopes of Boulsworth Hill, providing routes across unspoilt moorland and pasture land. Agriculture was the main industry of the village and surrounding area, although it did have several cotton mills, most of which have now been demolished and converted into housing. As a way of encouraging people to visit Trawden and the surrounding area, a small group of village residents organise and mobilise other villagers in order to hold the annual Trawden Garden Festival and Scarecrow Trail. This takes place over the first weekend in July. Trawden also holds an annual agricultural show each August, which many farmers, riders and people from all around enjoy and take part in. Dating back to the 10th century, the area is famous for the ruins of Wycoller Hall where Charlotte Bronte set parts of her famous novel, Jane Eyre. Clapper Bridge is close to the ruins of Wycoller Hall and probably dates from the late 18th or early 19th century, whilst Clam Bridge is a single slab laid across Wycoller Beck and is more than 1000 years old and is listed as an Ancient Monument. A short drive brings you to nearby Haworth, home to the famous Bronte sisters, who were inspired by the surrounding moorland to pen their novels which have become classics of English Literature. Haworth is a village that time almost forgot, with its myriad of curiosity and antiques shops, alleyways and cobbled streets creating a wonderful period atmosphere and all this against a backdrop of countryside famously described in the novel Wuthering Heights as wild, rugged and barren. Nearby the famous Worth Valley Railway, an authentic steam railway, brought to prominence in the film The Railway Children, provides a lovely day out with a regular service to the old village of Oxenhope. The market town of Skipton, Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, is just a short drive along one of the most scenic moorlands in the area, and also within reach are elegant Harrogate and vibrant Leeds and Manchester.