"That's Thrushcross Grange," explained my host, Brenda Taylor, as I stared out of the car window at the impressive hall at the foot of the Pennine Way. She parked in the neighbouring driveway of Ponden House, a cosy little B&B in Stanbury near Haworth, and ushered me into the hallway. "Dump your bags and we'll take the dog for a walk so you can get a closer look".
I stumbled down the snowy, muddy hills trying desperately to keep up with my extremely fit 60-year-old host. In front of the grand hall Brenda leaned over conspiratorially to explain: this was the house Emily Brontë renamed Thrushcross Grange in her novel Wuthering Heights. The Grange was the home of Edgar Linton, an affluent gentleman who the heroine Catherine marries for a better life, denying her true feelings for the far sexier Heathcliff until it is too late.
Until five years ago the house had been Brenda's own home, before she had renovated the neighbouring 16th century house and barn into the guest house when her family moved away. Out of the window, the reservoir and moors presented a dark and eerie view. With a copy of Wuthering Heights I headed to bed.
I wanted to follow in the Brontë sisters' footsteps on the moors. Not being known for my map-reading expertise, I decided to enlist a guide lest I found myself in Lancashire by sunset. I found Haworth Tourist Office (01535 642329) at the top of the cobbled Main Street and had just enough time for a look around the Parsonage Museum, the Brontë's home between 1820 and 1861, before meeting my guide, Rick.
Rick led me into Penistone Hill Country Park behind the Parsonage, from where we crossed into Haworth Moor to view its waterfall and the Brontë stone chair: a place, he told me, where Emily Brontë used to sit to gather her thoughts and gain inspiration.
With an escalating sense of anticipation, we continued up the Pennine Way on what felt like a long, long walk, to the focal point of Emily Brontë's novel: Wuthering Heights itself.
Alas - these heights weren't just wuthering but slightly disappointing. A plaque on the old ruined walls of the farmhouse known as Top Withins confirmed that it was not specifically the house which inspired Emily, but rather the location.
Emily used the word "wuthering" as a provincial adjective to describe the house's situation when exposed to stormy weather. I had to admit it was about as desolate and harsh as you can get and her fiery, tumultuous characters seemed entirely appropriate here in this rough environment. As I felt the wind whistling painfully around my ears I felt sure that a visit to the Heights on a warm sunny day just wouldn't have the same effect.
Every so often we would take a rest to admire the view, watching out for grouse and curlews. Our round trip wasn't complete without visiting a large outcrop of gritstone jutting out of Stanbury Moors called Ponden Kirk, or renamed Penistone Crag in Emily's book, and the regular rendezvous for Cathy and Heathcliff. Legend has it that if you climb through the hole in the rock you'll be married within the year.
My intended moorland stroll to get a sense of the Brontë spirit had evolved into an exhilarating seven mile trek. Back at Ponden House Brenda had "brewed-up" and a plateful of freshly baked scones sat on the table. With restorative tea in one hand and scone in the other I settled down by the lounge fire to continue reading the drama of Wuthering Heights.
Cornish classics
In complete contrast to the harsh heath land of Haworth my next literary break took me to a secluded working coastal farm called Menabilly Barton, on the mild and balmy Cornish Peninsula just outside Par.
Dame Daphne du Maurier lived in this part of Cornwall for some 26 years and in the taxi to the farmhouse my driver proudly pointed to the woods where Du Maurier used to walk. Apparently, on holiday in the late 1920s she stumbled upon and fell in love with the stately home called Menabilly, an old uninhabited mansion covered in ivy and used this as her inspiration for "Manderley", the country house by the sea in her mystery, Rebecca.
She was so fascinated by the house that she rented it from the owners when she returned to Cornwall in 1942 and wrote The King's General and My Cousin Rachel there. Menabilly is private property today but there are three stone cottages on the estate that can be rented out.
My host, Mrs Dunn, shook off her muddy boots and led me into the warm and welcoming farmhouse. It was all roaring flame fires, old wooden furniture with period paintings decorating the walls and copies of Du Maurier's biographies and books littering the dining room table.
My bedroom overlooked their large sheltered garden full of greenery and palm trees and although I couldn't see the sea from the window I was told that sandy tranquil Polridmouth Beach was a mere 10 minutes away. The next morning I tramped down to explore the coastline -this time without a guide.
Du Maurier had been inspired for her short story The Birds walking down this lane when she saw a huge flock of seagulls swarm over a tractor in the fields. Down at the bay there is a private house, which locals say was Du Maurier's model for the boathouse in Rebecca and also inspired Alfred Hitchcock to make a film of The Birds.
I took the coastal track leading to Fowey, which hosts the Daphne du Maurier Literary Centre (as well as an annual Du Maurier arts festival). I learned that the quaint harbour town of Fowey is another great writer's inspiration: fans of Mole, Ratty and Toad, the characters from Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind In The Willows, will be right at home here.
Willows aficionado Lynn Goold at Fowey Tourist Office who explained that Grahame stayed here in the late 19th century and met Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, a prominent writer and local figure who influenced Grahame to write the stories.
I could see why Grahame felt moved to write his water based tales as Fowey has one of the most beautiful rivers and estuaries in the country. It's said he stayed at the luxurious Fowey Hotel on the Esplanade where, overlooking the harbour, he wrote letters to his son based on bedtime stories of the adventures of Toad of Toad Hall and his riverside companions. The Fowey Hall Hotel at the top of the port is believed to have been the model for Toad Hall and has rooms named after the animals.
In the summer Lynn runs three-hour guided boating tours to the lake at Lerryn where Grahame created the characters, guided walks into the wild woods, as well as walks and illustrated talks about Daphne du Maurier.
Other UK literary break inspirations:
· Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations starts in Rochester and was Dickens' home for many years. Many of the buildings that feature in his novels such as Restoration House can still be seen today. The Charles Dickens centre uses the latest technology to bring his characters to life. Call Rochester Tourist Office on 01634 843 666.
· Jane Austen, author of classics such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility lived in Bath between 1809 and 1817 and her novel Persuasion is associated with the town. Call the Jane Austen Centre on 01225 443000. Alternatively, visit Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, her inspiration for Pride and Prejudice (01246 565300).
· No Harry Potter fan should miss out on a trip to Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, now recognised internationally as Hogwarts School (01665 511100).
· Grasmere in the Lake District is where William Wordsworth lived with his sister, Dorothy, and Dove Cottage is open to the public and part of the Wordsworth Museum (015394 35547). For accommodation and brochure: 0845 456 3456, visitengland.com.
Way to go
Sarah travelled with GNER from London to Leeds (from £19 return) and flew Air South West from London Gatwick to Plymouth (from £20 return).
Ponden House, near Haworth has double rooms costing £25 pppn on a bed and breakfast basis, 01535 644154. Menabilly Barton Farm House has rooms from £22 on a bed and breakfast basis, 01726 812844. The Fowey Hotel has double rooms on a bed and breakfast basis from £40. Call 01726 832551.
Menabilly Barton Estate cottages can be rented from £255 per week. Call 08700 723 723 for bookings. Fowey Hall Hotel has double rooms from £175 half-board. Call 01726 833866.
