Top Withens: Brontë’s Wuthering Heights Inspiration in West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire's Top Withens, a historic farmhouse dating to pre-1567, is famously linked to Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights' as architectural inspiration, despite inconsistencies. Partially ruined in 1930, a 1964 plaque acknowledges its iconic, albeit inexact, literary connection.

This tiny West Yorkshire farmhouse was developed time prior to 1567, and at first included a solitary ranch (known as Withens Ranch) before being broadened into 3 ranches known as Top, Center, and Base Withens in 1591. Centuries later on, the farm was still in operation in the 1840s when Yorkshire native Emily Brontë created her unique “Wuthering Levels”, at first released under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.

In 1930, Base and Middle Withens were ruined by the Keighly Company, that had actually purchased the structure in 1903, as a result of vandalism, and blocked the windows and doors of Top Withens. Since then, the building has remained to deteriorate in spite of attempted improvements.

Top Withens and Wuthering Heights Connection

In 1872, author George Smith created a letter to Brontë’s good friend Ellen Nussey requesting details about the ideas for different areas in Brontë’s novels, which caused Top Withens being used as the ideas for the titular farmhouse’s layout in an 1873 highlighted edition, despite it not being exact to guide’s description of a huge, austere country home.

In 1964, the Brontë Society had actually a plaque placed on the side of the building analysis, “THIS FARMHOUSE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN RELATED TO ‘WUTHERING LEVELS,’ THE EARNSHAW HOME IN EMILY BRONTË’S NOVEL. THE BUILDINGS, EVEN WHEN COMPLETE, BORE NO SIMILARITY TO YOUR HOUSE SHE DESCRIBED, BUT THE SITUATION MAY HAVE BEEN IN HER MIND WHEN SHE CREATED OF THE MOORLAND ESTABLISHING OF THE ELEVATIONS.”