Visit Wuthering Heights at East Riddlesden Hall | Yorkshire

“I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free... Why am I so changed? I'm sure I should be myself were I once among the heather on those hills.”
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

My visit to East Riddlesden Hall

Wuthering Heights has been my favourite book for over a decade now, and if you’ve followed me for a while you know I never pass up on the opportunity to visit beautiful buildings related to my favourite classics.

This year I went on a solo trip to Haworth, the town where the Brontë sisters lived while they wrote some of their famous novels, including Wuthering Heights. Of course I did the walk across the moors, visited the museum etc. And on the extra day I had before I headed home, I decided to take the old steam train to Keighley to visit a National Trust property, which I mostly picked for its vicinity and because it had an incredible Gothic vibe judging by the photos

I had a lovely visit, took photos, did some sketching (and even listened to my Wuthering Heights audiobook), but it wasn’t until I rewatched the 2009 ITV adaptation of Wuthering Heights the week after I returned that I suddenly recognised the circular windows and dark walls of the building on screen. It was East Riddlesden Hall that I’d just visited, used as Wuthering Heights, where Heathcliffe and Cathy grow up!

You can imagine my frustration that I hadn’t known at the time (especially because I missed my chance to take some comparison pics of the front of the house). But now that I know, hopefully I can pass on the info to some of you and you can plan your own trip!

East Riddlesden Hall in Wuthering Heights

If you haven’t watched the 2009 adaptation, you’re truly missing out. Is it good? Opinions differ. There are some weirdly modern clothing choices for Cathy, people seem to not like Tom Hardy’s wig (what can I say, I’m a big fan) and the DVD cover is pretty much a crime to graphic design, but I absolutely adore the whole thing and have rewatched it many times. Also, did you know that the two actors are now actually married?! Let’s just say that you’ll have to pry the DVD from my cold, dead hands.

With a bit of TV magic in the show it looks like Wuthering Heights aka East Riddlesden Hall is on the moors, while it’s actually on quite a busy road. The film crew placed a temporary gate in the middle of nowhere to do some of the filming, splicing it together with scenes filmed at East Riddlesden Hall, which is why I never suspected this house to be the film location.

Most of the shots in the tv series are taken at the front entrance to the house, which is where you enter when you go on a tour of the inside (though the inside shots were filmed somewhere else). You can even do some angry Heathcliffe glaring from around the corner if you like. There aren’t many photos of the series online, but I managed to grab some screenshots for comparison.

How to get to East Riddlesden Hall

The building has a beautiful garden, a little cafe, and of course you can tour the inside. You should leave 1.5-2 hours for your visit so you can wander around, but you could also drop by for a super quick look if you don’t have much time. Don’t forget to bring your National Trust membership for free entry, if you have it!

From Keighley

Take the shuttle bus (662) that departs every 20 minutes from Keighley Station, or walk for 25 minutes. You can simply pay with contactless on the bus.

From Haworth

If you’re staying in Haworth for a Brontë-inspired trip, you can take the beautiful Keighley & Worth Valley Railway steam train from Haworth station to Keighley station, and then hop on the bus or walk from there.

From anywhere else

You should be able to get the train to Keighley from any direction in the UK. The journey from York is about an hour and a half and from London 4 hours from King’s Cross to East Riddlesden Hall.

More Brontë inspired locations

Want to do more Brontë-themed sightseeing in Yorkshire or are looking for other places to visit in the area? Check out my other posts below. (More coming soon)

Wuthering Heights Pilgrimage

(ad) I’m happy to announce that I’ll be joining a Wuthering Heights Common Ground Pilgrimage as their Faculty Staff, which means I’ll be hosting all the classes and workshops during the trip! It’s taking place September 6-11 2024, and you can head over here to find out more.