Yorkshire Residents Take Wuthering Heights Film Hype in Their Stride
As Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated adaptation of Wuthering Heights prepares for cinematic release next week, featuring Hollywood stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, the Yorkshire Dales national park braces for increased visitor numbers. However, local residents appear remarkably unfazed by the impending attention.
Decades of Brontë Connection
The four-mile trail from Haworth village to Top Withens in West Yorkshire has long attracted literary pilgrims seeking the landscape that inspired Emily Brontë's 1847 Gothic masterpiece. With the new film's release, this historic route and numerous filming locations across the Yorkshire Dales anticipate renewed interest.
"We're used to crowds," remarks Craig Verity, landlord at the Kings Arms pub situated at the top of Haworth's steep cobbled Main Street. The establishment stands just steps from the Brontë Parsonage where the famous literary sisters were raised.
Brontë country has capitalised on its literary heritage for generations. Throughout Haworth, visitors encounter the Brontë Hotel, Brontë Bar and Restaurant, and even a Brontë Balti establishment. The Kings Arms itself features Bridgehouse cask ales named after Charlotte, Anne, Emily, and their lesser-known brother Branwell.
Historic Locations Prepare for Renewed Interest
The Brontë Parsonage Museum, where the sisters lived, wrote, and died, currently attracts approximately 75,000 annual visitors. This number seems certain to increase following the film's release, with a screening of the 1992 adaptation already sold out for 12 February.
East Riddlesden Hall, a 17th-century National Trust property located about five miles from Haworth, has featured in multiple Wuthering Heights adaptations including the 1992 film starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliet Binoche, and the 2009 mini-series.
Sophie Fawcett, a senior marketing and communications officer with the National Trust, notes that knowledge about the property's cinematic history comes primarily from a January 1921 article in the Shipley Times and Express.
Coinciding with Fennell's adaptation, East Riddlesden Hall will host a Lights, Camera, Brontë exhibition showcasing significant artefacts including the "vast oak dresser" believed to have inspired furniture described in the novel's opening pages.
Film Cast Embraces Yorkshire Hospitality
During filming, the cast stayed at Simonstone Hall, a luxurious country house hotel in the Yorkshire Dales. Owner Jake Dinsdale recalls the experience fondly: "They were lovely people, and brilliantly undemanding."
Despite booking all twenty rooms, the cast mingled with other guests around firepits for s'mores or enjoyed traditional roast dinners and afternoon teas. Dinsdale notes that Margot Robbie has since returned for a stay with her husband.
Dinsdale maintains a balanced perspective about the film's potential impact: "I don't know what the film will do. It could all be a flash in the pan, and that's fine. If it sticks, that's also great." He confirms there are no plans to rename rooms after characters or actors, preferring to avoid what he terms "commercial naffness."
Nevertheless, Simonstone Hall currently offers a Wuthering Heights Romantic Getaway package until 13 March, complete with champagne, candlelit dinners, and copies of the novel available in the gift shop.
Tourism Infrastructure Ready for Influx
Tony Watson, head of economy and tourism for North Yorkshire council, expresses confidence in managing increased visitor numbers: "The area has featured in so many films and series; we're experienced in managing that."
He notes that post-pandemic trends already show more younger people exploring Yorkshire's outdoors, a demographic likely to expand as the film showcases the region's natural beauty.
Watson acknowledges potential challenges: "We'll have to wait until the release to see whether there's some iconic shot that people want to replicate." He hopes any such location would be somewhere like Aysgarth Falls, which already possesses necessary infrastructure, rather than more remote areas requiring mountain rescue services.
Lasting Literary Legacy
Local resident Jack Greatrex reflects on the Brontës' enduring influence: "The Brontë sisters shaped this village for future generations, and for lovers of landscape and literature. This film could mean that they continue to do so."
Whatever the film's ultimate impact on tourism, Yorkshire appears prepared. As Watson concludes: "I'm the luckiest head of tourism imaginable – the film is going to do my job for me."
The combination of stunning landscapes, literary history, and Hollywood star power seems destined to draw visitors to Yorkshire's Brontë country, but local residents and businesses maintain their characteristic calm amidst the growing excitement.
