Haworth and the Yorkshire Dales
9.00am: We meet opposite the Dean Court Hotel in Duncombe Place, York, YO1 7EF (near York Minster) and head off to Bronte Country in the West Yorkshire Pennines, with your Tour Guide telling you about the history and features of the area as you pass through.
10.15am: Our first stop is at the Bingley Five Rise Locks where you will see the highest Staircase Lock in the UK, a spectacular feat of engineering constructed in 1774 as part of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. You can explore and photograph the working locks, or just enjoy a leisurely Yorkshire Brew and soak up the local atmosphere in the nearby cafe - the choice is yours!
10.45am: We leave Bingley for the short journey to our main stop at Haworth.
11.00am: We arrive in Haworth, on the edge of the rugged Pennine Moors, where the Bronte family lived from 1820 and the sisters wrote their famous novels, for a two hour stop over lunchtime. You can visit the Bronte Parsonage Museum and the Bronte Memorial Chapel in the nearby Church where their father preached, or just explore the quaint shops on the cobbled main street and have a leisurely lunch in one of the traditional cafes - the choice is yours!
1.00pm: We leave Haworth and head up Penistone Hill for a photo stop to admire the moorland views towards Top Withens, where the Bronte Sisters walked to gain inspiration, before we head north for our afternoon in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
2.00pm: You will arrive in the picturesque, traditional Dales village of Linton, where we will stop for photographs of Linton Falls before continuing our journey through the National Park.
3.00pm: The main afternoon stop is at Bolton Abbey, where entry is free and you will be able to explore the Priory Church and ruins of the 12th Century Augustinian Priory in its beautiful riverside setting, or maybe take the stepping stones challenge if you are feeling more adventurous!
3.45pm: We leave Bolton Abbey to continue our journey through the Dales back towards York, passing through Harrogate and learning a bit about the history of this famous spa town.
5.15pm: We arrive back at the meeting point in York at approximately 5:15pm and say our goodbyes. All timings are approximate (except the start time!) and passengers should not book onward travel arrangements too close to the time of our arrival back in York in case we have traffic problems.
