There is a quicker version of the Top Withens walk to the farmhouse that inspired Wuthering Heights. This guide – with photos – explains where the secret Top Withens car park is, and what to expect on the moorland hike.
What is Top Withens?
Top Withens is a ruined farmhouse on Haworth Moor in West Yorkshire, England. It is a popular target for walkers from nearby Haworth, largely due to its Brontë sisters connection.
The sisters would regularly walk along these moors while living at the Parsonage of St Michael’s Church, Haworth. Top Withens is widely regarded to be the inspiration for Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff’s home in Emily Brontë’s novel of the same name.
I visited in December 2025, while researching an article for a newspaper ahead of the new Emerald Fennell-directed film adaption of Wuthering Heights. I discovered useful information about a shorter version of the walk to Top Withens, which I am sharing here.
Is Top Withens the real Wuthering Heights?
The descriptions of Wuthering Heights in Emily Brontë’s novel don’t quite match the layout of Top Withens. It’s likely that Emily Brontë used a conglomeration of several real life buildings when picturing Heathcliff’s home.
However, Top Withens captures the spirit of Wuthering Heights. It is high and isolated on a windswept moor. Over time, Brontë fans have decided this is the place.
Getting to Top Withens from Haworth
Top Withens walking guides are almost comically inconsistent. Search for Top Withens walk, and you’ll find estimated distances of anywhere between 4 miles and 8 miles.
If it helps, the sign next to Top Withens (spelled Top Withins here – the spelling is as inconsistent as the measuring) says it’s three-and-a-half miles to Haworth. That means a seven mile round trip from the village, and a little bit less if parking at Penistone Hill Country Park, as many do.
The quickest walk to Top Withens
Lovers of the novel will probably want to do the full walk to Top Withens from Haworth. That’s probably the right way to do it, but you’re going to have to set aside three to four hours.
There is, however, a quicker route to Top Withens if you’re short on time, or just don’t want to do that much walking, The short cut walk to Top Withens is about 3.2 miles return.
The secret Top Withens car park
The key thing to know is that Haworth is not the closest village to Top Withens – Stanbury is. Start your Top Withens walk in Stanbury, and it will not take as long.
I will be extremely unpopular for saying this, but there is an unpublicised and unofficial car park for the Top Withens walk on Back Lane in Stanbury.
How to get to the Top Withens car park
To get there from Haworth, drive through Stanbury. There is a left turning down Back Lane from Main Road at the western end of the village.
Back Lane is a narrow country lane, but it widens out about 0.4 miles down. There is room for around 10 cars to park here amongst the prodigious potholes. I’ve marked the location on the map below.
If you’re not sure you’re in the right place, you’ll see a field of sheep to your right and Lower Laithe Reservoir behind you to the north-east. There will probably be large black bins belonging to residents, plus a permanent cylindrical bin provided by Bradford City Council.
More pertinently, there will be two signs in front of you. A smaller, white sign says: “No parking beyond this point. Access required 24 hours”. A larger, green sign says “Private Road”.
Have some respect for the resident farmers, and don’t drive beyond this point or block their drives.
Parking availability in Stanbury
There’s a pretty obvious problem here, which is that the unofficial Top Withens car park in Stanbury fills up pretty quickly. I visited on 11 December 2025, a not especially pleasant winter’s day, and the car park was half full. In summer, unless you arrive early, you’ve got next to no chance of getting a parking spot.
If planning to do the quick walk to Top Withens, aim to do it first thing in the morning.
Maps and signposting
Online guides to Brontë Country walks say you need a map to get to Top Withens. This is not true. The signposting is pretty good, there’s a rudimentary path and I had phone coverage for the duration of the walk. You’ll also see Top Withens fairly early on in proceedings – it’s the only building on the horizon, and guarded by two sycamore trees.
From the unofficial Top Withens car park, follow the private road. It is also a public footpath, part of the 268 mile-long Pennine Way. You’ll soon reach a signposted fork. Branch left, and it’s a quarter of a mile to Bronte Falls. It’s not much of a deviation to add this to the walk, but if proceeding directly to Top Withens, take the right branch.
Conditions on the Top Withens walk
The private road goes past Lower Heights Farm and Upper Heights Farm before it becomes an initially somewhat sandy footpath.
At least it is a footpath, however, rather than squelching through boggy moorland. As I discovered, though, large pools of water can form on the path after a few days of heavy rain, while the stone slabs later along the route can be fiendishly slippery when wet.
Prepare to take a couple of judicious deviations through the heather.
Because of this, walking boots are strongly advised. I’d also take a hat and gloves. The thing about moody windswept moors is that they are very, very windy, and that wind makes temperatures feel considerably colder than they are.
A degree of hardiness is required for the walk, but not an especially high level of fitness. It’s uphill nearly all the way to Top Withens, but never horrendously steep.
Top Withens walk FAQs
Can you go inside Top Withens?
Once you reach Top Withens, it’s possible to go inside the ruins. The best views are from slightly above on the hill behind the old farmhouse, however. You can take in the building, the sycamore trees and the sprawling moorland towards Haworth.
How long does the Top Withens walk take?
I set off from Top Withens at 11.54, and got back to the car at 12.28. That’s walking at a not especially determined pace. I probably took 50% longer on the way up, as the route was unfamiliar, it was uphill and I was taking photos. But from the Back Lane car park, the return walk to Top Withens shouldn’t take more than two hours.
Is Top Withens wheelchair accessible?
Sorry, you’re very unlikely to get a wheelchair up there. The footpath conditions and gradient make it inaccessible.
Can I walk my dog to Top Withens?
I encountered several dog-walkers along the Top Withens walk. However, dogs must be kept on a lead between 1 March and 31 July to protected nesting birds. They should arguably be kept on the lead for the rest of the year, too, to avoid scaring sheep.
Is there anything else to do nearby?
Haworth is very pretty, and has plenty of touristy shops and restaurants, plus pubs such as the Old White Lion and Black Bull that were around in the time of the Brontë sisters. The main attraction, though, is the Brontë Parsonage Museum inside their former home.
Is there any accommodation near Top Withens?
Accommodation options near the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth include the Black Bull Inn and the Weavers Guesthouse.
Should I read Wuthering Heights first?
Reading Wuthering Heights before doing the Top Withens walk will certainly enhance the sense of place. You can, of course, buy it on Amazon. The Kindle version is cheap.
It’s worth looking on World of Books, though. It’s great for buying second hand books from about £3.50 each, and usually with four for the price of three. I get my kids loads of books from here, and save a fortune in the process.
More Yorkshire travel
Other Yorkshire travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Why overseas tourists shouldn’t miss out on visiting Yorkshire.
- What overseas visitors should do in Leeds.
- What to expect when visiting Roundhay Park in Leeds.
- A practical guide to visiting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
- A practical guide to visiting Pontefract Castle.
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