Bronte Breeze and Jane Eyre

Starting at Ball Grove Park Trawden, the route follows local roads and lanes to Wycoller and Wycoller Hall (Fearndean Manor). Wycoller Hall was a late sixteenth century manor house in the village of Wycoller. The hall was the centre of a sizable estate but subsequently fell into disrepair. The ruins are now listed, and now form part of Wycoller Country Park. Wycoller Hall is thought to be the inspiration for Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. The Brontës lived in the nearby village of Haworth, and both Charlotte and her sister Emily probably visited Wycoller on their walks. Parallels have also been drawn with the owner of Ferndean, Mr Rochester's father, and Henry Owen Cunliffe. One of the occupants of the hall, Elizabeth Cunliffe, also became Elizabeth Eyre through marriage. Wycoller Hall was even used to illustrate the cover of the 1898 edition of Jane Eyre.