Discover Thornton
Thornton is a village located in West Yorkshire, governed by Bradford Council. It has a population of around 17,000. Known for its historical significance, Thornton is the birthplace of the famous Brontë sisters. Visitors can explore the Brontë Birthplace Museum, offering insights into the literary family's early life.
Explore the map below to discover accommodation, attractions, restaurants, and live events across Thornton. Scroll down to browse featured listings and plan your perfect visit.
Stay in Thornton
West End House
The Coach House
Ann's Farmhouse
Acorn Cottage
Ashtree House Bed and Breakfast
Ramblers Cottage
Things to Do in Thornton
West View Park
West View Park in Ilkley offers tranquil green space, refreshing walks, and beautiful views at the foot of Ilkley Moor.
R S H Services Ltd
Discover R S H Services Ltd, a friendly and well-regarded campsite in Hipperholme, offering a convenient stopover near Halifax.
Cartwright Hall Gardens
Discover beautiful landscaped gardens, wonderful water features, and impressive art exhibitions at this beloved Bradford park.
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Food & Drink
Guiseley Lounge
Discover Guiseley Lounge in Leeds, a highly-rated restaurant serving delicious food in a welcoming setting.
Royd Cafe
Royd Cafe in Brighouse offers a welcoming spot for a satisfying breakfast and hot drinks, praised for its friendly service.
The Midland Restaurant and Grill
Interactive Map
View accommodation, attractions, restaurants, and events on the map
Geographic Facts
This village is geographically within the following regions:
- Population
- 17,276
- Administrative area
- Bradford
- Dialing code
- 01274
Data sourced from Wikidata and verified public records
Upcoming Events in Thornton
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Latest news from Thornton
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What Is The Brontë Birthplace Walk And How Can I Join In 2025?
How Anne Brontë's Legacy Inspired a Community to Raise Over £2,250
Local Guides & Stories
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Walkshire in Thornton
More Walks in Thornton →
Walk: Brontë Way
The Brontë Way is a scenic and literary trail that winds through the rugged landscapes of West Yorkshire and into Lancashire, offering a journey into the world of the Brontë sisters—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. The trail is a tribute to the Brontës' enduring legacy, inviting walkers to immerse themselves in the history, culture, and evocative landscapes that shaped the authors and their stories. Route What3Words: ///valley.stem.vibrates Distance: 44 miles (71 km) Start: Oakwell Hall, Nova Ln, Birstall, Batley WF17 9LF Finish Location: Gawthorpe Hall, Burnley Rd, Padiham, Burnley BB12 8UA OS Walking Map & GPX Download Our OS map below shows the full route. Under the map, you can find a GPX file download for your navigational device. bronte-way-routeDownload Walk Description As you journey along this trail, you'll encounter various locations, each with a unique connection to the Brontës. Below is an overview of the key points along the route, highlighting their significance to the Brontë legacy. Oakwell Hall, Nova Ln, Birstall, Batley WF17 9LF Oakwell Hall is a striking Elizabethan manor house that served as the inspiration for "Fieldhead" in Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley. The hall is steeped in history, with its well-preserved interiors offering a glimpse into the kind of environment that Charlotte imagined for her characters. The trail then goes through Birstall, a quaint village near Oakwell Hall. Gomersal Gomersal is where Charlotte Brontë’s close friend, Mary Taylor, lived at the Red House. The house and its surroundings played a significant role in Charlotte's life and were also immortalized in Shirley as "Briarmains." The Brontë Way then skirts past Cleckheaton. Cleckheaton was a bustling mill town during the Brontës' time. Liversedge Liversedge is where the Brontës’ friend, Ellen Nussey, lived. The town is mentioned in letters between Charlotte and Ellen, revealing the close-knit connections between the Brontë sisters and their circle of friends. The Brontë Way then passes through Hightown. Thornhills Thornhills was once the home of the Taylor family, friends of the Brontës. The area captures the essence of the moorland settings often depicted in their novels, providing a backdrop to the Brontë sisters' stories. The walk then goes through Bailiff Bridge, Shelf, Westwood Park and Clayton. Thornton Thornton holds significant importance as the birthplace of the Brontë sisters. The village is where Patrick and Maria Brontë raised their family before moving to Haworth. The Brontë birthplace, now a museum, is a must-visit site for anyone on the trail. The route then passes through Keelham, past Thornton Moor Reservoir, Leeming Reservoir and Oxenhope. Haworth Haworth is the heart of Brontë country, where the Brontë Parsonage Museum is located. This village was the Brontës' home from 1820 and is where they wrote most of their works. Walking through Haworth, visitors can explore the church, the parsonage, and the surrounding moors, all integral to the Brontë story. The route then passes through Penistone Hall Country Park and past Lower Laithe Reservoir. Brontë Waterfall The Brontë Waterfall is a significant landmark on the Brontë Way, often visited by the sisters themselves. The picturesque waterfall, located near Haworth, is a place of natural beauty that continues to draw Brontë enthusiasts. Ponden Reservoir Ponden Reservoir, near Ponden Hall, is believed to have inspired locations in Wuthering Heights. Ponden Hall itself is thought to be the model for "Thrushcross Grange" or "Wuthering Heights" in Emily's novel. The route then passes Watersheddles Reservoir - located on the border between Yorkshire and Lancashire - through Thursden, Lee Green Reservoir, Hurst Well Bridge, Lennox Street Stepping Stones - a unique crossing point along the trail, then past Holbeck Park and Wood End. Gawthorpe Hall, Burnley Rd, Padiham, Burnley BB12 8UA Gawthorpe Hall is the final significant stop on the Brontë Way. Charlotte Brontë was a frequent visitor here, and the hall remains largely unchanged from her time. The stunning architecture and surrounding gardens provide a fitting conclusion to the Brontë Way, connecting the literary heritage of the Brontës with the grand historical homes of their time. This journey through the Brontë Way not only allows you to walk in the footsteps of the Brontë sisters but also to experience first-hand the landscapes that inspired some of the greatest works of English literature. Each stop on the trail offers a unique glimpse into the world that shaped the Brontës, making it a pilgrimage for both literary enthusiasts and lovers of the great outdoors.
Walk: Cullingworth Circular
A lovely walk around the Cullingworth landscape, with some impressive rises and falls to make the heart pump and seeing a reservoir and an old railway viaduct on the way. Located halfway between Bradford and Haworth. The Route Start Point: Hallas Lane, off Cullingworth Rd, Cullingworth, Bradford BD13 5BG Finish Point: Hallas Lane, off Cullingworth Rd, Cullingworth, Bradford BD13 5BG Distance: 6 Miles GPX Route Map walkshirecullingworthcircular-1Download Walk Description From your parking spot at the top of Hallas Lane, walk down this unmade road away from Cullingworth Road, so the houses are on your left. As Greenside Lane branches off to the left, continue down Hallas Lane, which is veering off the right. Carry on past the farm cottages on the left and into the wooded area to cross over Hallas Beck and then turn left. Continue in Little Ridge Wood keeping the beck on your left and following the clear main path into Goitstock Wood. The path turns sharp right and then sharp left, to roughly follow the edge of the wood. Follow this around to the right to eventually come out on Harden Lane. Turn left and walk inside the garden centre car park for a short while, until you see a footpath on the other side of the road, opposite the car entrance to the car park. Cross over the road, and take the footpath over the stile. Cross over Wilsden Beck into the wood, and turn right to take the clear path through the wood. As you emerge from the wood, signs point to the left for the Millennium Way. Ignore these and carry on straight along the boundary of the fields to reach a track. Turn left and follow the access road for the farm, turning left on the bridleway as you enter a wood, and emerge onto Smithy Lane. Turn left and follow the road down to Main Street. Turn left again and then right down Chapel Row. Follow this to turn right onto Tan House Lane, and follow this until you run out of road. Continue on the footpath, called Nab Lane and it eventually brings you out onto Bents Lane. Turn right onto Bents Lane and then follow it around until there’s a hidden footpath on the left immediately after the last house. Take this, squeezing through the wall, and follow the boundary down to the wood. Turn left at the wood and follow the boundary until the path enters the wood, and then exits it straight onto the B6144 Lane Side. Be careful here as the footpath drops straight onto the road - there is no pavement. Looking to your right across the road, you will see the footpath sign ahead, and carefully cross to drop down onto this footpath. Follow roughly the line of Hewenden Beck to eventually walk between two walls underneath the Hewenden Viaduct. On the other side, the path clearly veers to the left, then following the boundary on your left, veers to the right of a house to pick up an access road. Turn left then look out for a public footpath sign on the right. Tale this path over the reservoir’s embankment and then turn right along another access road. When this road runs out, continue on the path. Take the next public footpath on the right, and after going between the trees, follow the boundary of the fields with the reservoir on your right. Eventually the path leads to an access road for a farm - pass through the farm to reach Cullingworth Road. Turn left to return to where you parked.
Walk: Ogden Reservoir and Overnden Moor
A feast of different landscapes all squeezed into a short walk around the reservoir and the surrounding moorland, just outside Halifax. The Route what3words for start point: ///proclaims.goat.relatives Start Point: Pay & Display car park off A629, HX2 8XZ Finish Point: Car park off A629, HX2 8XZ Distance: 4 Miles GPX Route Map walkshireogdenreservoirandoverndenmoorDownload Walk Description From the car park, walk towards the gates at the far end. Take the left hand pedestrian gate and follow the track through the woods to meet another track at the water’s edge. Ignore the bridge on your left, and continue straight on the track. For a short while, the track becomes a path before joining another surfaced track. Follow this track, keeping the stream on your right. Cross a stile and ignore the two bridges on your right, continuing straight ahead. The path starts to climb steeply uphill for a very short while before reaching a long bridge. Just after the long bridge, climb the stone steps to cross a shorter bridge. Just afterwards, the path bears left towards a stile over a wire fence. Cross the stile and follow the track along the edge of the moorland wind farm, keeping the turbines to your right. Eventually, the path takes you to a bridge over Skirden Clough. Cross the bridge and follow a clear path forwards, where you will meet the wide surfaced vehicle track of Withens New Road. Here, turn left, and follow Withens New Road down to the dam wall. Walk along the dam wall and pass the Visitor Centre on the left. Follow the road in front of you back to car park.
Walk: Oxenhope - Leeming Reservoir - Thornton Moor Reservoir
A stroll through the quaint village of Oxenhope in the foot of the South Pennines with wonderful views of the Worth Valley from the reservoirs on it's outskirts. The Route what3words for start point: ///narrowest.ledge.televise Start Point: Oxenhope Finish Point: Oxenhope Distance: 5 Miles GPX Route Map oxenhopeDownload Walk Description Starting Point: Next to Oxenhope Station on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Step off the train at Oxenhope station, and you're not just arriving in a village; you're stepping into a living movie set and a gateway to Yorkshire's industrial past. As part of the celebrated Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, one of the finest examples of preserved steam railways in the country, Oxenhope station has graced the silver screen in films like "The Railway Children." For fans of both history and cinema, arriving by this mode of transport isn't just convenient—it's like riding through time itself. The old mill workers' cottages line the streets. Many of these historical buildings have been repurposed into homes, but they've lost none of their vintage allure. From the train station the two-mile uphill journey is not for the faint of heart. This stretch is also the battleground for the village's annual straw race, where competitors sprint up this steep hill while carrying a bale of straw on their backs. While you won't be carrying straw, the incline provides its own challenges, offering a workout that'll make the ascent all the more rewarding. Upon cresting the hill, you'll find yourself by Leeming Reservoir. Pause here and to soak in the view - a panorama of the valley that stretches far and wide. Having feasted your eyes and filled your lungs with fresh air, it's time to begin the descent back to Oxenhope. Cap off the adventure with a visit to one of the local pubs for a hearty ale, sumptuous pie, or some classic Yorkshire fare.