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Top Withens was most probably the inspiration for Heathcliff's dwelling Locals and the Brontë Society say Emily was most likely thinking of its moorland setting when she wrote about Wuthering Heights. Describing it, she wrote: "One may guess the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun."
Little has changed in the way the moors look, but they probably sound different. In those days, on the way to the 'Bronte' falls (everything here is called 'Bronte - even the biscuits) it was renowned for the birds that breed here, including curlews, skylarks, golden plover, peregrines and merlins. You would have seen flocks of lapwings falling out of the sky. Between mid-March and mid-July these birds court, make nests in the heather and grass, lay eggs and raise chicks.
But in my lifetime these birds have all but disappeared. You may hear an occasional curlew but that is about it.
The reason for this can be seen in the number of farms nowadays with great piles of black plastic bags.
When we farmed, we took 'hay'. This was usually cut in August often finding it hard to get a few dry days together, which is what was needed to dry the hay properly - or 'sweet' as we'd say. The hay was often stored damp leading to its giving off fungal spores that caused 'farmers lung' - a very disabling disease especially for farmers getting older.
Those piles of black bags store 'silage'. This is grass cut much earlier - starting often in June and allowing 2 or 3 cuts each year. While not quite as good as hay, it is nevertheless much more reliable crop. But in the process of taking more, earlier cuts, it means many birds nests - and their chicks, get cut down too. .
There signs of big new barns going up (indicating cattle kept indoors longer and fed on animal feed rather than grass.
Do I leave that till later - where I have such photos for Bowland?
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