The only building in Haworth designed and built by Patrick Brontë may be sold as a development project.

The only building in Haworth designed and built by Patrick Brontë may be sold as a development project. The single-storey building is in need of a major restoration but the owner, Haworth Parish Church, says it does not have the cash or expertise. It is estimated that just short of £1 million will be needed – not only to repair the roof, which has dry rot, but to complete the refurbishment. The Old School Room, which is next to the parish church and the Haworth Parsonage where the family lived, was built as a ‘national’ style school by Mr Bronte in 1832, then extended in 1850 and 1871. The building housed a school where Charlotte, Emily and Anne, together with their brother Branwell, worked as teachers.

The church committee charged with maintaining the premises is called the Brontë Spirit. Chairman Averil Kenyon said: “We had high hopes of gaining funding several years ago but were unable to take the project past the development stage for many reasons. “Haworth Parish Church has its hands full seeking funding to undertake its own restoration and, while they are making progress, there is simply not enough cash or people to help us advance the Old School Room project. “Now the roof needs at least £12,000 spending on it to keep the building even reasonably water tight through next winter. “On top of that thieves have again raided the lead from the roof and we’ve suffered some water damage as a result.” Mrs Kenyon said: “If no solution is found in the next three or four months, the building will suffer more serious damage and become even more expensive to restore. “We have to find a solution and one of the options we and the church’s council are considering is whether the Old School Room could be sold as a housing or development project. “That would be heart-breaking but we’re running out of answers, money, people and time. The telegraph and argus news.Bronte_School_Room_at_Haworth_could_be_sold/