Thanks to a major £2.5m project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and others, the restored House is fully open to the public. The following film shows the transformation.
The truth about the Brontes’ beloved aunt
Bronte Society member Nick Holland examines the life of Elizabeth Branwell, who became a second mother to the famous siblings. The book, Aunt Branwell And The Bronte Legacy, looks at how the woman possibly has money and influence helped Charlotte, Emily and Anne write and publish their books. The book, published recently by Pen and Sword Books, is said to reveal Aunt Branwell's true character, far removed from the stern disciplinarian of legend.
Nick Holland shows how Elizabeth influenced the lives and works of the Brontes, before and after her death. He traces the surviving descendants of the Branwells, the closest living relatives to the Brontes today.
Elizabeth Branwell was born in Penzance in 1770, a member of a large and influential Cornish family of merchants and property owners. In 1821 her life changed forever when her sister Maria fell dangerously ill. Leaving her comfortable life behind, she made the long journey north to a remote moorland village in Yorkshire to nurse her sister. After the death of Maria, Elizabeth assumed the role of second mother to her nephew and nieces, never seeing Cornwall again.
A spokesman for Pen and Sword said: “In this first-ever biography of Elizabeth Branwell, we see at last the huge impact she had on Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte, as well as on her nephew Branwell Bronte who spiralled out of control away from her calming influence.