Norton Conyers

Norton Conyers is the house most often named as the model for Thornfield Hall, Mr Rochester's house in Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte came here in 1839 and heard the legend of a mad woman kept in the attics, and the house is regarded as a principal inspiration for the novel. In 2004 the family found a blocked staircase running from the first floor up to the attics, just as Thornfield has, and the discovery drew interest from around the world.

The Bronte link is only part of it. The house is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, recent excavations have shown that parts of it are Anglo-Saxon, and it has belonged to the Graham family since 1624. Charles I stayed in 1633 on his way to Scotland, and the future James II and his wife came in 1679; the room and the bed they used are still on show. The house has Dutch-style gables, and five minutes' walk away is a walled garden laid out in the mid-18th century with an orangery at its centre.

The house opens on only 28 days a year, from 1 May, and the 2026 season is over, so plan this for late spring or summer 2027.

From Tea Time Cafe at 87 Market Place, drive towards Ripon. Norton Conyers is at Wath, about four miles north of Ripon, roughly 15 miles and around 25 minutes from Thirsk. Use the postcode HG4 5EQ, and plan on the car for this one.

Arrive a little before the tour time you want, since tours fill on a first come basis. The walled garden is about five minutes' walk from the house, so allow time to see both.

On a house day, join one of the guided tours at 12:45pm, 2pm or 3:15pm. Each takes 30 people on a walk-up basis, so arrive a little early for the one you want. The tour takes you through the principal rooms with their 18th century plaster ceilings, the room where the future James II slept, and the story of Charlotte Bronte's visit and the hidden attic staircase.

Then walk across to the walled garden. It keeps the essentials of its mid-18th century design, with the orangery and an ornamental pond at the centre, herbaceous borders, and parkland beyond the walls. A small sales area specialising in unusual hardy plants opens during the summer months, and pick-your-own fruit, vegetables and seasonal flowers are sold in season. On charity days the garden opens on a Sunday afternoon with home-made teas.

The attic staircase is the centre of the visit. Standing in the rooms Charlotte Bronte walked through, with the blocked stair found in 2004, makes the link to Thornfield feel physical. The James II bedroom is a second strong draw for anyone interested in the Stuarts. The walled garden is calm and old-fashioned, with the orangery at the centre and dogs welcome on leads. The restoration of the house won the HHA Sotheby's Restoration Award in 2014.

Check the calendar on the house's website before you set off, because if a date is blank both the house and the garden are closed that day. House tours are first come first served with 30 places each, so on a fine day aim to arrive a little before the tour you want, and wear flat shoes to protect the old wooden floors. Teas are served only on charity days, so plan lunch in Ripon or come back to Thirsk afterwards. Dogs are welcome in the garden on leads and stay outside the house. The first house day of 2027 is Saturday 1 May, and the Amnesty International charity garden afternoon follows on Sunday 23 May, 2pm to 4:30pm.