Haworth, a village in Yorkshire with strong literary connections, has been described as the UK's answer to Stars Hollow, the fictional town from the American television series Gilmore Girls. British fans of the show have identified the village as a local alternative to the Connecticut setting, which is not a real location.
Why Haworth is compared to Stars Hollow
Travel creator @lilyjbet posted a video on TikTok captioned: "pov: you just found the real-life Stars Hollow in England," showing footage of the village. The video features eclectic shops, cafés, and bookstores that would appeal to fans of the show.
Haworth has literary associations connected to the Brontë sisters, who lived and wrote most of their novels there. Their former home is now the Brontë Parsonage Museum, which sits atop a hill overlooking miles of countryside. The view is thought to have inspired the rugged backdrops of their famous works. Fans of gothic literature can walk to Top Withins, a remote farmhouse surrounded by moorland, which many believe helped inspire the setting of Wuthering Heights.
Shops and cafés with a Stars Hollow feel
The museum retains many rooms with original furniture and personal items. Several independent shops in Haworth are said to resemble those in Stars Hollow. Wave Of Nostalgia is a vintage bookshop selling unique gifts, Cabinet of Curiosities is an old-school apothecary that could be from the Victorian era, and Spooks of Haworth is described as a 'spiritual emporium' suitable for autumn and Halloween enthusiasts.
Visitors can enjoy cosy mother-daughter chats or reading at cafés such as Café Verde, which has outdoor tables on the cobbled streets, and Villette Coffee House and Bakery, offering freshly-baked pastries and Yorkshire specialities.
Arriving by heritage railway
The recommended way to reach Haworth is by train, avoiding the narrow, steep roads built for horse and carriage. The village is on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, a five-mile heritage railway running through the Yorkshire countryside. The line is also known as the setting of the 1970s adaptation of The Railway Children, with filming completed around the village including at St Mary’s Churchyard.
