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Sarah Lumley

Top 35 must-see locations for book lovers - with Brontë sisters' home topping list

The top must-see locations for literary lovers have been revealed – from the home of the Brontë sisters in Haworth, Yorkshire, to 221B Baker Street, where fictional detective Sherlock Holmes resided.

Other iconic sites on the list, which have been made famous either by authors or their books, include Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, and his birthplace home in Stratford-upon-Avon.

And Shakespeare's home is not the only author's residence to feature on the list – with Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth's houses, both in the Lake District, also appearing highly.

The study of 2,000 British book buffs was commissioned by Amazon to launch the Kindle Storyteller Award, celebrating the best self-published stories.

Darren Hardy, author and editorial programmes manager at Amazon, said: “It is such an exciting time to be in the independent publishing space.

“Iconic locations such as Shakespeare’s Globe and the home of the Brontë sisters hold such cultural importance, and it’s great to see them feature so prominently in our research.”

Professor Elleke Boehmer, a leading figure in the field of English Literature at the University of Oxford, added: “The British Isles are rich in vital literary traditions that extend across time, from the medieval period onwards, and across space, ramifying throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“In Britain, you almost get the sense in some literary places of the land, trees and surroundings pregnant, still, with the writer's presence, or a sense of how they have interacted with the context – like Coleridge's Quantock hills.

“The walks that he made through those hills still exist today, and as we walk them we can imagine him pacing out the lines of his poetry – like “The Ancient Mariner”, looking out onto the Bristol Channel at the passing ships from around the world.

“Some of my favourite literary sites, like Coleridge's Nether Stowey, the Brontës' Haworth, or DH Lawrence's Eastwood, also feature truly wonderful and significant houses where the rooms in which the writers were born, or wrote some of their key works, are preserved for all generations.”

The study also revealed the nation’s favourite British writers – with Charles Dickens, who can count “Oliver Twist” and “A Christmas Carol” among his works, coming out on top.

He was followed by Charlotte Brontë and George Orwell – while Emily Brontë and Virginia Woolf, legendary female novelists who paved the way with their literary classics including “Wuthering Heights” and “Mrs Dalloway”, were just behind.

On average, Brits read nine books a year, with story fans reading for an average of 39 minutes per day – although 53 per cent wish they could bury themselves in a book for even longer.

Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon also featured in the top 10 (English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Being immersed in another world (51 per cent), developing the mind (48 per cent), and boosting knowledge (45 per cent), were among the main reasons for enjoying reading.

When it comes to favourite genres, crime (30 per cent) ranked above drama (28 per cent), autobiographies (26 per cent), and action (21 per cent).

And the study, carried out via OnePoll, found book lovers are also keen writers too.

More than a third (34 per cent) enjoy writing as a hobby, with 61 per cent of those writing for pleasure at least twice a week.

Darren Hardy, from Amazon, added: “Not only are we a proud nation of booklovers with a rich literary history which spans across the UK, we’re also highly inspired by the writing we come into contact with.

“It’s amazing that so many people have been inspired to take up writing themselves after reading books, and it shows writing is an accessible hobby for everyone.

“We are bringing more authors than ever before to readers, and we are looking forward to seeing what stories are submitted for this year’s Kindle Storyteller Award – perhaps some will have been inspired by some of our iconic literary landmarks, and the authors connected to them.”

The Kindle Storyteller Award is open for entries until 31st August 2022.

TOP 35 LITERARY LOCATIONS – AS VOTED BY READERS:

  1. Haworth – home of the Brontë sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Anne
  2. Shakespeare's Globe, London
  3. Jane Austen's Chawton cottage
  4. 221B Baker Street – home of Sherlock Holmes and the Sherlock Holmes museum
  5. The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, regularly visited by JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis
  6. Sherwood Forest
  7. Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
  8. Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon
  9. British Library, London
  10. Dove Cottage in Grasmere, Lake District – home of William Wordsworth
  11. Hilltop House in Near Sawrey, Lake District – home of Beatrix Potter
  12. Whitby – setting for Bram Stoker's 1897 Dracula
  13. Pooh Sticks Bridge, Buckhurst Park Estate, East Sussex – associated with A.A. Milne
  14. Anne Hathaway's cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon
  15. Chatsworth House, named in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
  16. Charles Dickens' birthplace museum, Portsmouth
  17. The Jane Eyre trail, Peak District
  18. Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey
  19. Greenway, Agatha Christie's Devon retreat
  20. Roald Dahl's Gipsy House, Great Missenden
  21. Keats' House, London
  22. Thomas Hardy's birthplace, and Max Gate House, Dorset
  23. Sedbergh book town, Lake District
  24. Abbotsford, near Selkirk, Scotland, made famous by Walter Scott
  25. Dylan Thomas boathouse, Laugharne, Wales
  26. John Rylands library, Manchester
  27. 48 Doughty Street, Charles Dickens' home
  28. John Milton's cottage, Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire
  29. D.H. Lawrence birthplace and Hagg's Farm, Nottingham
  30. Elizabeth Gaskell's house, Manchester
  31. Lamb House, Rye, East Sussex – associated with Henry James
  32. Bateman's, East Sussex, home of Rudyard Kipling
  33. Shelley Lodge, Marlow, home of Mary Shelley
  34. Woolwich, and central London, famously associated with Bernardine Evaristo
  35. Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stowey, home of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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