Top Withens, Haworth, Yorkshire
A big man with a big presence, described by one magazine as ‘the
loudest man alive’, Brian Blessed was born in Yorkshire, the son of a
miner – and he returns to his home county for his icon.
Top
Withens is a bleak moorland ruin above the village of Haworth said to
have been the inspiration for the tortured Heathcliff’s farmstead in
‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte.
The wildness of the
location is reminiscent of the charismatic actor himself and reflects
his passion for the great outdoors; aside from his impressive acting
CV, Blessed is an adventurer who, among other things, has been on three
expeditions to Mount Everest.
Interviewed by Josh Sims for
Easyjet’s inflight magazine in 2002, he said: “Adventure makes me
incredibly happy… Seeing for hundreds and hundreds of miles off these
mountains opens cavities in your brain. And you yearn for them and
yearn for them.”
Read more about and vote on Top Withens, Haworth.
Image of Brian Blessed © topfoto.co.uk
Brian Blessed
Actor, writer
Apart from memorable film roles in productions from ‘King Lear’ to
‘Flash Gordon’, Blessed has shown his vocal skills in stage productions
like ‘Cats’ and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ and is a successful author
with books including the autobiographical ‘Dynamite Kid’. He lives in
Surrey with his partner, the actress Hildegarde Neil.
