Almost time to go.

 



                                                                                                       


 


        

After much planning, booking ferries and accommodation, changing pounds to euros and reading maps, the time is almost upon us when we set off to try and follow in the footsteps of Charlotte Bronte and Arthur Bell Nicholls, travelling the same route they took when they went on honeymoon to North Wales and Ireland in June/July1854.

There are few recorded details about their honeymoon sojourn. Most of the information we have is from a few letters written by Charlotte and Arthur to their friends in which they talk about some of the people they met and places they visited in their four week stay. Most Bronte scholars only dedicate a few paragraphs to the honeymoon in their works. Fortunately for us, however, in 2021 two books were published by two Irish Bronte enthusiasts about the honeymoon. Pauline Clooney from Kildare and Dr Michael O'Dowd from Galway each wrote a book about the honeymoon. Pauline's is an historical fiction published by Merdog books called' Charlotte and Arthur', Michael's is a non-fiction book called 'Charlotte Bronte An Irish Odyssey - My Heart is Knit to Him - The Honeymoon' published by Pardus Media. Both books provide us with much well researched information about where the couple possibly/definitely went, where they probably or definitely stayed and how they travelled about. Interestingly, there are differences of opinion from both authors and, hand on heart, they admit that they cannot be 100% certain that Charlotte and Arthur went to all of the places they write about.

With all of the above in mind we shall be heading off to Conwy, in North Wales this Saturday. We shall be travelling by car along the A55 which frequently runs parallel with the railway line that carried Charlotte and Arthur to Conwy. 



Comments

Dr. Michael O'Dowd said…
Congratulations on the first blog of Charlotte and Arthur's honeymoon odyssey. Happy Honeymoon Trailing!! Wondrous sights, and tales to tell.
Looking forward to 2022 vision of the itinerary.
See you soon. Michael and Christine.
5 August 2022 at 07:52
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