Haworth's Old Post Office: Bronte's PO BOx has been transformed into stylish cafe

Sophie Mei Lan Malin meets the Cowling family who are behind The old Post Office.

Transcript

00:00Dear reader, we stepped inside Howarth's old post office to meet the owners and to discover

00:09how it's been renovated. This is quite possibly the UK's first PO box. The original post office

00:19counter used by the Brontes to send their manuscripts remains in place for tourists

00:27and visitors to experience the drawer used by the postmaster who served the Bronte sisters.

00:36While this Victorian counter remains intact paying homage to the famous Lichtry family.

00:44This is now a stylish cafe serving Instagrammable grub as well as good independent coffee.

00:53It's not only about the Brontes either, Howarth is an incredible area steeped in history.

01:02From the clockmakers to all the residents who lived here it's a community that has gone from

01:09being a slum into this idyllic place that thousands visit year upon year. They even have

01:18gorgeous outdoor courtyard where you can see the church and it looks to the Bronte parsonage

01:24where the Brontes lived. Together the Cowling family have lovingly restored this property

01:32which was left to rag and ruin but now it's a new place creating new memories and of course

01:42there's magazines to read such as these which would have been read by the Bronte sisters

01:48themselves. There's a whole archive of limited edition prints, letters and original paintings

01:58inside. Not only Bronte fans will be enjoying the touch of historic elements, people of Howarth

02:08and further afar will appreciate the beauty of this historic iconic gem. Not to mention

02:17serving amazing grub from their new professional kitchen. Owner Charlie Cowling even let us look

02:25inside his study. This is the room used by Branwell when he'd had a few too many from

02:32the old Black Bull pub and he'd stagger home but keep inside this room until his sister told him

02:41it was okay to go home because his father was asleep. They've even transformed the loft into

02:47a podcasting booth and meeting room. Here's what the kitchen used to look like and now today it's

02:56a fully equipped professional kitchen where they've even dug out the original exterior

03:02which leads from the kitchen and a staircase onto the main street. Bronte fans can pick up their

03:10memorabilia or just take a look inside and grab a coffee and maybe even ask for a tour of this

03:19spectacular place.