Silverdale for a day.

Cove House the family holiday home of Reverend William Carus Wilson

 Charlotte and Emily Bronte went to Silverdale on the Lancashire coast for a day. But why go there and for such a short period of time? The date was 31st May 1825. Both the girls, together with their older sister Elizabeth, were at the Clergy Daughters' School in Cowan Bridge (the inspiration for Lowood School in Jane Eyre) not far from Kirkby Lonsdale and founded by the Reverend William Carus Wilson. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was very ill and, on the same day that her two younger siblings were taken to Silverdale, she was escorted home to Haworth by Mrs Hardacre, described by Juliet Barker in her excellent biography The Brontes (published by Abacaus in 2010) as a confidential servant. 

There was an outbreak of a form of typhus known as 'low fever', probably caused by the lack of hygiene in the kitchen and the general insanitary conditions at the school. Elizabeth's, Charlotte's and Emily's eldest sister Maria had already been sent home having also succumbed to illness at the school. She very sadly died on 6th May 1825 aged just 11. Now, only 25 days later, Elizabeth was very ill and on her way back to Haworth.

The Cowan Bridge doctor recommended that any girls who were well enough should be removed from the school and away from the source of the infection. They were taken to Revd Carus Wilson's holiday home - Cove House- which he had built for his family in 1820. So, my visit was to see the house and it's location; to see what Charlotte and Emily might also have seen.  

Silverdale is a 30 minute car drive away from Cowan Bridge where the Clergy Daughters' School was located.

                                           

                                       

Silverdale is only 3.6 miles from Arnside.

                                     

Cove House is now a residential care home.

                                                         

Charlotte, Emily and Patrick Bronte would have passed through these gates.

                                                

Cove House built in 1820 - made from stone and with attractive bay windows looking over a large lawn. 

Cove House - Silverdale Cove.

There are trees at the end of the lawn which is right on the coast with amazing views over Morecambe Bay.

The view from the end of the garden to the Lancashire Coastal Path and across Morecambe Bay.

 

A small cave is directly below the garden at Cove House. Had Charlotte and Emily been able to stay, even for a week, I'm sure they would have enjoyed playing here.

Stunning location for the girls at Cove House. If only they had had a little longer there they might have enjoyed this spot.

                                                  

Just along the coastal path from Cove House.

                                     

The tide was out and then the sun came out.

                                         

I can imagine Charlotte and Emily enjoying walking along this path

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A photo of a photo in a local pub of the Silverdale Cove cave. I think Charlotte and Emily might have enjoyed playing on this pebbly beach.

Somehow I don't think Emily would have been too bothered about the danger!

A glorious spot.

The bent trees indicate Silverdale Cove can be a windy and wuthering spot.

Imagining the Brontes playing here.

Silverdale Cove with the tide in. A photo of a photo hanging in a Silverdale pub.

The sunsets are awesome as Silverdale faces west. 

Charlotte and Emily would have enjoyed the sunsets had they stayed. This is another photo of a photo.

This video shows the view from the bottom of the garden then back to Cove House.

                                                

                      This video shows the view across Morecambe Bay from Cove House at Silverdale.

 When Elizabeth arrived home, Patrick Bronte fearful for the health of Charlotte and Emily, dashed to Silverdale the very next day on 1st June 1825 to remove the girls and take them to the safety of their own home at Haworth parsonage. He had lost his oldest daughter Maria. Elizabeth sadly passed away on 15th June 1825 aged 10. He now didn't want to risk the lives of his 9 and 6 year old daughters Charlotte and Emily.

Having visited Cove House and seen its beautiful location a few thoughts entered my head: anger that Reverend Carus Wilson had tolerated the poor conditions at the Clergy Daughters' school at Cowan Bridge whilst himself living in better conditions nearby and having the luxury of a delightful holiday home at Silverdale.

I also wondered if Charlotte and Emily might have liked a few extra days at Cove House in Silverdale to be able to explore the local area, play on the beach and in the cave, run along the footpaths by Morecambe Bay and enjoy a sunset or two. I think they would have liked the spot. But it was not to be.

Silverdale was also a favoured holiday destination of Elizabeth Gaskell who would later go on to write Charlotte Bronte's biography.  For more than twenty years Gaskell and her family spent summer holidays there, often staying for weeks on end. The Silverdale landscape can be seen in her writing, most notably in 'Ruth' and 'The Sexton's Hero'.

In a letter to Charles Eliot Norton dated 25th July, 1858 she wrote;

'I think, - and its is pleasant to think, - that one is never disappointed in coming back to Silverdale. The secret is I think in the expanse of view...such wide plains of golden sands with purple hill shadows, - or fainter wandering filmy cloud-shadows, & the great dome of sky.'

Lindeth Tower in Silverdale one of Elizabeth Gaskell's holiday rental homes.