A guided walk with Mary Taylor

An alert for today, July 14, from Shirley country. As the Dewsbury Reporter says:

The life of early feminist and friend of Charlotte Brontë, Mary Taylor is celebrated in a guided walk on Saturday.

Led by Helen’s Heritage Walks, it starts at 1.30pm with a short guided tour at her former home, Red House Museum in Oxford Road, followed by a 3.5 mile walk around the Gomersal area taking in places Mary knew, including her later Gomersal home High Royd (now Gomersal Lodge hotel), the ‘Pork Pie’ chapel and St Mary’s churchyard where Mary is buried.
Mary, who was immortalised as Rose Yorke in Charlotte’s novel Shirley, refused to be bound by the traditional roles expected of middle-class women and lived a uniquely independent life.
In 1845 she emigrated to New Zealand and started a successful shop business. Returning to Gomersal in 1860 she spent 33 years writing and travelling. She led tours of women mountain climbing in Europe and wrote radical feminist articles and books. Her novel Miss Miles was published in 1890.
The event costs £6 adults; £3 children. Booking essential, call 01274 532425 or email helensheritagewalksntalks@hotmail.co.uk.