THE BRONTË siblings’ wanderings around the moors above the Haworth parsonage sometimes took them across the border into Lancashire.

And now a short film has been made to spotlight the Red Rose County’s little-known Brontë connections.

The movie, called In Brontë Footsteps, features American novelist Tracy Chevalier, writer of international bestseller Girl With A Pearl Earring.

Tracy has been working closely with the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth throughout the year to spearhead celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth.

This autumn Tracy visited Pendle, which lies across the moors from Stanbury, for the first time to find out about the area’s Brontë associations.

Tracy, who followed in the writers’ footsteps along the Brontë Way, described the wild border country as “awe inspiring”.

She said: “It is news to me that there are these Lancashire connections. But now I’m not surprised at all because it’s one big landscape.”

“It felt timeless and it was a feeling that I know the Brontës must have had.”

Tracy Chevalier made the six-mile journey with fellow novelist Jessie Burton, international bestselling author of The Miniaturist.

They walked from Stanbury at Ponden Hall – which reputedly inspired a location in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights - to Wycoller Hall, the real Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

The film shows Tracy exploring the atmospheric village and ruined hall with John Crow, a volunteer ranger, storyteller and Friend of Wycoller.

The film features Nelson and Colne College student, Anna Stephenson, 18, playing the part of Charlotte Brontë.Jessie Burton was captivated by the picturesque village and hall, set in its peaceful valley, saying: “It’s stunning, beautiful and quiet”.

Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, the leader of Pendle Councillor, pointed out that Wycoller was just nine miles as the crow flies from the Haworth parsonage.

He said: “Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne Brontë often crossed the border over the moors into Lancashire.

Council colleague Eileen Ansar said: “Tracy’s thoughts and feelings on visiting Wycoller for the first time have been captured in this atmospheric film.

“We hope the film will encourage more people to come and visit our beautiful countryside and follow Brontë walks which can be found on our new website.”

Visit the website visitpendle.com using Bronte in the search box or visit vimeo.com/182411306.

John Crow will lead the last in a series of 21 events in Pendle to mark the Charlotte Brontë bicentenary, a ghost walk in Wycoller on October 30 at 1pm.