BRONTË Parsonage Museum staff and volunteers are celebrating after the literary shrine was honoured at the White Rose Awards.

The Haworth museum was Highly Commended in the Best Large Attraction category of the Yorkshire-wide tourist awards.

Brontë Society representatives were among|1,100 people who attended the awards ceremony in Harrogate last week.

Kitty Wright, Executive Director of the Brontë Society said: “We are thrilled that the museum was a runner-up for this major award.

“The competition was very strong and being recognised in this way is testament to the hard work and dedication of all our fantastic staff and volunteers, of whom we are very proud.

“It’s the perfect ending to Charlotte’s bicentenary year.”

The Parsonage has hosted many events throughout the year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Jane Eyre writer Charlotte’s birth.

Staff and volunteers are currently gearing up for another four years of ‘Brontë200’ events marking the 200th anniversaries of Emily, Anne and Branwell’s births, and of father Patrick’s invitation to become the Haworth clergyman.

The winner of the Best Large Attraction award was the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

The White Rose Awards were held in 17 categories, and the ceremony featured appearances by Yorkshire's Olympic and Paralympic heroes.

Professor Colin Mellors, chairman of the independent panel of judges, said: "The standard of entries gets stronger and stronger every year, making it very difficult to choose the winners and those who are highly commended.

"To be shortlisted is a real achievement in itself, so to win a White Rose Award, a business has truly gone above and beyond."