TWO of the most popular attractions in Keighley district saw an increased number of visitors during 2017.

The Bronte Parsonage Museum and East Riddlesden Hall revealed a rise in visitor numbers last year, compared to 2016.

Figures given by the parsonage included general visitor numbers to the Haworth museum of around 82,700 in 2017.

A spokesman for the parsonage said when schools, groups and event audiences are counted the figure for visitors to the parsonage is nearer 88,000.

Museum bosses said this amounts to an increase of almost 10 per cent on 2016.

Kitty Wright, executive director of the museum, said: “We’ve enjoyed a year-on-year increase in visitor numbers since the beginning of our five-year bicentennial festival.

“We hope our celebrations for Emily this year will continue to attract people from across the globe to Yorkshire and to Haworth.”

East Riddlesden Hall saw a total of 36,700 people come through its doors in 2017.

General manager Jonathan Brewer said: “We’re delighted with the number of visitors during 2017, which is a rise of four per cent on the previous year.

“We’re always trying to attract new audiences and hope our exciting programme of events, along with a great Yorkshire welcome, has contributed to the rise in people visiting this local treasure.”

Philip Balmforth, a director of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, said this attraction recorded about 105,000 passengers last year, not including the thousands more who came along for the Flying Scotsman locomotive’s visit.

“We’re happy with that,” he said. “As a charity we’re not here to make money and the profits we get are reinvested back into the railway.”

Bradford Council reported that Cliffe Castle Museum had 56,000 visitors between March and December 2017, compared to 58,337 throughout all of 2016.

Haworth Visitor Information Centre dealt with 68,700 enquiries in 2017, compared to 75,400 enquiries in 2016.

Meanwhile, a new report into tourism in Keighley and Bradford district shows an increase in year-on-year spending, driven by a rise in day trips and visits from overseas tourists.

The industry is worth an estimated £656 million a year to the district’s economy and supports over 13,500 jobs.

The figures show spending by visitors is up 10 per cent, and the number of tourism jobs has increased by four per cent from 2015.