Tourist attractions in the district have had a mixed summer, according to new figures.

Yorkshire-wide, visitor numbers rose, buoyed by the Olympics. But the wet weather and other factors have hit attendances at some locations.

Jim Shipley, of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, said the heritage line saw above-average visitor numbers.

He added: “We’ve noticed a rise in mid-week visitors. These numbers were significantly up. Weekend traffic was variable but overall I think the visitors were up on last year.”

Mr Shipley said the railway had numerous offers to attract more tourists during the week, adding: “You have to give people a reason to come rather than just rely on them wanting to ride the train.”

But the Bronte Parsonage Museum at Haworth, one of Yorkshire’s biggest attractions, saw a three per cent fall in visitors during the same period.

Acting museum director, Ann Dinsdale, said: “The Olympics certainly had an impact.

“Quite a few of the coach trips we normally get do literary tours starting in London, but they cancelled because the price of accommodation in the capital was so high due to the Games.”

Figures just released by the Great British Travel Survey show trips to Yorkshire were up 16.3 per cent for the period between September 2011 and August this year, with spending increasing by 13.5 per cent and overnight stays up 11.5 per cent.

The statistics follow a series of major national marketing campaigns launched by tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire to increase visitors and help grow the economy during the tough economic climate and a wet summer. These included promoting the county to the millions of people who visited London for the summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

l A newly-formed group that aims to protect a piece of Bronte heritage is seeking new members.

Friends of Red House is holding an informal meeting and social event at 2pm on Sunday for people to learn more.

Red House, an 1830s cloth merchant’s home at Gomersal, was immortalised as Briarmains in Charlotte Bronte’s novel Shirley.

Contact Gordon Connor on 01274 688225 or Lisa Holmes on 01274 921517.