SPECTATORS, volunteers and museum staff gave a warm welcome to Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall when she visited Haworth and Oxenhope.

Camilla, wife of Prince Charles, toured the Brontë Parsonage Museum and Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (K&WVR) earlier this afternoon. (Feb 16)

Her museum visit formed part of the celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of Emily Brontë. 2018 also marks the 90th anniversary of the museum in Haworth Parsonage, the house where the Brontës spent most of their lives.

The duchess was guided through the parsonage by principal curator, Ann Dinsdale.

She was given a close-up viewing of some of the museum's treasures, and met artist Clare Twomey, who created the Wuthering Heights – A Manuscript project.

This set out to produce a new version of Emily Brontë’s long-lost manuscript by copying it out one line at a time. Over 10,000 visitors have participated in the work so far, and the duchess wrote the last line into the newly created manuscript.

Her Royal Highness met museum staff and volunteers, as well as school children who had taken part in a creative writing competition organised by the museum.

After the parsonage she was taken by vintage bus to K&WVR's Haworth Station, to see the contributions made by volunteers in the 50th year since this railway was re-opened.

She was introduced to volunteers of all ages and viewed steam locomotive restorations, which are being used to transfer heritage skills to younger trainee engineers.

After meeting railway members at Haworth, the duchess was taken to Oxenhope Station via the railway in a carriage dating from 1847. The carriage is famous as the "Old Gentlemen’s Saloon" in the film The Railway Children, which was shot on the K&WVR.

The engine hauling the carriage was locomotive Number 85, built in 1899 for the Taff Vale Railway.

K&WVR young persons' officer Zandra Richards and stations chairman Graham Way said the visit had gone smoothly.

Mr Way said: "The Duke of Kent is our patron and comes here regularly, but we've not had such a high ranking royal visit for quite a while.

"We're satisfied that it's gone well today. The duchess went out of her way to speak to everyone. We've had at least a dozen volunteers on duty here at Haworth."

Haworth station master Tom Kemp said: "We've felt very honoured to have had this visit.

"We first found out about it three weeks ago, so we've been cleaning the station to make it look even more presentable than usual, putting out barriers and getting more staff on duty."

Cameron Sheehan, 17, who is the youngest assistant station master in both the K&WVR's and British Railway's history, said: "It hasn't been too hectic and everything has run on time.

"It's been a good day for us and it was very exciting to be able to meet Her Royal Highness."

Niall Kelly, 15, a member of the railway's young person's group, said: "We've been here today to help make things a success and to give some extra help to the adult volunteers.

"It's the first time I've been involved in an event like this."