KEIGHLEY MP Kris Hopkins has praised the Brontë Parsonage Museum for putting Haworth and Keighley on the international map.

He met Brontë Society chairman John Thirlwell and the museum management team during a visit as part of National Tourism Day.

Kris was invited by museum curator and librarian Ann Dinsdale to tour the museum and see the special exhibitions running throughout 2017, including a display of costumes and props from BBC drama To Walk Invisible.

The museum is spending five years celebrating the 200th anniversaries of the births of the Brontë children, this year focusing on Branwell.

Mr Hopkins said: “The Parsonage puts Haworth and Keighley on the international map and the Bronte Society and museum staff have done a fantastic job of celebrating and commemorating these anniversary years.

“As a regular visitor it was extremely interesting to see the new acquisitions at the museum and particularly the costumes from the TV drama and the recently-secured Brontes’ dining table, where they wrote their novels.”

Mr Thirlwell said it was a pleasure to show Mr Hopkins around the museum and tell him about the society’s plans for the future.

He added: “The Bronte story continues to captivate people all over the world and the Brontë Society is proud of the role it plays in developing a sense of pride in our region’s heritage as well as strengthening the visitor economy.”

The anniversaries are part of Brontë200, a five year programme celebrating the bicentenaries of the births of four of the Brontës: Charlotte in 2016, Branwell in 2017, Emily in 2018 and Anne in 2020.

In 2019, the Brontë Society will celebrate Rev Patrick Brontë, 200 years after he was invited to take up the role of parson in Haworth.