Steve Wood, fourth from left, with other representatives at the Top Withins board

A ruined farmhouse with literary connections high on the Pennine Way has a new information panel offering walkers a glimpse into its history.

Top Withins near Haworth is reputed to be the setting that inspired Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and is visited by thousands of walkers every year.

The abandoned farmhouse lies at 420m (1,378ft) on Britain’s first national trail, between Hebden Bridge and Ponden.

The building, which is owned by Yorkshire Water, also has a small, rudimentary bothy attached.

Local historian Steve Wood researched the background to the building which has no direct links with the Victorian author or her works, but has been held by many to match the location of the Earnshaw dwelling in the Bronte novel.

The panel tells the story of farming high above Haworth, going back at least 400 years with the first written record of a William Bentley dividing his estate amongst his three sons.

Their tough livelihood had to be supplemented by income from other activities including quarrying and weaving.

Top Withins stands high on the Pennine Way in West Yorkshire

The panel has been placed in the ruins at Top Withins, also sometimes known as Top Withens, as part of the Watershed Landscape Project, managed by Pennine Prospects and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and South Pennine Leader.

Alastair Harvey, countryside and recreation manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “As the owner we have carried out restoration works to the building to ensure it is able to withstand the erosive nature of the sometimes vicious upland weather.

“We are grateful for funding from Pennine Prospects and Heritage Lottery Fund that enabled us to protect the ruin for years to come.”

Robin Gray, Watershed Landscape project manager, said: “So many visitors come up to this romantic ruin but until now there has been little information.

“We hope that visitors will now feel better informed not just about the ruin but about the significance of this unique landscape.

“We have even provided a translation into Japanese for those visitors who come from across the globe to visit this iconic site.”