Bibliofemme News
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09/12/2004
Jane Eyre secret stairs discovered
The owners of a house in North Yorkshire say they have found the secret staircase that inspired Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre.
The staircase had been hidden behind paneling since the 1880s, and was only uncovered after the current residents began clearing the attic.
Owners Sir James and Lady Graham believe the book's Thornfield Hall may have been based on their home Norton Conyers, which Bronte visited in 1839.
Lady Graham said, "We've located where Mr Rochester's bedroom is. It's called the Peacock Room, and from the Peacock Room, to go up to the attic as in Jane Eyre, the shortest way is just to go via this staircase, just as it's described there."
In Bronte's classic novel, Jane is engaged to Mr Rochester but discovers he is still married and is keeping his mad wife imprisoned in an attic hidden at the top of a secret stairs.
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