The Brontë Museum in Haworth is to open its first toilets for visitors

The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth will offer toilets to visitors for the first time in its nearly 100-year history.

Arts Council England has allocated £100,000 of government funding to the museum so that it can build the facilities.

Rebecca Yorke, director of the museum which opened in 1928, said toilets were “difficult” to finance despite being essential facilities.

The West Yorkshire Print Workshop in Kirklees and We Are Unlimited in Wakefield have also received funding.

Mrs Yorke said: “We’ve been here for almost 100 years but we’ve had no visitor toilets.

“This money will allow us to build facilities for our visitors, especially those with mobility issues or those with young children who need a change.

“It’s essential and it’s what people expect when they visit a world-class attraction like ours, but it’s actually hard for them to get funding.”

Four toilets will be built, plus one accessible toilet with baby changing facilities.

The roof of the toilets will be planted to improve biodiversity by creating a habitat where insects can breed.

Pete Massey, Northern Director at Arts Council England, said the funding “will support cultural organizations across the region to continue to deliver amazing arts and creative activities for new and existing audiences in our communities and beyond”.

He added: “I look forward to seeing the work that will be created and the benefits it will have for people in our villages, towns and cities.”

An additional £114,000 of funding will be awarded to the West Yorkshire Print Workshop to improve its facilities and digital infrastructure at its two Kirklees sites.

Meanwhile, Wakefield-based We Are Unlimited, which commissions work by disabled artists, received £150,000 to upgrade its office space and touring equipment.