Work to restore parts of picturesque Haworth to their original glory has been completed – and the village is now hoping for a tourism boost from the upcoming Tour De France cycle race next year.

Easter visitors to Haworth will be able to see the results of recent work to restore key parts of the historic village.

English Heritage and Bradford Council have joined forces to invest in four restoration projects.

The work, combined with the fact the village is on the route of the Tour De France next year, could act as a double boost in terms of attracting visitors to the scenic Worth Valley.

The Old School Room, designed and built by Patrick Brontë in 1832, has had new windows installed to match the original Georgian Gothic design.

Two businesses in Main Street have also had original features such as windows and shop fronts restored.

The improvements are designed to bring the village closer to how the Brontes knew it, and to ensure it continues to thrive as a tourist destination.

A spokesman for English Heritage said the enhancements complement the Bradford Council-funded repair of the setts in Main Street and Church Street, as well as Heritage Lottery Fund support for repairs to Haworth Parish Church.

Trevor Mitchell, English Heritage planning and conservation director for Yorkshire, said: “Haworth is an international shop window for Yorkshire’s heritage and its tourism industry and we want people to see it at its best.

“These small-scale works show that normal maintenance and repair projects can make a big difference to the quality of the village when they are well detailed.”

A grant of £42,000 has been given from English Heritage and £11,000 from the district council to reinstate original features and shop fronts on Main Street, at numbers 125 and 127, close to the parsonage and church.

The Old School Room is a Grade II listed building, and a grant of £9,000 each from English Heritage and Bradford Council has allowed the five main windows on its south side to be replaced with small-paned sash windows.

Councillor Val Slater, the Council’s executive member for housing, planning and transport, said: “Haworth is a fantastic place for people to visit and these improvements will add to that attraction.”

Averil Kenyon, chairman of Bronte Spirit – the committee tasked with saving the Old School Room – said: “We’re delighted with the new windows, and they will make a big difference to the look of the building and allow much more light to the inside.

“When we have the doors and the other windows painted to match, the Church Street side of this building will be more pleasant to the eye.”

Meanwhile, the economic impact of the Tour De France on Haworth and the surrounding area “should not be underestimated”, according to a leading councillor, who said it could bring in ten times more to the district than it costs to stage.

The world famous cycle race comes to Yorkshire next summer, and will pass through Haworth, Keighley, Silsden and Oxenhope amongst other local areas. The three-day UK leg, which includes two days in Yorkshire (July 5 and 6) and one in London, could bring in as much as £100 million, with a large chunk going to West Yorkshire.

At the latest meeting of Bradford Council, Keighley councillor Kaneez Akthar asked portfolio holder for tourism Susan Hinchliffe what the race’s financial impact would be on the area.

Coun Hinchliffe responded: “Its economic impact should not be underestimated and it will deliver a major boost to the economy of Keighley and its surrounding areas. Evidence from the Olympic Torch Relay last year highlighted the massive appetite for major sporting occasions that we can tap into. Keighley Town Centre experienced approximately 20,000 visitors that day. The Tour De France is likely to bring many more.

“Data provided from the areas of the UK that staged parts of the event in 2007 suggest a 10 to 1 return on the investment made. An early estimate for the economic impact for 2014 is £100 million. As one of the three stages in 2014 will be in the capital it is unrealistic to expect two thirds of a three way split will come our way, however our region must expect to be part of an enormous economic opportunity.

“The fact that Yorkshire has two of the three UK stages means that we can expect a lot of overnight stays which are crucial to realising a greater degree of tourist spending within the area – both days are within the same weekend.”

Bradford Council has already invested 400,000 Euros in securing the bid – made by tourism group Welcome To Yorkshire, and in its latest budget set aside £130,000 for events associated with the race.

Coun Akthar said: “This is going to be huge for Keighley. It will be a major boost for the town. I’m over the moon it is coming here – it is going to put us on the world map.”

And it is not just the council preparing for the event. The Haworth Distinctiveness project is working on ways of using the race to promote Haworth as a tourist destination, and are already coming up with ideas to make the most of the international spotlight and promote the village beyond its already celebrated literary links.

Robin Jackson, manager of the Westfield Lodge and member of the distinctiveness project, said: “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we all have to capitalise on what is going on.

“I am already taking bookings for the weekend, and as for the rest of the area it should boost the economy, especially of accommodation. It is really the opportunity to maximise Haworth’s exposure. On the back of the event the businesses in the area should collectively or individually do something to make the most of the event. People don’t always realise what exactly we’ve got up here. We can use the race to draw people into the area and get them to stay here a bit longer than they normally would.”

There has been criticism from some corners, notably MP George Galloway, that the race doesn’t pass through Bradford. However Mr Jackson thinks that the city could easily reap the benefits of the Tour De France, adding: “If Bradford makes a point out of promoting itself, then people might go to the city after the race. There is no reason the entire area can’t benefit. The city needs to wake up and smell the roses, Leeds and York will be making the most of it, so Bradford has to make the effort to attract people in.”