The Homes of Jane Austen (in Hampshire and Bath)
Jane Austen at Home is a gift book for anyone who adores the books of Jane Austen, to celebrate the 250th birthday of one of England’s moved beloved novelist. Discover the rooms from where this remarkable author quietly changed the world.
Author Lucy travels from room to room and from house to house), showing us how and why Jane Austen lived the way she did, examining places and spaces that mattered to her.
Chawton Cottage (above) is where Jane lived from 1809 to 1817, and write or revised most of her novels. Now a popular museum, the 17th century building was provided by her brother Edward, and where she spent her final and most productive years.
Edward Austen Knight was Jane’s third eldest brother, adopted by wealthy distant cousins, who inherited vast estates, letting him provide the cottage to Jane. He was very wealthy, earning around £15,000 a year (around £1.5 million today) from investments, and also served as the High Sheriff of Kent.
He and his wife Elizabeth Bridges had 11 children, and he never remarried after his wife’s sudden death (likely due to complications in her final childbirth). Known as ‘amiable and sweet-tempered’, she was good friends with Jane too.
Steventon (Jane Austen’s childhood Hampshire home)
Above is Steventon, the quiet area in Hampshire where Jane was born. She returned to Hampshire near the end of her life, and is buried in Winchester Cathedral. Jane spent the first 25 years of her life here, and it was where she wrote the early drafts of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey.
The village rectory has since been demolished. Jane loved it here so much, that she apparently fainted when her parents decided to move to Bath in 1801, from the shock of leaving her beloved home. Her father was the rector for 40 years, the building long gone. Though St Nicholas Church (where she worshipped) remains.
Jane Austen (Bath’s literary daughter)
The beautiful city of Bath in southwest England, is more than just a picture postcard. Its honey-coloured stones have watched centuries of writers come and go, sharing stories both real and imagined. The most beloved literary daughter of Bath is of course Jane Austen, who spent a good deal of her life here (although she was born and is buried in Hampshire).
Other local visitors and fans were Mary Shelley (who created Frankenstein!) and social activist writer Charles Dickens, who is said to have conceived his character Little Nell, while visiting.
Strolling through Bath, you’ll recognise the settings from Austen’s novels. The Pump Room, Assembly Rooms, and Sydney Gardens echo scenes from her tales, offering a glimpse into the city that influenced her writing.
