Grab your bonnets and come on a Jane Austen tour of England with me. We will follow in the footsteps of Jane. Explore the locations she lived in, visited and immortalized in her novels. From charming English villages to grand stately homes, this guide will take you on a literary pilgrimage you’ll never forget
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Where to find Jane Austen in England
Jane Austen was born 250 years ago in Hampshire and remains one of our most popular authors. To mark this big birthday there will be celebrations and special openings and exhibitions devoted to all things Jane.
Places Jane Austen knew
We will start with actual places that Jane lived in. Then we’ll deep dive into the places mentioned in her novels and that have starred in adaptations.
Steventon, Hampshire – birthplace
Where it all began. Jane Austen was born here on 16 December 1775. The seventh of eight children. Her father was the rector at St Nicholas Church. The rectory in which she was born and lived for 25 years is no longer standing. To celebrate Jane Austen 250 Steventon will have a special history exhibition in the Village Hall (4 – 6 July and 11 – 13 July). There will also be a special Regency themed country fair. Tickets and full details on the Steventon website.
Steventon is tiny. If you visit be respectful of people’s houses. Park your car sensibly. Do not block gateways, block roads or destroy verges.
Reading, Berkshire – School Days
When Jane was 9 she was sent to Reading Ladies Boarding School for 18 months. Her classroom is still there in the Abbey gate room. You can visit as part of a walking tour of the Reading Abbey Quarter. Tours run on Saturdays from April to October. Tickets are available from the Reading Museum website.
Bath – taking the waters
When Jane’s father retired the Austen family moved to Bath. Persuasion and Northhanger Abbey both feature Bath. You can walk past Jane’s house at 5 Sydney Gardens. Visit the Jane Austen Centre. Stroll along the Royal Cresent. Take afternoon tea in the Pump Rooms. Take a dip in a naturally heated bath, used by Jane’s father. My favourite Jane thing to do in Bath is visit the Assembly Rooms, here you can really imagine Regency folk dancing the night away.
Southampton – Frequent visits
Southampton is rich in Jane connections. She came to school here. Visited frequently and even lived in Souhampton from 1806 – 9. A side note, unrelated to Jane. The Sea City Museum is absolutely excellent with a brilliant Titanic display.
Chawton, Hampshire – last home
Chawton is a small place but one bursting with Jane Austen connections. Her brother lived in the “big house” whilst Jane and her sister lived for the last 8 years of her life.
Jane Austen’s House
Jane Austen wrote or revised all of her novels in Jane Austen’s House. It looks exactly as you would want an English country cottage to look. Set in pretty gardens, You can visit the house and then take a tour of the gardens. I have visited many homes of literary giants over the years and the Jane Austen house is easily the best, you feel that she might walk in at any moment.
- Jane Austen House
- Open: Winter: Wednesday – late April – late September Daily
- Admission: £15 (Artfund members half price)
- Best to book in advance
Chawton House
Jane Austen’s brother lived in Chawton House. She refers to the Elizabethan house as the “Great House” in her letters. Nowadays it is home to a library specialising in early women’s writing. You can visit the house and library. Make sure not to miss the gardens which are beautiful. We also took tea on the lawn which was excellent.
- Chawton House
- Open: Times vary seasonally, daily in the summer but check the website before leaving.
- Admission: £12.50 (Artfund members half price)
- Best to book in advance
Jane Austen Chawton walks
Jane and her sister Cassandra were great walkers. Walking in all weathers features frequently in Jane’s novels. The sisters would have walked every day, either to nearby Alton or just around the local countryside. Hampshire council have devised a circular 4½ mile walk from Chawton. On the day that my friend Alison and I did the walk rain started halfway round. At the end we were every bit as wet Jane Bennet, albeit clad in Gortex and walking boots rather then Regency gowns.
Parking in Chawton
Chawton is a tiny place. There is a small car park just opposite the Jane Austen House. Free parking by the side the road is available between the village and Chawton House. Please park with respect for the residents of Chawton, do not block driveways or destroy verges by parking on them.
Winchester – grave
Jane Austen came to Winchester often and it was here that she died and is buried. Jane wrote her last poem and died on 18 July 1817 at 8 College Street, sadly not usually open to the public.
Jane is buried in Winchester Cathedral, Cassandra watched the funeral procession from the window of 8 College Street. Winchester Cathedral is open daily and costs £12.50.
London and Jane Austen
Jane never lived in London but visited regularly and featured the capital in her novels. A meander around Bloomsbury, Marylebone and Mayfair gives vistas that Jane would recognise. Brunswick Square in Bloomsbury, which is now a Brutalist gem but was then a graceful terrace is where Emma’s sister Isabella lived. Admiral Crawford in Mansfield Park lived in Hill Street, Mayfair. John and Fanny Dashwood stay at in Harley Street in Sense and Sensibility. The rouge, Willoughby, lodged on racy Bond Street. Grosvenor Square is home to the Hursts and Jane Bennet calls on Caroline Bingley here. Jane also has a plaque in her memory in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Derbyshire and Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennet and her aunt are touring Derbyshire when they stumble across Mr Darcy’s house. They visit Chatsworth, which in turn has played Pemberley in films and TV adaptations.
Hampshire and Jane Austen
Hampshire is Jane’s birth county. Steventon and Chawton were both home to her. She stayed at the Vyne, just outside Basingstoke and attended a ball here. Nowadays, the Vyne is a National Trust property and has a full range of Jane Austen events planned for 2025.
Jane Austen and Surrey
Jane was very familiar with Surrey. She set the picnic scene from Emma on Box Hill. Box Hill is still a fine place for a picnic. If you are feeling really energetic you can walk up the hill from Burford Bridge. Jane is known to have stayed in Burford Bridge Hotel.
Jane Austen and Dorset
Jane was a big fan of sea-bathing. Lyme Regis is the setting for a big scene in Persuasion. This summer Dorset museum in Dorchester will have an exhibition devoted to Jane and the sea.
Jane Austen film locations
It isn’t only actors that play parts in film adaptations of Jane’s novels. Stately homes across the country play their parts too. National Trust membership is your friend if you are embarking on a tour of Jane Austen film locations. I have counted at least seven NT properties as locations. Basildon Park in Berkshire has been Mr Bingley’s Netherfield . Belton House, just outside Grantham, starred as Rosing Park home to Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice. Lacock Village has featured in both Pride and Prejudice and Emma. Lyme in Cheshire has been Pemberley.
Plan your Jane Austen Tour
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a newcomer to her works, exploring Jane Austen’s England is a unique way to step back into the Regency era. From quaint villages to vibrant cities, this journey will leave you with memories as enduring as Austen’s novels.
