It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of the best-loved writers in the English language. Even today, 250 years after her birth in 1775, the timeless quality and universal themes of her novels continue to captivate readers. The publishing industry reports the highest sales of her books in 15 years and a huge surge in interest in her works, particularly among Gen Z and millennial readers. Much of the revival in interest in recent years has been fuelled by the 250th anniversary celebrations, the boom in audiobooks and social media as well as a plethora of BBC period dramas and film adaptations, not to forget the enduring images of Colin Firth as the brooding Mr Darcy.
If you would like to discover more about Jane Austen and her life, join us on our forthcoming visit in late September to the modest house in the village of Chawton in Hampshire, where she spent the final years of her life, writing and revising her six major novels.
After a self-guided tour of the cottage and its pretty gardens, we will stroll over to Chawton House for lunch. This magnificent Elizabethan manor with historic gardens set in 275 acres of parkland was once owned by Austen’s brother, Edward, and is now home to a vast library and an internationally recognised research centre for the study of early women’s writing.
After our guided House History Tour there will be time to explore the gardens and visit the shop.
For more information about Jane Austen’s House, visit: https://janeaustens.house/
To discover more about Chawton House, visit: https://chawtonhouse.org/
To view a hand-drawn map of Chawton in Jane Austen’s day click here: https://janeaustens.house/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Chawton-map.pdf
Planned programme for the day (timings are guidelines)
09.00: Depart Hop Oast (please arrive in good time so we leave promptly)
10.15: Arrive Chawton Village – prepaid takeaway tea/coffee from café opposite JAH
10.45: Group 1: self-guided tour of JAH, then Groups 2 and 3, staggered
12.30: Short walk to Chawton House
12.45/13.00: Pre-paid sandwich buffet & refreshments; tea/coffee & intro in Great Hall
14.00: Guided House History Tour (70 min); groups set off at same time from different locations
15.15 – 16.30: Time to explore the historic gardens
16.30: Coach departs Chawton
17.45: Arrive Hop Oast
Total cost = £68 pp. This includes coach hire, entry to JAH, entry to CH & gardens + guided tour as well as tea/coffee on arrival, sandwich buffet lunch at CH, then tea/coffee served in the Great Hall before the tour. Catering is part of the prepaid package. Chawton is a small village and neither the pub nor the café can accommodate a group of our size. Chawton House is going out of its way to ensure we have an enjoyable visit, but as its facilities are limited, it cannot take individual orders on the day.
