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For Jane Austen fans who want to follow in her footsteps and have fun doing it!

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Jane Austen Travel: Jane In A Day Winchester 250

When Winchester races first took their beginning,
It is said the good people forgot their old Saint,
Not applying at all for the leave of Saint Swithin,
And that William of Wykeham’s approval was faint.

Jane Austen Poem, Winchester Races

After a lengthy illness, Jane Austen died in Winchester at 8 College Street, a few miles from her Chawton home and is buried in Winchester Cathedral.

Jane Austen’s Life and Death

Jane was born in Steventon, a small village in Hampshire 30 miles north of Winchester. She lived there for 25 happy years until her parents retired to Bath. After a short spell in Southampton, she moved to Chawton where she wrote her novels. She had started feeling unwell in 1816, and as she started her last novel Sanditon in the early months of 1817 her condition worsened.

Jane was brought to Winchester by her family to consult a surgeon at the new Winchester hospital, Dr Giles Lyford. He could not save her, and she died in the arms of her sister Cassandra on 18 July 1817, aged 41 years old.

Marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Winchester is hosting a range of exhibitions and events to celebrate the remarkable life and works of one of our most beloved Hampshire novelists.

A Day with Jane Austen – Winchester 2025

Below are all the things that should be on your list as a Jane Austen fan in Winchester, and how to make the most your time visiting this beautiful city. I have put them in order of importance so if you are limited on time you will still see the best bits.

1. Visit Winchester Cathedral

A most special place, Winchester Cathedral was where Jane is buried. Henry wrote the words for Jane’s memorial stone, and pays tribute to “the extraordinary endowments of her mind”. In 1869, Jane’s nephew published A Memoir of Jane Austen, the proceeds of which paid for a brass plaque found on the wall near her tomb. If you look up, you can see the stained glass window dedicated to her writing. Tickets are good for one year.

The Cathedral shop and cafe is also a great stopping place just across from the doors, and they have lots of Jane Austen 250 goods you can buy this year. We usually sit outside against the walls, so dress up warmly so you can too.

2. Visit the ‘Angelic Women: The friendship of Jane Austen and Anne Lefroy’ exhibition

A special exhibition where you can view a poem written by Jane in 1808 for her close friend Anne Lefroy. Anne was a mentor to Jane, encouraging her writing and sharing her extensive library before Anne’s untimely death following a riding accident in 1804. Jane also copied out Anne’s obituary from the newspaper, which you can find amongst Lefroy family heirlooms. (Finishes 19 October)

Read more about Winchester Cathedral’s Jane Austen 250 celebrations here, including the unveiling of a new Jane Austen statue in the Inner Close.

3. Visit the Winchester City Museum

You can discover the history of Georgian Winchester at the City Museum, located in The Square. They are displaying Jane’s pelisse coat for some months, along with the permanent display of a poem written by her, sewing pieces Jane used, and a couple of purses Jane made.

Hampshire Cultural Trust will bethroughout Hampshire, and it will be at City Museum from 22 May to 16 June, and 27 July to 20 October although these dates may change.

These are some of the most precious items in Hampshire Cultural Trust’s collection and offer a unique glimpse into Jane’s personal life. Jane paid £5 for the pelisse in 1814, an expensive purchase that marked her rising popularity – and income!

Jane Austen Spool Case at Winchester City Museum

4. Visit 8 College Street and the Bookshop

You will pass 8 College Street and PJ Wells on the way to Winchester College.

PJ Wells is where Mr Austen bought Jane her notebooks. Both her father and brother kept an account with John Burdon who traded here from 1757 to 1803. Now known as P&G Wells, it has operated under various owners since 1729, making it one of the longest unbroken records of trading in the country.

On 15 July, three days before her death, Jane dictated her final verses to Cassandra which was a poem about the Winchester races being rained upon by a vengeful St Swithun. Jane died in Cassandra’s arms on the morning of 18 July 1817.

While tickets to visit 8 College Street are sold out, Winchester College’s museum has many items on display relating to Jane and her family.

5. Visit Jane’s nephews at Winchester College

Winchester College’s Treasury has a fabulous display room to celebrate Jane Austen 250. It’s full of her novels and items relating to her nephew and much more. It’s FREE and only open a couple of days each week so worth checking before you visit. They also run great tours of the College, which has its own long history.

6. ARC Bonnets Exhibition

Discover the true stories of working women from Jane Austen’s life and find the parallels between fact and fiction. Follow the precarious lives of real Georgian women navigating limited opportunities and rights through their roles in domestic service, trade, education and childcare. This is a paid exhibition found inside Winchester Library. (Runs until 2 Nov 2025)

You can gush at this website where you can find out more.

How to arrive

  • Winchester by car – There are three exits for Winchester off of the M3 motorway. You then follow the road straight into the city. For long term parking for the day look for Chesil Street Car Park. This is on the edge of the city so easy to entry and exit. There is also a clearly signed park and ride available. 
  • Winchester by train – Winchester is easy by train as it sits at the top of the High Street. This is the best way to visit, as parking can be expensive and the city has a complicated one way system.
  • Winchester by coach – National Express runs a coach network from Heathrow Airport to Winchester, and you can also take a bus which brings you onto the High Street.

Lovely Links

If you can’t make it into Winchester, click here to see a readable image of Jane Austen’s poem and to learn more about it.

Winchester College Treasury

Winchester Cathedral Tickets (Save £1 when booking online and good for one year)

Find many more Jane Austen Winchester events HERE

There is a lovely Winchester City Mill by the river run by the National Trust with a lovely cafe and shop.

Exhibition Review: Jane Austen’s Pelisse at Winchester City Museum
TAGS

Jane Austen, Jane Austen 250, Winchester, Winchester Cathedral, Winchester City Museum, 8 College Street, P G Wells, Elizabeth Bigg, Henry Austen, Madam Anne Lefroy, Poems Exhibition, ARC, Winchester Library, St Swithun’s, St Lawrence Church, Winchester College, National Trust.

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Exhibition Review: The Most Tiresome Place in the World

Jane Austen at Bath

5 July – 2 November 2025

I have melancholy news to relate, & sincerely feel for your feelings under the shock of it.—I wish I could better prepare you for it. But having said so much, your mind will already forestall the sort of event which I have to communicate.—Our dear Father has closed his virtuous & happy life, in a death almost as free from suffering as his Children could have wished.

This is one of two letters that Jane wrote to Frank from Bath telling him their father had died. She wanted to tell him first what happened before he heard or read the news elsewhere.

It’s dated 21 January 1805, and the other letter on display is the first letter that Jane wrote to him that he did not receive as he had already left his ship. What must have been upsetting for Jane, she had to rewrite the letter all over again.

It would signal the end of living in Bath for Jane, as shortly after she would leave the city and move to Southampton. Ironically, it was to live with Frank and his new wife Mary.

The Most Tiresome Place in the World

Along with the two letters written by Jane, the other special items in this exhibition is the manuscript of The Watsons, and a lock of Mr Austen’s hair and the little envelope Jane in which she kept it.

Jane Austen’s Treasures,, Royal Crescent Bath Exhibition ©Emma Darlington

The Watsons

I love seeing Jane’s writing and crossings out from her novels, and this novel is one of the only manuscripts that remain. You can read her writing and I pulled up a chair to do this as it was so quiet.

Probably written in Bath in 1804-5, The Watsons was left unfinished by Jane. Cassandra said that Jane her about the story where a clergyman dies leaving his daughters penniless, and it may have been the similarity to Jane’s own situation as to why she left it unfinished.

Jane Austen kept it by her for more than a decade during which all her famous novels were published, so may have intended to pick it back up at some point.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) autograph manuscript of ‘The Watsons’, c.1804-1807. The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, MS. Eng. e. 3764, booklet 9, pp. 2-3

Around the walls of the two rooms that are part of this exhibition are first editions of Jane’s novels. The prints and illustrations connected to Regency Bath displayed on the walls include architecture, maps, fashion and comedy sketches.

They relate more to Jane’s time living at Bath rather than having links to her life, however, it’s a nice addition as it gives you an understanding of the Georgian period, fashions and what living in the city would have been like.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, I can recommend this exhibition as you can see Jane’s treasures and read her manuscript and letters she wrote from Bath.

They are very special, and at a small cost of £7 (or if you have an annual ticket, £2) it is definitely worth it.

No. 1 Royal Crescent

It’s been years since I visited No. 1 Royal Crescent, a Georgian House that was really the show-home for the Crescent. It was rented out for periods of time, especially in September and October which were the high seasons at Bath.

One fact I found fascinating, was that people bought the facade of The Circle and would then employ their own architect to complete the back of the house. Therefore, each house on The Crescent has a different layout inside – fascinating!

(If you want to take a look inside one of the houses, The Royal Crescent Hotel is in the middle of the row, and has a wonderful garden where you can sit for drinks).

Each of the rooms is currently showing a clip about Jane Austen and her time living in Bath projected on the walls. Some people in our group liked it, and others just wanted a quiet experience.

Portraits,, Royal Crescent Bath Exhibition ©Emma Darlington

You walk through the house starting on the ground floor then working your way up to the top floor of the house. You then go down the back stairs to visit the servants part of the house and the outdoor patio. The little boards have a QR code so you can look up each room of the house on your mobile as you go round.

Ladies Dressing Room Desk, Royal Crescent Bath ©Emma Darlington

The house shows you how a family with money would have lived here during the Georgian period, and Jane may have visited people living in similar houses, however, it lacked a little bit of feeling for me. This is probably because there was no connection to people that stayed in the house.

One thing I did love that the curator told me is that the wallpaper panels are held up with brass strips. When someone new rented the house, in the high season of September/October for example, they brought their own wallpaper to match their furnishings. When the seasons changed, they then rehung a different pattern (such as flowers in Spring)on the walls to lighten the room.

It may be better to visit on Fridays and Saturdays when there are volunteers in Regency dress giving people talks about Bath and Georgian life. My ticket is good for one year, however, so I may go back for the views from the bedrooms!

Love Bridgerton?

Bridgerton fans will see the exterior of No.1 Royal Crescent as the home of the Featherington family, of course, only the first house on the most iconic Crescent in the country would have been good enough for the social-climbing, flamboyant Featheringtons!

Private tours start from £17 per person – please email no1royalcrescent@bptrust.org.uk to enquire.

The Watsons

 TALK: What is The Watsons – the beginnings of a novel? A short story? An experiment lying between biography and fiction? Why did she keep it? Kathryn Sutherland is talking about Jane’s unfinished novel at the museum on 30 October – Buy Tickets

You can read Jane’s full copy of The Watsons manuscript at the King’s College Library Project

Events

You can find an updated list of events on the Jane Austen 2025 events page and the key exhibitions at Jane Austen 250.

Further Reading

Read more about Jane Austen’s Bath and Jane Austen 250.

I enjoyed reading The Watsons by Rose Servosa which you can find on her website.

You can find a comprehensive list of Jane Austen’s Letters in Deirdre Le Faye’s Book.

Thank you

Unlike Jane’s novels, this blog doesn’t make any pewter. If you enjoy reading the posts then please consider buying me a coffee. Thank you.

Jane Austen’s Bath and Jane Austen 250

The Ultimate Guide for Jane Austen Fans

For any Jane Austen enthusiast, a visit to Bath, England is an essential literary pilgrimage. 2025 is a special year celebrating ‘Jane Austen 250’, the 250 years since her birth in 1775. There are even more events and exhibitions taking place this year, as well as a larger-than-ever Jane Austen Festival in September.

Jane lived in Bath between 1801 and 1807, when the city was a bustling spa town, popular with fashionable society. She also set two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion in Bath, making the city rich with locations tied to both her real life and the fictional worlds she created.

The Georgian architecture that dominated the city when Jane lived in Bath has remained largely unchanged. The result is that you can walk around Bath today and imagine yourself transported back to Jane’s time, walk in her footsteps, and see the same sights and visit the same places she did.

It was however a place her writing stalled, and in a letter to Cassandra she wrote, “It will be two years tomorrow since we left Bath for Clifton, with what happy feelings of escape.” 

While she held deeper affection for other places like Chawton and Steventon, it’s the city of Bath that remains tied to her legacy. Thousands of fans flock here every year to visit the places she did and find out more about their most fondest author.

What A Jane Austen Fan To Do In Bath Today

I’ve explored Jane’s Bath many times and visit annually for the Jane Austen festival. Below are all the things that should be on your list as a Jane Austen fan in Bath, and how to make the most your time visiting this beautiful city.

1. Visit the Jane Austen Centre

Without a doubt, the top destination for Jane Austen fans in Bath is the Jane Austen Centre on Gay Street, a few doors down from where Jane once lived. Upstairs, you will find the Regency Tea Rooms, where you can sit down to ‘Tea with Mr Darcy’. It provides the perfect starting point for exploring Jane Austen’s Bath.

2. Parade your bonnet at the Jane Austen Festival

The Jane Austen Festival happens every September and opens with the famous Regency Costumed Promenade. This is followed by ten-days of to balls, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, dancing lessons, talks, walks, and more. While celebrating, visit No.1 Royal Crescent to explore a typical Georgian styled house that Jane would have visited. In 2025, they have a special Jane Austen Exhibition featuring The Watson’s manuscript pages and two letters that Jane wrote from Bath telling Frank about their father’s death.

3. Take the Waters  at the Pump Rooms

During the Regency era, visitors came to Bath seeking a cure for their ailments by ’taking the waters’. Jane visited the Pump Rooms often to see who had signed into the city visitors book kept in reception. Building began in 1789 and was completed a decade later.  You can also take a sip along with afternoon tea.

To celebrate Jane’s 250th anniversary, two of her handwritten poems are on display as part of The Roman Baths Museum collection.

The open pool on the rooftop of the Thermae Baths next door gives you a beautiful view of the city, and is the only natural spa in England.

4. Parade Around Town

Gravel Walk was the Lover’s Lane of Jane Austen’s day, the top of which is across the road from the Royal Crescent. Jane used the setting for a touching love scene in Persuasion. As you stroll down Gravel Walk, look out for the discreet door into the Georgian Garden on your left. It has been restored to how it would have appeared in Jane’s time.  

Further out is the Bath Skyline Walk which gives you wonderful views of the city.

5. Shop in Milsom Street

Milsom Street is where Jane shopped on a regular basis, and she mentions it by name in both of her Bath novels. In Northanger Abbey, General Tilney and his children stay on Milsom Street, a more fashionable address than Pulteney Street. In Persuasion, a sweet shop on Milsom Street is where Captain Wentworth and Anne Eliot first encounter each other after years of absence. 

6. See the Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens

When Jane lived in Bath, the Holburne Museum was the Sydney Hotel, a place she frequented for breakfast. For the 250th celebrations, there is a special exhibit titled Illustrating Jane Austen that focuses on the artwork featured in her novels. Jane Austen lived across the road at 4 Laura Place for a number of years (now a holiday rental). Behind the Museum is Sydney Gardens, where Jane mentions seeing a firework display in one of her letters.

7. Take Afternoon Tea and Bag A Bun!

A young Jane Austen writes in a mischievous letter about “disordering my stomach with Bath bunns.”   No doubt she liked them too much! You can find Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House where Jane bought her bun in the cobbled streets behind the Abbey.

8. Visit Bath Abbey

Jane would have known Bath Abbey well and often attended services. They have a series of Jane Austen themed events running each year, and outside you can find free and paid Jane Austen waking tours.

9. Visit Mr Austen at St Swithin’s Church

You will pass No.1 The Paragon where Jane stayed with her aunt and uncle on the way to St Swithin’s Church where Jane’s parents married in 1767. Mr Austen was buried in the church in 1801, and his gravestone has been moved outside so it can been seen when the church is closed. 

10. Take a trip to the theatre

Jane attended the original Theatre Royal and saw her most admired actresses, Sarah Siddons perform. The Theatre Royal Bath dates from 1805, and hosts a number of Jane Austen themed performances each year.

Further Afield: Explore ‘Meryton’

The beautiful village of Lacock provided the setting for Meryton in the 1995 BBC television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. The historic Lacock Abbey has monastic roots and was home to nuns The medieval Lacock Abbey with its medieval roots was a former nunnery (and also stood in for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series of films). 

Jane Austen Walking Tours

There are two self-guided tours of Bath I can recommend.

How to arrive

  • Bath by car – There is an exit for Bath off of the M4 motorway if you are coming from London. You then follow the road straight into the city. For long term parking for the day look for Charlotte Street Car Park. There are three park and ride facilities which run regularly into the City.
  • Bath by train – Bath Spa is the train station. Depending where you arrive from, you usually have to change at Bristol, though it’s 15 minutes from there. National Rail is the most popular website for trains in the UK.
  • Bath by coach – National Express run a coach network from Heathrow Airport to various locations, which is also an option from London although it will take a lot longer to arrive. 

Lovely Links

Jane Austen Travel: Jane Austen Festival Bath 2024
TAGS

Jane Austen, Jane Austen 250, Bath, Jane Austen Festival, Bath Abbey, Assembly Rooms, Regency Dancing, Milsom Street, The Circle, Regency, The Crescent, The Octagon, Paragon, Green Park Buildings, Laura Place, Queens Square, Gay Street, Trim Street, Jane Austen Centre, Sydney Gardens, Holburne Museum, Parade Gardens.

Cassandra Austen Letter to Fanny Knight 24 July 1817

Fanny was Jane’s fondest niece the first born child of Edward Austen Knight, her brother

Jane Austen died in the early hours of 18 July 1817, at 8 College Street, Winchester, where she and her sister Cassandra had been lodging. As was the custom at the time, before the coffin was closed Cassandra cut off several locks of Jane’s hair for family mementos.

Jane was buried in the north aisle crypt of Winchester Cathedral early in the morning of 24 July, and in this letter of 29 July Cassandra tells her niece Fanny Knight about the funeral, and asks her how she would like the lock of hair to be mounted. 

Fanny’s reply, a few days later, was that she would like the lock of hair set in an oval brooch, with pearls, bearing Jane’s name and the date of her death.

~~~~~

My dearest Fanny,

Doubly dear to me now for her dear sake whom we have lost. She did love you most sincerely, and never shall I forget the proofs of love you gave her during her illness in writing those kind, amusing letters at a time when I know your feelings would have dictated so different a style. Take the only reward I can give you in the assurance that your benevolent purpose was answered; you did contribute to her enjoyment.

Even your last letter afforded pleasure. I merely cut the seal and gave it to her; she opened it and read it herself, afterwards she gave it to me to read, and then talked to me a little and not uncheerfully of its contents, but there was then a languor about her which prevented her taking the same interest in anything she had been used to do.

Fanny-Knight-by-her-aunt-Cassandra-Austen-sitting-at-a-table-writing
Fanny Knight, painted by her aunt, Cassandra Austen

Since Tuesday evening, when her complaint returned, there was a visible change, she slept more and much more comfortably; indeed, during the last eight-and-forty hours she was more asleep than awake. Her looks altered and she fell away, but I perceived no material diminution of strength, and, though I was then hopeless of a recovery, I had no suspicion how rapidly my loss was approaching.

I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed. She was the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow; I had not a thought concealed from her, and it is as if I had lost a part of myself. I loved her only too well — not better than she deserved, but I am conscious that my affection for her made me sometimes unjust to and negligent of others; and I can acknowledge, more than as a general principle, the justice of the Hand which has struck this blow.

You know me too well to be at all afraid that I should suffer materially from my feelings; I am perfectly conscious of the extent of my irreparable loss, but I am not at all overpowered and very little indisposed, nothing but what a short time, with rest and change of air, will remove. I thank God that I was enabled to attend her to the last, and amongst my many causes of self-reproach I have not to add any wilful neglect of her comfort.

She felt herself to be dying about half-an-hour before she became tranquil and apparently unconscious. During that half-hour was her struggle, poor soul! She said she could not tell us what she suffered, though she complained of little fixed pain. When I asked her if there was anything she wanted, her answer was she wanted nothing but death, and some of her words were: “God grant me patience, pray for me, oh, pray for me!” Her voice was affected, but as long as she spoke she was intelligible.

I hope I do not break your heart, my dearest Fanny, by these particulars; I mean to afford you gratification whilst I am relieving my own feelings. I could not write so to anybody else; indeed you are the only person I have written to at all, excepting your grandmamma — it was to her, not your Uncle Charles, I wrote on Friday.

Immediately after dinner on Thursday I went into the town to do an errand which your dear aunt was anxious about. I returned about a quarter before six and found her recovering from faintness and oppression; she got so well as to be able to give me a minute account of her seizure, and when the clock struck six she was talking quietly to me.

I cannot say how soon afterwards she was seized again with the same faintness, which was followed by the sufferings she could not describe; but Mr. Lyford had been sent for, had applied something to give her ease, and she was in a state of quiet insensibility by seven o’clock at the latest. From that time till half-past four, when she ceased to breathe, she scarcely moved a limb, so that we have every reason to think, with gratitude to the Almighty, that her sufferings were over. A slight motion of the head with every breath remained till almost the last. I sat close to her with a pillow in my lap to assist in supporting her head, which was almost off the bed, for six hours; fatigue made me then resign my place to Mrs. J. A. for two hours and a-half, when I took it again, and in about an hour more she breathed her last.

I was able to close her eyes myself, and it was a great gratification to me to render her those last services. There was nothing convulsed which gave the idea of pain in her look; on the contrary, but for the continual motion of the head she gave one the idea of a beautiful statue, and even now, in her coffin, there is such a sweet, serene air over her countenance as is quite pleasant to contemplate.

This day, my dearest Fanny, you have had the melancholy intelligence, and I know you suffer severely, but I likewise know that you will apply to the fountain-head for consolation, and that our merciful God is never deaf to such prayers as you will offer.

The last sad ceremony is to take place on Thursday morning; her dear remains are to be deposited in the cathedral. It is a satisfaction to me to think that they are to lie in a building she admired so much; her precious soul, I presume to hope, reposes in a far superior mansion. May mine one day be re-united to it!

Your dear papa, your Uncle Henry, and Frank and Edwd Austen, instead of his father, will attend. I hope they will none of them suffer lastingly from their pious exertions. The ceremony must be over before ten o’clock, as the cathedral service begins at that hour, so that we shall be at home early in the day, for there will be nothing to keep us here afterwards.

Your Uncle James came to us yesterday, and is gone home to-day. Uncle H goes to Chawton tomorrow morning; he has given every necessary direction here, and I think his company there will do good. He returns to us again on Tuesday evening.

I did not think to have written a long letter when I began, but I have found the employment draw me on, and I hope I shall have been giving you more pleasure than pain. Remember me kindly to Mrs. J. Bridges (I am so glad she is with you now), and give my best love to Lizzie and all the others.

I am, my dearest Fanny,
Most affectionately yours,
Cass. Eliz. Austen

Further Reading

Image of letter from Cassandra Austen to Fanny Knight 24 July 1817 at JAHM

Anniversary of Jane Austen’s Death on 18 July 1817

Anniversary of Jane Austen’s Death on 18 July 1817

Jane had been ill for about a year and as her condition gradually worsened, she was advised by her Alton Apothecary William Curtis, to go to Winchester to consult Dr Lyford. He was a surgeon at a new hospital on Parchment Street and a friend of the family. He was also the cousin of Susannah Digweed who married Jane’s friend James.

Galloping Through the Rain

Jane’s family escorted her by horseback and carriage from Chawton to Winchester on a particularly gloomy and rainy day on 24 May 1817. Her friend Elizabeth Bigg had married and living in the Cathedral Close. She arranged for Cassandra and Jane to stay at the lodgings at 8 College Street. Their rooms were on the first floor with the bow window.

A Lasting Poem to St Swithin

On 15 July, three days before Jane died, she wrote several lines of comic verse dictating them to Cassandra. Henry Austen refers to these verses in his biographical introduction of Jane’s Memoirs. “The day preceding her death she composed some stanzas replete with fancy and vigour.”

The poem was about St Swithin and the revellers of Winchester who would rather spend a day at the races than worship their Saint. It is said that if it rains on St Swithin’s Day, it will rain for the following 40 days and 40 nights.

An Untimely Death

Although Dr Lyford visited often, he could not cure Jane as she was suffering from what is thought to be Addisons disease. In the early hours of 18 July she died in her sister Cassandra’s arms, at forty-one years old.

Jane lay in her coffin for a week on the ground floor of the house before being taken by cart on July 24th to Winchester Cathedral. She was buried in the morning before the services began.

Jane’s brothers Edward, Frank and Henry attended the short service with her nephew Edward standing in for Jane’s brother James who was ill. Her other brother Charles was too far away in Eastbourne to attend.

It was not considered proper for ladies to attend funerals, so Cassandra and Mary could only watch from the bow window as Jane was wheeled along the street and around the corner out of sight forever.

Cassandra wrote in a letter to their niece Fanny about her loss of Jane,

I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed. She was the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow; I had not a thought concealed from her, and it is as if I had lost a part of myself. I loved her only too well.

Winchester Cathedral

Jane is buried in north aisle of the nave, and the inscription was a family affair. Henry wrote out the text they wanted on her stone, and gave it in to Winchester Cathedral to pass to the stonemason.

Jane Austen Gravestone in Winchester Cathedral @ 2017 Emma Darlington

Her gravestone talks of Jane’s sweetness and kind heart, and the irreparable loss felt by her family. There is no mention of Jane as a writer. The inscription simply says,

In Memory of 
JANE AUSTEN
youngest daughter of the late 

REV GEORGE AUSTEN
formerly Rector of Steventon in this County 
she departed this Life on the 18th July, 1817 
aged 41, after a long illness supported with 
the patience and the hopes of a Christian.

The benevolence of her heart, 
the sweetness of her temperment
the extraordinary endowments of her mind 
obtained the regard of all who knew her and 
the warmest love of her intimate connections

Their grief is in proportion to their affection 
they know their loss to be irreparable 
but in their deepest affliction they are consoled 
by a firm though humble hope that her charity, 
devotion, faith and purity have rendered 
her soul acceptable in the sight of her 
REDEEMER

Jane Austen Brass Plaque

It was years later as Jane’s fame as a writer steadily grew that her family felt that Jane’s talent as a writer should be celebrated. In 1870, her nephew Edward wrote a memoir about his Aunt Jane and used the proceeds to finance the brass plaque you can see today. It is mounted on the wall next to Jane’s gravestone, and is inscribed,

Jane Austen
Known to many by her
writings, endeared to
her family by the 
varied charms of her
Character, and ennobled
by Christian Faith
and Piety, was born
at Steventon in the
county of Hants Dec
wvi mdcclxxv and buried
in this Cathedral
July xxiv mdcccxvii
“She openeth her
mouth with wisdom
and in her tonuge is
the law of kindness”
Prob xxxi vi xxvi

Jane Austen Brass Plaque Winchester Cathedral with flowers from JASNA © Emma Darlington

Jane Austen Memorial Window

By 1900, Jane was famous enough for a memorial window. It was made by Charles Eamer Kempe (1837-1907) and sits above the brass plaque and Jane’s gravestone.

The top panel features Saint Augustine reminding us of Jane’s own name Austen, and on either side the Austen family coat-of-arms. King David is holding his harp high as he plays. On the four outer panels are the sons of Korah holding scrolls of Psalm texts.

Saint John sits at the bottom of the window holding a scroll that simply says, “In the beginning was the Word“.

Jane Austen Stained Glass Memorial Window in Winchester Cathedral by Kempe © 2017 Emma Darlington

Your Visit to Winchester

To find 8 College Street from the Cathedral, face the front doors and go down the side passageway on the right into The Close. You will pass Elizabeth’s impressive house on your right, Number 11. Keep walking diagonally towards the old houses and then turn right to go through the walled gates, then turn left through under St Swithuns archway.

(The church is above and the bookshop is underneath). Turn left and walk down College Street and you will see Number 8 on your right. It is just past P&G Bookshop where George Austen purchased his books.

To visit Winchester Cathedral there is a charge although your ticket gives you access for a year. You can attend a service free of charge. It opens daily, though closes frequently for events so it is worth checking the website before you set out.

Visiting Winchester Today

Winchester is a very walkable city with a beautiful river path full of flowers, birds and insects. The town itself has period housing and a thriving high street. A railway station at the top of the high street and a bus station at the bottom allows easy access to the city. Consider a morning visit to avoid the crowds. There are lots of eateries, though the Cathedral Shop and Cafe found across the from Cathedral with its own high walls sheltering the outdoor seating is extra special. A convenient car park is a short drive from the M3 motorway and there is a park-and-ride.

Further Reading

You can read Jane’s poem about St Swithun in full on Jane Austen on St Swithin. It can be spelt both ways, as in Swithun as well as Swithin so you will often see the spelling interchanged.

Read Cassandra’s letter to their niece Fanny in full: Cassandra Austen Letter to Fanny Knight 24 July 1817

Anniversary of Jane Austen’s Death on 18th July 2017

Jane Austen 200: Celebrating her life 200 years after her death

If you want to read more about Jane Austen and the anniversary of her death, why not buy the Jane Austen 200: Celebrating Her Life 200 Years After Her Death.

Jane Austen 200 Who was the Mysterious Jane Austen? A quiet country girl who was fond of retail, romance and dancing?  Or a strong-minded woman of war, empire and business, who chose to remain unmarried, write novels and settle for nothing less than her own Mr Darcy. See six portraits of Jane displayed together for the first time, her pelisse coat, her letters and poems, the manuscript of Sanditon, and the ‘other’ ending to Persuasion. Filled with unseen photographs and commentary taking you on a journey 200 years after her death.

Available at Amazon ~ Nook ~ Kobo ~ Apple Books ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Author Direct ~ All Other Retail

Jane Austen Travel: Regency Week Alton and Chawton 2025

Regency Week is an annual event held in Alton and Chawton that runs for ten days every June

20-29 June 2025

“I had just left off writing and put on my things for walking to Alton, when Anna  and her friend Harriot called in their way thither, so we went together. 

~ Letter from Jane to Cassandra, Chawton, Thursday 6th June 1811

Jane lived in Chawton for the last eight years of her life, and it from here where she wrote and published her novels.

From Chawton, Alton is about a 15-20 minute walk and when they were at home, Jane and Cassandra walked into Alton almost every day. It was a small town where Jane posted her letters, shopped for small items, visited her apothecary, and visited friends and family.

Jane Austen Regency Week

I attend every year and have helped in the past make it one of the most enjoyable Jane Austen events on the calendar. What I love about Regency Week is its casualness and that it is held in the summer. I go to Bath each year to the Jane Austen Festival and love that too, although the outdoor nature of this event held in Jane’s local villages feels more like her.

There are the usual walks, talks, theatre shows, regency markets, dancing in the assembly rooms, crafting events, and more. All of which are found on the website. Events are added up until the event, so keep popping in to see what is happening. Also, check the website of Chawton House and Jane Austen House Museum, as they also run their own events during this week.

Wear good shoes that are comfortable. Although it’s on the flat there is usually quite a bit of walking and bring a cardigan or shawl and an umbrella. June in England can be showery so it’s better to be prepared.

In 2024, Regency Week ran from 21-30 June, and I can’t wait to see you in 2025 for Jane Austen 250, a special anniversary year. I hope these top tips will help you in planning and attending this delightful Jane Austen festival of events.

Ten Top Tips for Regency Week

1. Start shopping!

The first Saturday is market day, where you can buy even more regency accessories from the stalls on the High Street. It is fun to dress up in regency dress, and shop through the town as Jane did all those years ago.

2. Take a carriage ride

A carriage and horses took us for a trot around the town of Alton to see where Jane shopped, visited her family and friends, and left her letters at The Crown.  We also passed Henry’s bank and saw two of the houses that Frank rented, and could imagine Jane walking here every day to run her errands.

Carriage Rides Around Alton (Public Domain)

We returned to a busier high street, with military reenactments, ladies reciting Jane’s novels, and the children playing ball and catch in the street.

3. Go dancing

“There were more dancers than the room could conveniently hold, which is enough to constitute a good ball at any time.” ~ Letter from Jane to Cassandra, 9 January 1799

There are usually two dances held on the two weekends, the first a more formal recency dance and the second a country dance. The dances book up very quickly, so join the mailing list so you know when the tickets go on sale.

The Ball itself was crowded on the night, with little room to sit down, rather like the balls Jane attended. We certainly had a ‘good ball’ ourselves as the music was wonderful, the dancing seemed to go on for hours, and became a real workout for some!

4. Join the rehearsal

There is a rehearsal held on the afternoon before each ball in the evening. When I attended, the Regency Dance Rehearsal was held in the old Assembly Rooms on the High Street.

Some people had booked last minute tickets who were not attending in the evening so if you cannot get a ticket for the ball, ask at the booking office if you can go on the reserve list for the rehearsal.

We had a boisterous afternoon of lessons with a dance teacher (whose voice seemed to rise as the afternoon went on). She saw us all looping and hand-holding, circling and turning, usually going the wrong way. Her shouts of ‘top partners turn’ and then ‘no, not the bottom pair, the first two!’ made everyone laugh like naughty children.

5. Go for a walk.. In the Footsteps of Jane and Cassandra

I usually sign up for a few walks. Jane Hurst is a local historian who has written many books and is very knowledgeable about the area. This is a great way to find out more about the local area that Jane knew.

I also signed up to walk with Jenny and Wendy, and their lovely little dog Freddie. The theme was about sisters, in Jane’s novels, and in Jane’s family, and overall how close Jane and Cassandra were.

We saw where Jane wrote her novels, rode the donkey and cart, walked to church, and visited her friends, before dropping into Cassandra’s Cup for some tea.

6. Parade for literacy

There is usually a parade held through the village where everyone dresses up and walks together the walks that Jane took.

Jane went to church every Sunday, and we stopped to visit (statue) Jane at St Nicholas Church on Edward’s estate sat on her plinth. Jane is facing the gate at the top of the drive, and it looks like she is watching to see who is coming along the lane.

We paraded our finery from Chawton Cottage to the barn in the grounds of Chawton House, Edward’s fabulous estate.  

7. Sign up for special events – early

One of the most special events of 2024 was going to the barn and hearing talks about Jane Austen and her family. It was in aid of Caroline Knight’s charity, the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation  and we had a wonderful time listening to the winner of their Short Story competition about talking birds.  Read beautifully and quite funny!

The Austen family came out in support, and we all got to meet Jane’s cute little great, great, great, great, great, niece.. (is that too many or not enough greats?).

In 2025, there is a statue unveiling.. and seeing another lookalike of Jane Austen is always fun!

8. Go to church for Choral Evensong

On the Sunday evening, open to everyone of all faiths, there is a free event held at St Lawrence church in Alton. This is where Jane came to christenings of the children of her friends and family, including her brother Frank’s children and her friends, the Terrys and the Digweeds.

The beautiful voices of the choir performed a special service in memory of Jane Austen, and sang songs from her music book.

Jane Austen Service in St Lawrence Church Alton ©Emma Darlington

There is a very old collection box found on the wall, and it is humbling to think that Jane may have popped a few coins into the box.

9. See the sights

There are museums and churches you can visit, along with the usual Jane Austen places. There are plaques on the walls around the town that tell you about the residents, and the Willis Gallery and the Curtis Museum (named after a family member of Jane’s apothecary) are worth visiting and are free.

You can also see inside The Swan and The Crown where Jane posted her letters and and generally walk down the High Street keeping your head high. Although the shop fronts are modern and have changed, the upper floors of the buildings are basically how Jane would have seen them.

10. Book early for everything

We usually get the email notifications of what it happening and decide which events to attend. The first weekend has the market and the ball, although it gets booked quickly and is more popular than the country dance held on the second weekend.

We went to couple of book launches, a sewing circle, a tour of first editions.. etc. We caught up with our fellow Janeites and made new friends. We had a fabulous time and I can certainly recommend it.

Lovely Links

Jane Austen Regency Week is run by a group of volunteers and groups under Alton Community Association CIO (reg charity 1173885).

Both Chawton House and Jane Austen’s House Museum hold events during Regency Week, so it’s worth checking out what is happening – and some are virtual!

Quickstep Tips

TICKETS

Sign up for the email list and book early. If you book through the booking office in Alton you can save on booking fees. Tickets for the 2025 Jane Austen Regency Week are now on sale by calling Marie on 01420 85057. Email  marie@altoncommunitycentre.org.uk

Where to stay

It is difficult to find places to stay during Regency Week as Alton has just a few small hotels and a few scattered AirBNBs, so it may be better to stay in Winchester.

For local accommodation options see the JARW website page Places to stay. There are also some local rooms including a couple in the village of Chawton on AirBnB.

Yes, the reviews are true. The coach house hotels in Alton that Jane knew really are that interesting?!

Important – For single rooms, I found it unbelievable that hotels and AirBNB accommodation can provide a room without a window. It’s worth calling to ask and checking everything before you commit.

For hotels, in many cases, choosing 2 people to stay is the same price as 1 person, so check both and simply book for 2 people to ensure you get a better room.

For AirBNB, you will have to budget accordingly. There used to be two price points depending on one or two people staying which has now gone away. As a couple you will get a deal much better than a hotel room, as a single person, it will be expensive. Bring a friend and a sleeping bag (like camping). It works for us(!)

Transport

There is a train station at Alton, HAMPSHIRE (there are two Alton’s so when searching make sure you add the county).

If coming from London it is a straight journey of just over an hour, then either walk down the High Street into Alton or take a taxi directly to Chawton.

The train from Winchester to Alton makes you change a couple of stations so takes a lot longer and costs more. You can stay in Basingstoke at a push, although you will have to change trains and this also takes longer and costs more. To stay in Basingstoke it is cheaper, though not as nice, and the train and bus routes are not ideal. It’s better to take the bus from Basingstoke which is a good 45-50 minute journey, though direct.

If coming from Winchester, it is faster to take the bus that goes from the bottom of the High Street (down from the Tourist Information outside the park railings). It costs £2-3 and takes the direct route into Alton and takes around 20 minutes. Ask the driver where to get off for Chawton and double back on yourself to walk into the village. It is a good 15 minute walk from the bus stop to the edge of the village, and then another 5 minutes onward to the Museum. As entry to the Jane Austen House Museum is now timed, give yourself plenty of time.

If walking from Alton, it is a straight line to the village down the High Street and keep going. This will take a good 40 minutes and you be enlightened when you see the open green on your right. (Jane came to this green for the annual fair and mentions it in a letter). Go under the bridge and cross the roundabout to the road on the opposite side. Keep the houses on your right, and at the end of the row is a red post box (where the road forks up to the right). You are going left here under the underpass. You will see railings and a map board with steps going down. This will take you to the edge of Chawton village. Go straight on and you will see the pub and Cassandra’s Cup on your left and the Museum is on your right.

If driving, there is plenty of parking in Chawton village in the public parking across from Jane Austen House Museum, or on the road between the museum and Chawton House.

In Alton, there are two large public car parks behind the High Street which are clearly signed and low cost. There is also free parking for two hours in Sainsbury’s.