Jane Austen Quickstep Travel Guide

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

Exhibition Review

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.

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

Jane Austen 250

June to December 2025

I must provide for the possibility, by troubling you send up my Silk Pelisse by Collier on Saturday. – I feel it would be necessary on such an occasion.
~ Letter to Cassandra in 1814

Jane Austen’s silk pelisse is the most well provenanced item of clothing believed to have been worn by Jane. A letter has emerged dating from 1801 that shows Jane asking Cassandra to purchase two gowns in, “A dark brown, but the kind of brown is left to your own choice”.

Jane also references her pelisse coat in a letter to Cassandra in 1804, where she wants to wear it on the way home from London as she and Henry plan to visit friends on the way back home to Chawton.

Jane Austen Items on Display

It is a pleasure to see it in person, and I am always struck at how slight Jane was.  From the length of the coat we know that Jane was between 5 feet 6 and 5 feet 8. Compared to women of her time she was seen as tall and slim.

Jane Austen Pelisse at Winchester City Museum (© 2025 Emma Darlington)

The last time I saw it was in 2017 (I think!?) and I am impressed at how clean, neat and bright it looks.

Shown alongside Jane’s items that are usually found here, her sewing thimble and the two tiny purses she made, I see that a book owned by Henry Austen has been added to the collection. His name is written on the inside page at the top.

I forget how tiny the green purse is that Jane made with its beautiful gold stitching. You can see how small it is compared to my finger pointing it out!

Jane Austen Cabinet at Winchester City Museum (© 2025 Emma Darlington)

A Pelisse on Tour

Jane’s Pelisse is moving around this year to celebrate Jane Austen 250. As it was in 2017 for the 200th anniversary of Jane’s death, there have been a number of copies made that will feature throughout various exhibitions and shows.

The Pelisse will stay mainly in Winchester City Museum until October, with a brief period away for a few weeks in the summer for a visit to Southampton.

They are lovely folks at Winchester City Museum and you can contact them beforehand to check it is there.

Want to make your own pelisse?

The talented Hilary Davidson has created a pattern from Jane’s pelisse that you can use to sew your own.  You can find it through Research Gate.

I also love Hilary’s beautiful recent Book titled Jane Austen’s Wardrobe which covers 17th and 18th century fashion.

Lovely Links

Read more about Jane’s pelisse on the BLOG.

Find the opening times and more information on the Winchester City Website.

Here is the official Jane Austen 250 webpage which has the Winchester events listed for this year.. so far!

And here is the Jane Austen 2025 events page on this website, as well as Jane Austen 250.

Exhibition Review: Jane Austen’s Poetry at Winchester Cathedral

Angelic Women: The Friendship of Jane Austen and Anne Lefroy

23 May to 19 October 2025

“My black cap was openly admired by Mrs. Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else in the room…

Jane greatly admired Anne Lefroy. She was the wife of the Rector of Ashe, a small village two miles from Steventon. They met when Jane was invited to play with Anne’s daughter. Jane was much more interested in Anne’s poetry and selection of books, and despite their age difference of 27 years became good friends. Anne was tragically killed in a riding accident in 1804 on Jane’s birthday.

Four years later on her 29th birthday, Jane would pen the poem, ‘To the Memory of Mrs Lefroy’ in memory of her friend, and this poem is the focus of this new exhibition, Jane Austen’s Poetry.

The manuscript was left to Winchester Cathedral by one of Jane’s descendants, and this is the first time they have put it on display.

Jane Austen’s Poetry Exhibition Entrance

Opening Night

On Thursday 22 May, the Lefroy family and a selection of guests were invited to the opening of the exhibition. Lady Caroline Hervey-Bathurst cut the ribbon, who is the artist that created a selection of paintings used on prints and postcards sold to finance the project.

Another special feature of this event was the music. Sarah Jane-Butler, a 17 year old student from Symonds performed Jane’s poem to music. It was composed by Peter Symonds and another student Zach Jones.

There are no photographs allowed, so I am sharing those from the Winchester Cathedral website.

A new Jane Austen exhibition and open to visitors at Winchester Cathedral

On display

To the Memory of Mrs Lefroy who Died Dec:r 16 – My Birthday What mix’d emotions with the Thought arise! Since thou wert snatch’d forever from our eyes. Brings back the hour which was thy last on Earth. Oh! bitter pang of torturing Memory! In Language meet, thy Talents, Temper, mind.

Jane’s poem about her friend Madam Lefroy is written in Jane’s beautiful handwriting, although it is obvious that Jane copied it out as it doesn’t contain her usual crossings out and dashes, and is very neat. She has used paste to fix the poem inside her notebook, and even that is matched up perfectly. You can read the whole poem here.

Jane Austen Poem to Madam Lefroy (Video Clip Snapshot)

Alongside is the obituary of Anne’s death that Jane copied out of the newspaper in her neat handwriting. She has titled it, ‘Extract from the Sun dated Dec, 21st 1804’ and this is the first page of two. Anne was greatly admired, gave her parish smallpox vaccinations, taught children in the church, donated clothing and money to the poor, was kind and generous, and a talented writer of poetry.

Ellen Hill wrote a biography about Jane Austen in the early 1900s called Jane Austen Her Homes and Her Friends. She sketched the houses Jane knew and this entry is of Ashe Rectory.

Ellen Hill Sketch of Ashe Rectory (Video Clip Snapshot)

Bridges Family

On the opposite side in the glass case are family books and poems belonging to and by the Lefroy family, including the Genealogy of the Bridges Family (1759). A book of poems written by Anne’s brother Samuel Egerton Bridges, titled Sonnets and Other Poems is dated 1795, and Jane met Samuel whilst out in Kent and would have known this book.

Oh William Cowper!

Jane loved William Cowper, and quoted him often. This copy is dedicated to Jane’s niece Caroline from the ‘Miss Lefroys’, who were the children of Ben and Anne Lefroy, her cousins.

I really like this exhibition and spent quite a bit of time there. It’s simple, and yet I enjoyed seeing Jane’s neat handwriting in these few items that added to the pleasure of a visit to her grave.

Information Boards

I wanted to mention the information boards that are presented in this room which have been well thought out. They talk about Jane’s novels, her life and loves, and the curator is congratulated in making these panels interesting and relevant.

The Exhibition

The exhibition is running from 23 May 23 to 19 October 2025 and is found in the Cathedral’s Kings and Scribes exhibition space.

A statue located in the Cathedral Inner Close will be unveiled in October, with the date to be confirmed. Sign up for the Jane Austen 250 email to get the news first.

Lovely Links

Read about Anne Lefroy’s nephew and (who is said to be) the love of Jane’s life, Tom Lefroy

Read more about Anne Lefroy on the Madam Lefroy post.

You can watch a video of the display on the the official Winchester Cathedral website page for this exhibition. Click here to see the video on Instagram.

Entry into the exhibition is included with the Winchester Cathedral annual pass. You can buy your annual pass online (saving £1pp), or on arrival to the cathedral.

Here is the official Jane Austen 250 webpage which has Winchester Cathedral’s events listed for this year.. so far(!)

You can find the updated long list of events on the Jane Austen 2025 events page as well as Jane Austen 250.

Further Reading

I enjoyed reading The letters of Mrs Lefroy : Jane Austen’s beloved friend edited by Helen Lefroy and Gavin Turner. Here is a review of the book.

I can also recommend Jane Austen’s Inspiration: Beloved Friend Anne Lefroy by Judith Stove.

*As a side note, Bridges was sometimes spelt with a y, so you may see it as Brydges just as the Austens were sometimes known as the Austins.

Exhibition Review: Chawton In Stitches

Chawton House Library
13 May to 26 August 2024

This exhibition showcases the work of award-winning graduate of the Royal School of Needlework Emily Barnett, whose degree project took inspiration from the gardens and collection at Chawton House. Her final show stopping piece comprises three beautifully embroidered panels, focusing on:
~ the Orchard and the Knight family cookbook
~ the Rose Garden and Elizabeth Blackwell’s Curious Herbal
~ the Library Terrace and the women’s writing collection.

Chawton In Stitches

Jane was skilled at needlework, particularly cross-stitch, as her brothers often noted when she made shirts for them.  You can see the consistent neatness of her stitching in the quilt and shawl on display at the Jane Austen’s House Museum, and in the needle case she made for her niece.

Good light is needed, and good eyesight, and Jane probably wore one of the two pairs of spectacles kept in her travel writing desk. She was no doubt taught by her mother, Mrs Austen, who continued to sew in the front room of Steventon Rectory as visitors came and went.

Jane also loved gardens and flowers, and often talked of ‘improvements’ in her novels. She walked through the fields of Hampshire every day, and often visited Edward and his family at Chawton House and even advised him on a wall or two!

It was lovely then to see a demonstration of sewing mastery during Regency Week.  I was part of a group watching a young girl sewing beautiful lilac petals onto a silk cloth.  We discovered that she was the artist who inspired ‘Chawton In Stitches’, the current exhibition at Chawton House, and this inspired me to find out more.

Exhibition Visit

I enjoy visiting Chawton House, with its large open rooms and staircases, and looking through the window where Jane would watch the comings and goings through the village.

The exhibition rooms are on the top floor, and Emily’s work is interspersed throughout, along with a history of needlework and various examples of stitching from the 18th and 19th century.  You can see how the curator has pulled together the items, including needlework in its form, the attitude to women who sew, and how needlework was seen as a talent rather than a necessity.

Countryside Framed Wall Sampler

I was not disappointed when the first item that caught my eye was this beautiful sampler, sewn by Mary Pennington, aged ten in 1830. The stitches are tiny and delicate, and there is a lot of detail with leaves, flowers and animals. She has also stitched in that she was ‘Instructed by Mrs Stubbs’ who no doubt made sure she got a mention!

Close up of Wall Sampler. Photograph ©Emma Darlington Courtesy of Chawton House

Embroidery was taught to girls from a young age.  They were instructed in the making of samples as a pastime, with the end pieces seen as artworks in a style that was popular in the Georgian period. They were large enough, and good enough to be framed and decorate a wall, and I suspect that this sampler took pride of place in their household.

Map of England and Wales

Another fascinating item in this room is an embroidered map of England and Wales that dates to the 18th century. A popular form of sampler in the Georgian period involved the reproduction of maps. This cloth is stitched plainly and clearly, so was probably used for learning. The writing almost looks as though it is written in pen, and the detail is amazing.

Map of England and Wales. Photograph ©Emma Darlington Courtesy of Chawton House

Oh that Mary Wollstonecraft!

On the opposite wall is an interesting collection of books where women authors have extolled the virtues of needlework. Some of the books show needlework projects and instructions on delicate pages that fold out, and it’s amazing that they are in such good condition.

In contrast, Mary Wollstonecraft looks upon the ‘work’ as a way of controlling women. The guide explained that she is really saying that she thinks women should be educated like men instead. A much better use of their time.

A real feminist of her day, though what Lady Catherine would say, I do not know!

Showcase of Books for Women including Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (London, 1792) Photograph ©Emma Darlington Courtesy of Chawton House

In the next room there are some of Emily’s working boards on display, where she has taken images and photographs from the garden to use for inspiration. They are in clusters, and you can see the results hanging on the opposite wall.

Photograph ©Emma Darlington with thanks to Chawton House

Petals on Panels

The working boards are represented on three large long panels mounted on the wall. The flowers almost look real and the petals are finely sewn and raised from the fabric, with author names appearing amongst the greenery. I looked at them for a long time, and I am still fascinated as to how the flowers and greenery is raised so neatly from the fabric.

Photograph ©Emma Darlington with thanks to Chawton House

Although this is a small exhibition, it’s a sweet one. I can’t help thinking as I walk away about the ladies in Jane’s novels, and how needlework was instantly produced and worked upon when a male visitor appears!

It’s definitely worth a visit and included in the entry fee. We’ve got a beautiful day, so it’s down to the courtyard for some sunshine, tea and lemon drizzle cake!

Needlework Events

Chawton House are hosting a series of embroidery workshops that you can find on their events page

The book JANE AUSTEN EMBROIDERY by JENNIE BATCHELOR and ALISON LARKIN was on display as part of the exhibition, and you can find a review on the books page