Jane Austen Travel: The National Trust

Miss Maria Ward of Huntingdon, with only seven thousand pounds, had the good luck to captivate Sir Thomas Bertram, of Mansfield Park, in the county of Northampton, and to be thereby raised to the rank of a baronet’s lady, with all the comforts and consequences of an handsome house and large income.
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

If you are a Jane Austen fan, the names of the places in her novels are just as familiar as her characters. She visited friends and family around the counties, and was inspired to create her own estates from those visits.

The National Trust care for many houses and estates around the country, hold Jane Austen and Regency events , and have wonderful cafes full of cake and teas!

Jane visited some of the National Trust properties, such as The Vyne, where Jane’s brothers hunted with the Chute boys and she went to elegant dinners on their estate. It’s fairly close to Steventon, where Jane spent the first 25 years living at the Rectory, so worth a visit if you are taking a Jane Austen pilgrimage to Hampshire.

Many properties have featured in countless television and film adaptations of Jane Austen novels; Basildon Park has starred as Netherfield in Pride and Prejudice and Lyme Park in the north of England became Pemberley (with Colin Firth and THAT wet shirt).

If visiting Bath, it is worth a stop at Dyrnham on the way in or out of the city. It was used in the first season of Sanditon as Lady Denham’s home, Sanditon House. The front door and side entrance to the kitchens even doubled as Sanditon’s streets. Found about 20 minutes north of Bath, it is worth stopping on the way in or out of the city.

Lacock village was used played the village of Meryton in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice. It was here that the Bennet girls, in particular Lydia and Kitty ‘whose minds were more vacant than their sisters’, shopped for bonnets, sought the latest gossip from their Aunt Philips, and hoped to attract the attentions of the officers, in particular a certain Mr Wickham. It was also used in two versions of Emma, and if you are visiting with children, used in the Harry Potter films.

The Trust even have a dedicated page with the latest Jane Austen Film and TV locations to help you plan your trip.

To celebrate Jane Austen 250 in 2025, the anniversary of Jane’s birth, there are a number of events taking place at The Vyne. A number of outdoor theatre productions of Pride and Prejudice are also running through the summer at Rufford Old Hall and Erddig Hall. New events will be added all the time.

What is the National Trust?

Founded in 1895, Octavia Hill, Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley pledged to preserve historic and natural places. They created the National Trust 125 years later, which cares for places so people and nature can thrive. They care for more than 500 historical hours, a million pieces of art, 250,000 hectares of land and 780 miles of coastline.

The Trust is funded by 5.37 million members, who support the conservation and upkeep of their assets, so everyone has access to nature and can enjoy its beauty and freedom.

Why join?

The main reason for joining the National Trust is that you can book online, saving you money and time. You can save a lot financially, as single entry fees at each location work out a lot more expensive than an annual pass. You will also avoid long queues or being turned away should the slots be full for the day or closed for conservation.

The Trust also run a number of events for Jane Austen fans, and you can find out when and where much sooner through email updates.

Joining is easy using the membership pages. If you are visiting England from the USA, it may be more beneficial to join the Royal Oak Society which has a partnership agreement with the National Trust.