Jane Austen is a popular author touching the hearts of millions over the past few centuries – mine included. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of a good desire to travel must be in want of a Jane Austen pilgrimage in England.

There is a ton of information and several guides available for places to see relating to Jane Austen, and I don’t want to be just another generic guide. I did a lot of research (though not as much as my sources, which are listed at the end) to find places that Jane would’ve known in her lifetime. There’s no film locations, graves of relatives who were born after her death, etc. I wanted to share places you can see with your own eyes that Jane would’ve seen with hers. Some would’ve been more important to Jane than others, but she knew all these places.

There are some museums mentioned, but they include objects Jane would’ve known herself.

I also didn’t want to integrate too much of a biography here. There’s a lot of information available on how Jane lived her 41 years on this earth, but I wanted to keep this guide more focused on the locations. And obviously, there are tons of buildings that are still standing that she knew. All of these mentioned had some type of significance to her, whether important or trivial.

I am fortunate enough to have been to many of these places, but not all of them. Nonetheless, I hope this is helpful to you in planning your trip to England and your own Jane Austen pilgrimage!

Note that at the end of each section, I have a short list so you don’t have to read this entire post. Hope it helps!

Steventon, Deane & Beyond (1775-1801)

Jane’s Everyday Life

Jane Austen started her life in the sleepy village of Steventon. Unfortunately, many of the buildings she knew – including the ones she was born and raised in – have been torn down. But there are still a few places to see in Steventon for the Austen fans.

The best building to see is St Nicholas Church, where Jane’s father was a vicar. The building standing today is the one the Austens would’ve known in their lifetime! It is also apparently not very different from how it looked in their time, as well. In the churchyard, you can find her brother, James Austen (1765-1819).

All that remains of the Steventon Rectory where Jane was born and raised is the well, which is located at the coordinates 51.227528, -1.214369. The well itself has also been renovated. The giant lime tree next to it, the one at the intersection, is believed to have been planted by Jane’s brother James in 1813.

A bit away is Wheatsheaf Hotel which is said to be where the Austens would go to get their mail. You can imagine the anticipation Jane would’ve had as she walked to get her letters! And it would’ve been a long walk, too, at least by today’s standards. There are lots of places called Wheatsheaf in the area, but the address of this place is Winchester Road, Basingstoke RG25 2BB.

As a toddler, Jane lived with a nanny in the nearby village of Deane, but I can’t find anything more than that – such as the nanny’s name or which building she lived in.

Places Jane Would’ve Visited

Jane’s brother James became a curate at St Mary’s Church in Overton. The church is the original building but many changes have been made since James worked there. He lived at the rectory, a very beautiful building at the corner of Court Drove and Bridge Street. Across the street, at the house further away from the road, is where he lived afterwards. There are only two houses at this intersection and he lived in both of them. Not being far from Steventon, it’s very likely Jane went here to pay her brother a visit.

A private home that Jane Austen once knew was Deane House, which is across the street from Deane Park. It was home of the Harwood family and Jane even danced with Tom Lefroy here (!!). Speaking of Tom Lefroy, she would have met and danced with him on several occasions at his aunt’s home, Ashe Rectory – another place closed to the public. I believe it is in Ashe Park but I’m not sure.

Places to Visit

• St Nicholas Church, Steventon – father was vicar and the family attended services here
• Wheatsheaf Hotel, Basingstoke – the family’s mail was delivered here (now a hotel & restaurant)
• St Mary’s Church, Overton – James Austen was a curate here

Places to Pass By

• Coordinates 51.227528, -1.214369, Steventon – site of the Austen home from before 1775-1801, lime tree said to be planted by Jane’s brother James
• Ashe Rectory, Basingstoke – Jane visited here
• Deane House, Deane – Jane visited here
• St Mary’s Church Rectory & house across from it, Overton – James Austen lived here

Bath (1801-1806)

Bath is the most popularly associated with Jane Austen, even though she spent only a few years here and didn’t like it much. However, Bath is absolutely beautiful and looks very similar to how it did when Jane lived there. Lots of the places she knew are still standing and the city still celebrates her heritage.

Jane’s Everyday Life

Before the Austens moved to Bath, they stayed with their aunt and uncle at 1 The Paragon. It is now a private residence but still standing. She also stayed with her brother at 13 Queen Square.

Jane Austen and her family lived in a few different places in Bath. The first, 4 Sydney Place, they lived at for a few years. This is the address that is now an AirBNB. It’s right across from Sydney Gardens where Jane would often walk. She would’ve also been familiar with Sydney Hotel, which is now the Holborne Museum.

After Sydney Place, the family moved 3 Green Park, which was unfortunately bombed during World War II. After that, they moved to 25 Gay Street. They finally ended up on Trim Street before moving out of Bath, but their house has since been destroyed.

Also notable is St Swithin’s Church, where Jane’s parents were married and her father buried. Even if you can’t access the churchyard, you can see his grave from the sidewalk. It is uncertain if Jane Austen and her family attended church here when they lived in Bath.

Places Jane Would’ve Visited

The Circus is an architectural highlight of Bath Jane would’ve known well, but take note of house number 11. Her friends, the Mapletons, lived here and she visited often. She would also visit a family friend, Mrs Willielma Lillingstone, at 10 Rivers Street. I can’t find if the building is the same one but it certainly looks it.

Some places Jane would’ve known well include The Pump Room, which is still standing as a tea house and restaurant. It was the fashionable place to go so you can’t miss at least heading to the outside of it! You can still “take the waters” there for free.

If you’re looking for another place to eat, try Sally Lunn’s. Jane does make mention of the “Bath bunn” that you can find at a few places in Bath, but it was a specialty of Sally Lunn’s (thus the double “n”). The restaurant was open in Jane Austen’s time so it’s quite probable she had a bunn from there.

There was also The Assembly Rooms where balls were held and Jane went there many times. These rooms are actually mostly reconstructions since they were destroyed during the war but still very much worth seeing.

Jane loved to walk, so it’s very probably she walked up to what is now called Alexandra Park for sweeping views of the city.

Again, there are so many places still standing that Jane would’ve known. One place she even mentions in Persuasion is Molland’s which was at 2 Milsom Street. It would be insane to list every building still standing but I felt since it wormed its way into a novel (one of only a handful to do so), perhaps it’s worth taking a peek!

Places to Visit

• Sydney Gardens – walked here often
• Holborne Museum – knew of and visited here (before it was a museum)
• The Pump Room – fashionable tea room (still open, reservations strongly encouraged)
• Sally Lunn’s – popular bakery (still open)
• The Assembly Rooms – where Jane would go to balls
• Alexandra Park – Jane probably walked here
• St Swithin’s Church – George Austen is buried here

Places to Pass By

• 1 The Paragon – stayed here temporarily
• 13 Queen Square – stayed here temporarily
• 4 Sydney Place – lived here
• 25 Gay Street – lived here
• 11 The Circus – Jane visited here
• 10 Rivers Street – Jane visited here
• 2 Milsom Street – Jane mentions this real address in her novel

If you’re headed to Bath, be sure to read my travel guide on things to do there in general. I also have a Jane Austen’s Bath guide but it doesn’t touch on much more than what’s in this post.

Also…

Visit Bath has a free audio walking tour called “In the Footsteps of Jane Austen.”

Southampton & Nearby (1806-1809)

A lot of places associated with Jane Austen in Southampton unfortunately no longer exist, though there are plaques to commemorate where they once stood.

However, she did attend dances several times at what is now the Dolphin Hotel, potentially including her 18th birthday. The hotel is currently closed but apparently the ballroom used to be open to the public. Perhaps it will be again when it’s reopened.

Nearby the city is Netley Abbey which is a ruin as it was in Jane Austen’s time. The family often went here to visit. On Crosshouse Road in Southampton, there’s a circular old-looking structure that was the waiting area of the ferry in Austen’s time. As she took the ferry several times here, she would’ve known this “cross house.”

Also nearby Southampton is the city of Portsmouth, which is also quite modern. However Jane would’ve been familiar with the Historic Dockyard. Portsmouth is one of the settings in Mansfield Park and Persuasion.

A little bit further away, but on the seaside, is Worthing and there is a Pizza Express on Warwick Street. This is the same building Jane’s family rented when they went stayed here. As you can imagine, the Pizza Express was not there during Jane Austen’s time.

Places to Visit

• The Dolphin Hotel, Southampton – attended many balls here
• Netley Abbey, Southampton – went here several times
• Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth – very probably Jane visited here
• Pizza Express, Worthing – the Austens temporarily lived here

Places to Pass By

• Cross house on Crosshouse Road, Southampton – would’ve waited for the ferry here

Chawton & Alton (1809-1817)

Jane’s Everyday Life

Of course, the must-see place for any Jane Austen fan is the Jane Austen House Museum. This is the home that Jane Austen lived in from 1809 until her death. It belonged to her brother, Edward Knight. The owners and employees of the home have put so much work into making it as close to what it would’ve been in Jane Austen’s own time. They also have a collection of items that belonged to Jane and the Austen family.

You can visit virtually online if you can’t make it to the house. They have a wonderful online presence.

Not to be confused with the museum is Chawton House which is the manor house that Edward Knight lived in sometimes, but often let others stay in. You can visit the house and see where Jane would often visit. (Part of the estate is now an AirBNB!)

The St Nicholas Church that stands in Chawton today is heavily renovated, though the chancel (area around the altar) is original. However, the churchyard does hold the graves of Jane’s mother and sister, Cassandra (1739-1827) and Cassandra (1743-1845). Both died after Jane but considering the closeness Jane had to her sister, it feels important to pay homage. There is also a Jane Austen statue in the churchyard as well.

The Swan Hotel in Alton also would’ve been familiar to Jane as it was a coach house in her time (much like a modern-day bus station). She would’ve gone here to leave for London when necessary, and also would’ve collected parcels here.

Places Jane Would’ve Visited

At 41 Winchester Rd is Chawton Lodge which belonged to the Hintons. Jane and her family did know them but didn’t get along with them at all, as the Hintons believed they were the rightful heirs of the Chawton estate and tried to take the estate away from the Austens. The house is so close to where Jane and Cassandra lived. Imagine living only a few yards away from people who were, in effect, trying to ruin your life!

The house next door to Chawton Lodge is Thatch Cottage (the one with the thatched roof), which was a poor house in Jane Austen’s time. Jane would go there sometimes to see the residents, including one she became very fond of, Miss Benn. The Greyfriar was another poor house that Jane may have visited.

A little bit away is Wyards Farm, where Jane’s aforementioned niece Anna used to live. Jane would visit there regularly. It was a bed & breakfast at one point but it seems as if it’s been closed these past few years.

Going north to Alton, Jane’s brother Frank’ family lived at 31 Lenten Street, labelled “The Old House.” 106-110 High Street looks very sad now as a convenient store, but it was also once where Frank lived during her lifetime.

The Hampshire Cultural Trust has a map called “A Walk from Chawton to Farringdon” which is said to have been one Jane and Cassandra walked together quite often. You can see it here.

Nearby, 10 High Street is now a private residence but once housed a branch of Jane’s brother Henry’s bank during her lifetime. I don’t know how often she went there, if it all, but surely she would’ve been proud of her brother every time she saw the building. He helped her a lot to get published.

Places to Visit

• Jane Austen House Museum, Chawton – where she lived for the last few years of her life
• Chawton House, Chawton – where Edward Knight, Jane’s brother, lived
• St Nicholas Church, Chawton – Jane attended here; graves of Jane’s mother and dearest sister
• The Greyfriar, Chawton – Jane may have visited here (it was a poorhouse then)
• Swan Hotel, Alton – parcels and coaches were collected and caught here

Places to Pass By

• Chawton Lodge, Chawton – Jane may have visited here
• Thatch Cottage, Chawton – Jane visited here
• Wyards Farm, Chawton – Jane visited here
• 31 Lenten Steet, Alton – Frank Austen lived here
• 106-110 High Street, Alton – Frank Austen lived here
• 10 High Street, Alton – was Henry Austen’s bank

Jane Austen in London

Jane Austen never lived in London but, as you can tell from her novels, she was well acquainted with it having been a frequent visitor. Unfortunately London has the same street names but different buildings, and it’s a much different place from that which Jane knew. But a few places still remain.

At 50 Ablemarle Street was the office of John Murray – Jane Austen’s second publisher. The building is still the same and even has Murray’s name still written on the side.

10 Henrietta Street was the London location of Henry’s aforementioned bank, and he moved to the apartment above this branch. The ground floor looks very different today but the buildings are still original to the 18th century.

Henry also lived at 24 Upper Berkeley Street during Jane’s lifetime, which is still standing and marked with a plaque.

This is a place you might love to go to – the Twinings Store at 216 Strand. This is the flagship store of the Twinings Tea and yes, it was open in Jane’s era and she did visit it. If you’re a tea lover like me, it combines two loves in one! (Also, the Royal Courts of Justice across the street is one of the most beautiful building complexes in all of London.)

For more shopping, you can head to Hatchards Booksellers which existed in Jane’s era as it does now. There’s no evidence Jane herself shopped here but as it was a prominent bookseller at the time, it is probable.

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane may not look like the nicest place but it was actually around in Jane Austen’s time, and she even saw a play there and mentioned the theatre in her novels. It’s still a working theatre so you can see a play there yourself if you wish. The same is said of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

The National Portrait Gallery in London has the only known portrait of Jane Austen from life, by her sister Cassandra. Contemporary sources say it didn’t much look like her. On the one hand, it’s sad we don’t have a good depiction of Miss Austen. But on the other, it’s a terribly unflattering portrait so perhaps it’s best it doesn’t resemble her. But it would be cool to have a better likeness of her from life.

Places to Visit

• Twinings Store, 216 Strand – Jane shopped here (Twinings is the same business there then as it is now)
• Hatchards Booksellers – Jane may have shopped here
• Theatre Royal Drury Lane – Jane saw at least one play here
• Royal Opera House, Covent Garden – Jane saw at least one play here
• National Portrait Gallery – Cassandra’s portrait of Jane is here

Places to Pass By

• 50 Ablemarle Street – Jane’s publisher
• 10 Henrietta Street – Henry Austen’s bank and apartment
• 24 Upper Berkeley Street – Henry Austen lived here

If you’re headed to London, you can also read my blog post on things to do & see there in general.

Other Places Jane Austen Knew

These are places that Jane Austen knew but don’t fit into one of her many places of residence.

Jane and Cassandra went to study at the Reading Ladies’ Boarding School in Reading in 1785-1786. The school doesn’t exist today but the Reading Abbey Gateway, which was part of the school’s architecture, still stands.

Jane was also familiar with Oxford, a city stuck in time. The Bodleian Libraries have a huge collection including original manuscripts belonging to Jane Austen. It seems the collection is not currently on display to the public but keep your eyes peeled for any exhibitions – you can visit their website here.

In Ibthorpe, Jane and Cassandra stayed over many times at their friends’, the Lloyds. While there, they attend St Peter’s Church in Hurstbourne Tarrant, which is still standing.

Jane was also a frequent visitor in Adlestrop, a cute town where her mother’s cousin Thomas Leigh lived. Fortunately for us, the town looks very much today as it did in Jane’s time! Jane would’ve attended St Mary Magdalene Church. The large house next to it, at the end of the street, is Adlestrop House and was where Thomas Leigh lived – so perhaps Jane and her family stayed there on their visits. The house is now a private residence.

The same Thomas Leigh would go on to inherit Stoneleigh Abbey which is a huge estate that could’ve easily played the part of Pemberley in any film. Jane did visit the abbey and you can visit it today as it is open to the public.

After their visit to Stoneleigh they headed north to Hamstall Ridware which seems to be as north in England as Jane Austen ever went. You can still see The Church of Saint Michael’s and All Angels which is where her cousin, Edward Cooper, would’ve preached – and where he is now buried.

Jane’s brother, Frank, lived in Ramsgate and the nearby Albion House was mentioned in Mansfield Park. Jane certainly saw it in person when she went to visit her brother. Frank supposedly lived in 14 Albion Place, just down the street, but I cannot find if the building currently there is the same one he lived in.

After Rowling House, Edward moved with his family to Godmersham Park. Jane visited and stayed there often. The house still stands but is also closed to the public. St Lawrence the Martyr Church is where the family would go to church, and it’s where Edward Austen Knight (1768-1852) and his wife Elizabeth (1773-1808) are buried.

And, my personal favorite part if I were to go, is Temple Hill where apparently Jane spent a lot of time writing in a folly temple. The coordinates are 51.221190, 0.958407. I have not been here. I think the grounds are public but please do not trespass if they are not.

The Austen family often went to visit Lyme Regis which is a pretty seaside town that works worthy of a visit in its own right. Jane also mentions it in Persuasion. It probably looks very similar to how it did when Jane visited, including “The Cobb” which was a prominent part of the town in her time. There is a plaque above 10 Broad Street, which was where Jane and her family may have stayed on at least one visit. They would’ve worshipped at St Michael’s Church, still standing.

I found this interesting – 29 Coombe Street used to be the post office in Jane’s time and there are still the slits in which people would’ve put their mail. It’s very probable that Jane Austen herself used these slits to slip her letters in!

The Lyme Regis Museum also has a section on Jane Austen with a small collection of her and her family’s personal belongings.

Places to Visit

• Bodleian Libraries, Oxford – Jane and Cassandra went to school in Oxford, some of Jane’s personal affects are in the Bodleian Libraries
• St Mary Magdalene Church, Adlestrop – Jane’s cousin was the vicar here
• Stoneleigh Abbey, Stoneleigh – Jane visited here
• Church of St Michael’s and All Angels, Hamstall Ridware – Jane’s cousin preached here
• St Lawrence the Martyr Church, Godmersham – Jane worshipped here with Edward Knight
• Coordinates 51.221190, 0.958407 – Jane liked to walk and write here
• The Cobb, Lyme Regis – Jane was very familiar with this are
• St Michael’s Church, Lyme Regis – Jane may have worshipped here
• Lyme Regis Museum, Lyme Regis – has personal affects of Jane and the Austen family

Places to Pass By

• Reading Abbey Gateway, Reading – Jane and Cassandra went to school here
• Adlestrop House, Adlestrop – Jane stayed here
• Albion House, Ramsgate – Jane knew this place and mentioned it in Mansfield Park
• 14 Albion Place, Ramsgate – Frank Austen may have lived in this building
• Godmersham Park, Godmersham – Edward Knight lived here and Jane visited often
• 10 Broad Street, Lyme Regis – Jane may have stayed here
• 29 Coombe Street, Lyme Regis – has original mail slots Jane would’ve used to post mail

Winchester (1817)

The Austen Family had an account at P&G Wells Bookshop (which is still in business) though it’s unclear if Jane herself shopped there. Before her illness, Jane went to visit her friend Elizabeth Bigg at 11 The Close, located right next to the cathedral, and stayed there for a week.

Fast forward a few years and now we’re at the end of poor Jane Austen’s life. She came to Winchester only to find help for her failing health, but unfortunately it was too late for her.

She and Cassandra were put up at 8 College Street which is where they spent the next few months, and where Jane died in July of 1817. She was actually buried in Winchester Cathedral originally for unknown reasons. Her brother may have pulled a few strings for it may have been allowed *. You can see her resting place and a memorial for her both in the Cathedral.

The Winchester City Museum has some objects you can see that belonged to Jane herself.

* Though her books were published anonymously “by a lady,” Jane Austen’s identity was proudly disclosed by her loving brothers. George IV, Prince of Wales, knew of her and was a huge fan. They had a connection through her brother’s, Henry’s, physician and Emma was even dedicated to the Prince Regent upon his request.
I’m personally so happy that she, unlike so many authors, was able to see recognition in her lifetime.

Places to Visit

• P&G Wells Bookshop – the Austens had an account here
• Winchester Cathedral – Jane’s grave and memorial is here
• Winchester City Museum – has some of Jane’s personal affects

Places to Pass by

• 11 The Close – Jane visited here
• 8 College Street – Jane stayed and died here

Jane Austen’s England

I hope this guide was helpful for planning your trip to England!

As I mentioned, I wanted to keep this focused on places that Jane Austen herself would’ve known and I didn’t want to go too much into her biography since it would be a lot for a single blog post. If you’d like to learn more, I suggest checking out the references I have below as they are all quite useful and have a plethora of information on Jane Austen’s life.

References

If you’re very interested in learning more about Jane Austen, her life, and her England, I do highly recommend reading the books by Adkins, Quint, and Townsend. They give a much more in-depth portrayal of the author than I could possibly.

• Adkins, Roy and Leslie Adkins. Jane Austen’s England: Daily Life in the Georgian and Regency Periods. Penguin Books, 2014.
• A Jane Austen Gazetteer, https://ajaneaustengazetteer.wordpress.com/.
• Allen, Louise. Jane Austen’s London, https://janeaustenslondon.com/.
• Austenised, http://austenised.blogspot.com/.
• Chawton House, https://chawtonhouse.org/.
• Cox, Brenda S. “Where Did Jane Austen Attend Church and Chapel in Bath?”. Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen, 17 Oct 2019, https://topazcrossbooks.com/2019/10/17/where-did-jane-austen-attend-church-and-chapel-in-bath/.
• Garnier, Richard. “Grafton Street, Mayfair”. The Georgian Group Journal, vol. 13, 2003, pp. 201-272.
• History of Bath Research Group, https://historyofbath.org/.
• Jacobsen, Nicole, Devynn MacLennan and Lexi Nilson. Jane Was Here: An Illustrated Guide to Jane Austen’s England. Hardie Grant, 2020.
• JaneAusten.org, https://www.janeausten.org/.
• Jane Austen 200. Hampshire Cultural Trust, https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/jane-austen-200.
• Jane Austen’s World, https://janeaustensworld.com/.
• JASNA: Jane Austen Society of North America. https://jasna.org/.
• May, Andrew. “Lyme Regis as Jane Austen Saw it”. Lyme Regis Museum, 14 Jun 2011, https://lymeregismuseum.blogspot.com/2011/06/lyme-regis-as-jane-austen-saw-it.html
• Meftah, Geri. Jane Austen. https://kleurrijkjaneausten.blogspot.com/.
• Moore, Paul Anthony. “The summerhouse folly on Temple Hill, Godmersham, Kent”. Flickr, 16 Apr 2011, https://www.flickr.com/photos/rhedae/5625465514.
• Morton, Anna. Thither Jane Austen, https://www.thitherjaneausten.com/.
• Quint, Karin. Jane Austen’s England: A Travel Guide. Acc Art Books, 2019.
• Townsend, Terry. Jane Austen’s Hampshire. Halsgrove Publishing, 2014.

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