Image of Goodnestone Park house - a large red brick house with a blue sky behind
Grade II* Goodnestone Park House where Jane Austen often visited her brother. © Goodnestone Park Gardens Goodnestone Park Gardens
Grade II* Goodnestone Park House where Jane Austen often visited her brother. © Goodnestone Park Gardens Goodnestone Park Gardens

Follow in the Footsteps of Jane Austen

18 July 2017 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of the famous novelist Jane Austen. Born in Hampshire in 1775, Jane Austen spent most of her life here in the South East.

In the footsteps of Jane Austen

To celebrate this “novel” connection we have been sharing an image each day on Twitter of a place with a link to Jane Austen. From her birthplace in Steventon to her tomb in Winchester Cathedral there are so many places in the South East with a tale to tell or which formed the backdrop and inspiration for her much loved novels.

This included Goodnestone Park in Kent where we gave advice to the owners on their lovely conversion works, the old town in Southampton which is sadly a Conservation Area at Risk and the Abbey Gateway in Reading next to Reading Abbey where we have given a series of grants.

I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives
Jane Austen, Persuasion

Share in the celebration

You can explore all these places and more via the gallery below and if you want to get involved there are lots of festivals and events happening all over the South East from the National Lottery Heritage Funded Stinking Fish of Southampton festival to the Jane Austen 200 celebrations in Hampshire including the launch of the new £10 note!

Jane Austen in the South East Image Gallery

Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.

Image of the church at Ashe Image of the red brick house covered in climbing plants Image of the Church at Deane, Hampshire a stone church with a square tower Image of the Reading Gatehouse made of stone and flints with a road running underneath View of the grand brick house with nine windows across and three stories high View of the Dolphin Hotel a brick and white stone building with a central archway you can walk through. There are two large bay windows on each side on the second and third floors Two images of the same house - one in black and white and one in colour. Little has changed over time. The house has three storeys and is double fronted. Image of the large brick built naval academy with white stones and black railings. Image of Wymering Manor, the white building looks a bit bedraggled as it is on the Heritage At Risk Register. Image of the new £10 note with Jane Austen as the figure and Godmersham House in the background - home of her brother Edward Collage of images of Southampton Old Town Deane House a large manor house with sweeping lawn Collage of images from Chawton including the church, the Jane Austen House Museum, the graves of her sister and mother and an image of Jane Austen as drawn by her sister Image of a red telephone box Image of St Nicholas Church made of stone with a spire Collage image of the memorials to Jane Austen which can be found in Winchester Cathedral View of the church made of stone with a tower clad in wood Image of a three storey brick house covered in plants and a beautiful garden in front

Also of interest

Meet the Georgians