Jane Austen's House in Chawton

Jane Austen lived in quite a few different houses, several in Bath. Many people confuse Bath as "Jane Austen Land" and want to visit Bath to see the "Jane Austen stuff." Well--if that is why you are going to Bath, you will be greatly disappointed. A horrible museum, a taste of sulfery-water, and a few plaques on some houses is all you will get.

So, if you want to see Jane Austen country---you must head to Hampshire.

In a darling little village named Chawton, Jane Austen, her sister, her mother, and a dear family friend lived there until the last few months of Jane's life. The beautiful house was a gift from Jane's brother to the three women and their friend so they could have a permanent residence after the head of their family had passed. While Jane moved to Chawton, she had already written Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey, which sources say she probably revised and published these manuscripts while living there. But it is known that she wrote Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion while she lived in this beautiful house in Hampshire.

Today, the gorgeous house is a museum, where several family artifacts are displayed, including Jane's writing desk (eek! So cool!), three jewelry pieces known to be honed by Jane, music books that were Jane's, and a few other things that belonged to her siblings and parents. My favorite bit, was a Clementi pianoforte that they think was owned by the Austens--they let me play it! I couldn't believe they actually let me sit down and play. They had a Clementi book there, so I played one of his sonata's on a piano that he actually built. WOW. What a wonderful experience.

I was stunned with how much they had, really. And the gardens! Oh! They were absolutely beautiful, and we were lucky enough to visit on an absolutely gorgeous day. Henry enjoyed running around on the grass and sticking his hands in the full watering can. My Mom and I could have spent the entire day there--reading, enjoying the gardens, and talking to other visitors. I would have loved to sit at the piano and play for a few hours.

I'm so glad we stopped there--it was just what Mom was hoping to see in Bath (where we didn't end up going). So really--if you want to experience Jane Austen-ness, then visit Chawton.

We made little lavender sachets. 

The Clementi Pianoforte!