Literature Aficionado? Visit the Jane Austen Museum in Chawton, Hampshire
Remember Mr. Darcy and Ms. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice? Or maybe the love triangle between Catherine Morland, John Thorpe and Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey?
Remember Mr. Darcy and Ms. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice? Or maybe the love triangle between Catherine Morland, John Thorpe and Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey? What if you could go deeper than the actual novel plots by getting to know the author?
Jane Austen is often mis-included in the category of Victorian novelists; yet, Queen Victoria was born only after Austen’s death. Nevertheless, her works did play a pivotal part in setting the course for the emergence of 19th century literature. The works of Austen revolve around love stories, set in realistic times, and constructed in an altogether social satire form. Tribute to the author has been given from numerous fields, including cinema and television, which turned all her six novels into films.
The Jane Austen House Museum is located in the small town of Chawton, where the author spent the last eight years of her life; the town is 1.6 miles southwest of Alton, in the district of East Hampshire.
What will you see here? The table at which she sat to write her works (Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion were all written in this 17th century house) and the items that were part of her daily and creative life. More important, you will be guided by a Jane Austen specialist, which will tell you her and her family’s story, as well as explain Austen’s role in literature. You will even have access to an impressive library of works by her, and about her.
Visiting hours depend on the time of the year, but you will always find it open between 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM. Admissions for adults are of £7 ($11.30).