Great Britain

Itinerary between Bath and the Dorset coast in the footsteps of Jane Austen

250 years after her birth, this year England celebrates one of its greatest writers with a series of events in the places where she lived and set her famous novels

by Laura Dominici

15 July 2025

5' min read

Key points

A walking tour with anecdotes
Hampshire, Jane's home county

5' min read

250 years after Jane Austen's birth on 16 December 1775, this year England celebrates one of its greatest writers, whose works continue to enchant readers around the world. It is the perfect opportunity to embark on a romantic and cultural journey through the historic landscapes and cities that shaped the life and imagination of the author of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma. The highlight is in September with the festival dedicated to her. One can immerse oneself in a refined England, at once timeless and alive, where every village, every tearoom, every skyline seems to carry the echo of her words.

Georgian elegance and literary memories of Bath

The journey begins in Bath, a Unesco heritage city in the south-west of England, where Jane Austen lived between 1801 and 1806. The city's Georgian architecture is present everywhere and gives it a unique charm. A walk along the Royal Crescent, a spectacular arc of colonnaded houses typical of the Palladian style, is a must, as is a visit to the Circus, another architectural masterpiece by John Wood. No. 1 Royal Crescent, now a museum, allows you to explore the interior of a typical Georgian house as Jane Austen might have described it in her novels, with period furniture and recreated scenes of life. The beautifully preserved Roman Baths, on the other hand, testify to the historical importance of the city since antiquity, while the Gothic Bath Abbey offers a moment of contemplation in the heart of the historic centre. Another landmark is the Pulteney Bridge, one of the few bridges in the world lined with shops, while for those who enjoy walks in the green, the Sydney Gardens, which Jane visited regularly, offer a quiet respite in surroundings unchanged since the 18th century.

Un uomo in elegante costume vittoriano osserva una vecchia vetrina del Jane Austen Centre di Bath, nel Somerset.

A walking tour with anecdotes

A reminder of the writer's life, complete with costumed actors, period artefacts and an interactive room, is also the Jane Austen Centre, housed in a typical Georgian house. And to totally immerse themselves in the atmosphere, visitors can take part in the Strictly Jane Austen Walking Tour, a guided walking tour led by costumed guides who take visitors to the specific places mentioned in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Tours are offered daily (in English) and include anecdotes from the writer's letters and novels.

Una vista dell'ingresso di The Pump Room con una chiesa sullo sfondo presso Searcys at The Pump Room, a Bath, Somerset.

related events

Every autumn, from 12-21 September in 2025, the Jane Austen Festival offers dramatised city tours, dances and engaging events centred on life in the Regency period. The main event takes place on 13 September to coincide with the famous Grand Regency Costumed Promenade. For fans, it is also possible to rent one of the two flats Jane Austen occupied in Bath, via Airbnb, to experience her daily life up close. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of her birth, the Holburne Museum will also host an exhibition entitled 'Illustrating Austen', from September 2025 to January 2026, which will feature illustrations inspired by her novels, showing how her characters have been imagined over the years. Bath Abbey, meanwhile, is hosting 'Austens at the Abbey', an exhibition dedicated to the author and her family, until 27 September. Royal Crescent presents 'The Most Tiresome Place in the World: Jane Austen & Bath' from July until 2 November, a study of the complex relationship between the author and the city of Bath.

Due persone in costume d'epoca davanti a un colorato murale al n. 1 di Royal Crescent, a Bath, Somerset. Premi VisitEngland per l'eccellenza 2025 Vincitore dell'oro

Film set on the world of Regency

The directors of numerous Regency-inspired films and series have chosen Bath as their natural setting. Iconic scenes from Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995), Persuasion (1995 and 2007 versions) and Northanger Abbey (2007) are set here. More recently, the city was the backdrop for the hit series 'The Bridgerton Chronicle', produced by Shondaland for Netflix, whose first seasons recreate the glamorous world of English high society with a modern twist. Bath is the perfect embodiment of the Regency era, with its cobbled streets, neoclassical facades and timeless atmosphere. The Holburne Museum, at the entrance to Sydney Gardens, is the façade of the residence of Lady Danbury, one of the key characters in the TV series.

Il personale del Jane Austen Centre in posa in costume d'epoca vittoriana sotto un arco floreale, a Bath, Somerset.

Hampshire, Jane's home county

The journey can continue to Hampshire, Jane Austen's home county, where the English countryside takes on a romantic air. Jane Austen was born in Steventon, a quiet village where her father was a clergyman. Here she spent the first 25 years of her life, writing drafts of some of her masterpieces. Further south, in Chawton, a place of pilgrimage for admirers of the writer, is Jane Austen's House Museum. This charming red brick house, where the writer lived from 1809 until shortly before her death in 1817, contains period furniture, including her original writing desk, a modest round table where she revised and published her most important novels. There are also handwritten letters, jewellery, first editions, everyday objects and temporary exhibitions on the status of women in the 19th century. The flower garden, true to the Georgian period, is a peaceful place for daydreaming. A short walk away, visitors can visit Chawton House, the former residence of brother Edward Austen Knight, an Elizabethan manor house surrounded by magnificent parkland.

Vista esterna di una fila di edifici curvi in stile reggenza con un campo di narcisi sfocati in primo piano, presso il Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, Bath.

At Winchester, the writer's health resort

Another stop to retrace the writer's life is Winchester, also in Hampshire, the former capital of England and a place rich in history. In 1817, Jane Austen fell seriously ill and moved there for treatment. She spent her last months there, staying at 8 College Street (open to the public until 30 August), a discreet house a stone's throw from Winchester College, one of the oldest schools in England. The heart of this stop is undoubtedly Winchester Cathedral, an immense Gothic building that is striking in its height and serenity. Jane Austen is buried here, in the north transept, and the original manuscript of one of her unpublished poems is also displayed here. A simple stone slab marks her grave, but a more explicit literary tribute was added later to acknowledge her important contribution to English literature. In addition to the cathedral, visitors can wander the medieval streets lined with half-timbered houses, discover the Great Hall, the remains of Winchester Castle which once housed King Arthur's legendary Round Table, and enjoy the cosy atmosphere of traditional tea rooms.

Una vista sulle Terme Romane e sull'Abbazia di Bath in una giornata di sole

Lyme Regis: between sea and Austenian melancholy

On the Dorset coast in the far south-west of England, the seaside town of Lyme Regis offers a different but equally romantic atmosphere. Jane Austen stayed here in 1804 and set a key scene in her last completed novel, Persuasion. It is here that the heroine, Anne Elliot, excitedly observes the behaviour of her companions on the famous boundary wall known as The Cobb, where one of the protagonists tragically falls. Lyme Regis has a charming seaside atmosphere, with narrow, sloping streets, colourful fishermen's cottages and art galleries. The Lyme Regis Museum, built on the former site of Jane Austen's house, dedicates a room to the writer and her influence on the town. Literary Lyme Walking Tours are offered here. They explore the town in the footsteps of Anne Elliot and the Musgrove family in Persuasion, contextualising the Regency period in this seaside town. Nature walks can also be combined, exploring the famous cliffs of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site.