“Visiting such a living symbol of Jane Austen’s life, we knew we had come home to a magical setting!”
Erna Arnesen, Kathleen Madden, and Jeanne Talbot share the delights of staying at Chawton House (the childhood home of our founder, Caroline Jane Knight), for nine glorious days.
‘When two friends from the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and I decided to stay at Chawton House, we did not have research or other lofty objectives in mind. We weren’t like the visiting fellows and scholars who stay at Chawton for weeks at a time to obtain access to local research resources. We wanted to travel there for the sheer joy of staying in such a special place, in close proximity to Jane Austen sites and the surrounding area of Hampshire, where we could take day trips to other iconic places Jane Austen would have known about or visited.
Starting in January 2024, Chawton House now offers its 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartment to guests who would like to stay overnight and experience living in the Elizabethan Manor House once owned by Jane Austen's brother, Edward Austen Knight, and still owned by his descendants. It is a place Jane Austen and her family frequented, a short walk from Jane Austen's own house in Chawton.
Jeanne, Kathleen and Erna celebrating their arrival
Relaxing in the sitting room
Spacious and comfortable bedrooms
Sit and enjoy the tranquillity
We travelled to Chawton House in early October 2024. For three Americans -- longtime Janeites -- visiting such a living symbol of Jane Austen's life, we knew we had come home to a magical setting! We were delighted to be there for nine days and eight evenings of both contemplation and joy.
We were able to spend multiple days inside the Great House, exploring the historic home with an extended guided tour by Chief Executive Katie Childs, who charmed us with her vast knowledge of the many Knight family descendants. We explored the library and saw numerous books in the rare and extensive collection (16,000 volumes) of British women’s writing from 1600 -1830, which includes first editions of Jane Austen’s works. We also saw the Knight Family Collection of books, beautifully displayed.
With Chawton House Chief Executive, Katie Childs (left)
In the Oak Room, where Jane liked to sit
We spent hours on our own exploring each room, reading all the curated history of the family, and taking many photos; we also enjoyed shopping in the lovely gift shop. One afternoon, we went through the special exhibition, “Mary Robinson, Actress, Mistress, Writer, Radical,“ annotated and richly detailed, available until April 21, 2025.
The main staircase
In the Great Hall with a Chawton House volunteer
We awoke each morning to the heavenly scent of fresh baked scones and cakes, wafting upstairs to our apartment from the Old Kitchen Tearoom at the Great House. We took great delight in ordering these wonderful cakes and tea in such a historic setting! We kept pinching ourselves, having a hard time believing we were actually living there. We were thrilled to walk the same halls as Jane - to be, even for a short time, calling this space home. We felt such a powerful sense of presence and belonging. It was an intense and joyful experience.
We walked through the Walled Garden, the Parklands, and the surrounding land. A special treat was walking the Jane Austen Garden Trail, where JASNA members sponsored garden spots with a Jane Austen quotation to accompany each. One special spot on the trail, the Shrubbery Walk, featured a plaque sponsored by Jeanne and Erna commemorating the start of our friendship through Jane Austen and JASNA. The quote on the plaque from Northanger Abbey, is “There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends.”
A short walk along the drive took us to St. Nicholas Church, and the cemetery where Jane’s mother and her sister Cassandra are buried. We even happened on a ringing of the church bells one Monday evening, whereupon we ascended the steps to the belfry, and met a lovely group of Hampshire folks who were having weekly bell ringing practice! They let us watch for a while and experience the magic, even briefly playing two bells for us (one from 1420 and one from 1621) that Jane would have heard!
The bell ringers at St Nicholas Church, Chawton
Twice, we visited Jane Austen’s House (now a museum), just down the street in Chawton, We spent hours there enjoying so many of the treasures and stories of Jane Austen’s life. Across the street, we happily drank tea and ate scones with clotted cream and jam at Cassandra’s Cup. Three trips didn’t seem enough to enjoy all the treats there!
At Jane Austen’s House
In the courtyard of Jane Austen’s House
In the front parlour with Jane Austen’s writing table
Tea at Cassandra’s Cup
Thanks to the excellent left-side driving skills of our intrepid driver, Jeanne, we were able to navigate around the area and participate in more activities than would have been possible without a car. Chawton House is a great home base for taking day trips around Hampshire. We visited nearby Alton a few times to see Jane Austen sites, including her brother Henry’s bank location, a garden near the Curtis Museum recently dedicated to the 250th anniversary year, and Sainsbury’s market for groceries to prepare meals in our own apartment’s kitchen. We ventured to Winchester, Portsmouth, Brighton, Stonehenge, and Salisbury Cathedral, mostly to see sites with a connection to Jane Austen, as well as places on our respective bucket lists. We used Jane Austen’s England, A Travel Guide by Karin Quint, as an excellent resource while we toured.
We spent a day in London at the end of the trip, following one of the walks from Walking Austen’s London, a useful guide by Louise Allen. Unexpectedly, having been alerted by the pealing of the bells on the walking tour of the downtown London area of Fleet Street, we saw Princess Anne arriving at an annual seafarer’s ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
It was a sad moment to lock the padlock to the driveway gate for the last time on our final evening at Chawton House. It was the end of our stay, and it was hard to say goodbye. We could not have imagined a better time at Chawton House. We highly recommend this awesome and magical experience!
For more information and to book your stay at Chawton House, click here
© Erna Arnesen, Kathleen Madden, and Jeanne Talbot, fellow members of the Jane Austen Society of North America
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