Did you know that 2025 marks Jane Austen’s 250th birthday?? What better time to plan a Jane Austen tour of England (though, anytime is good for this)!
I have spent hours researching all the best Jane Austen places to visit in England, so I can put together this guide to the perfect UK trip. Some of these places I have already visited, and some of them I can’t wait to get back to England to visit soon!!
So grab a copy of your favorite Jane Austen novel, and start planning your Jane Austen England tour ASAP!
What’s in this Article:
- Jane Austen Places in London
- Jane Austen Places in Bath
- Places Jane Austen Lived
- Jane Austen Filming Locations
- Other Locations of Note
- Jane Austen Events in England
- List of Jane Austen’s Novels (& locations)
Jane Austen Places in London
As London is most likely your first stop on any tour of England, it seemed fitting to begin here.
There are several Jane Austen sites to see in England’s capital city, as well as places mentioned in her novels. I am only going to call out what I think are the most notable worthwhile Jane Austen places to visit in London, but you can find even more details in this “secret guide to Jane Austen’s London.”
The British Library
You can see Jane Austen’s writing desk, a gift from her father, along with several letters and manuscripts of her writing on display at the British Library in London.
Not to mention that a visit to the library will also included that Magna Carta and other unique displays. You can visit on your own time, or take a guided tour of the library’s collection.
Westminster Abbey
Jane Austen is not buried at Westminster Abbey (though lots of well-known folks are!), but she does have her due recognition in the Poet’s Corner. You can find a plaque commemorating her life, along with many other well-known British authors, such as William Shakespeare and Lord Byron.
There are many beautiful corners to explore inside Westminster Abbey. You can attend a service for free, without purchasing a ticket. However, if you want to see all the famous sites and displays in Westminster Abbey, you will need to book a general admission ticket, which you can do on their website.
National Portrait Gallery
One final place to visit in London for any Jane Austen fan is the National Portrait Gallery. You can find a beautiful portrait of Jane on display in here, which is doubly cool because it was actually drawn by her sister Cassandra! So be sure to make a pit-stop in here to see Austen’s portrait, and plenty of other famous faces.
Jane Austen Places in Bath
Bath is the second stop on a Jane Austen tour of England. It is super easy to visit as a day-trip from London, or you can stay overnight here and spend several days exploring this historic town.
Significant parts of both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion take place in Bath. I would especially recommend you read Northanger Abbey before visiting, as that novel really gives you a feel for the culture that Austen herself would have experienced while she lived in Bath, which she did from 1801-1806.
This Jane Austen walking tour will take you to all the relevant sites in Bath, or you can visit them on your own.
- Fun Fact: The popular city famous for its Roman Baths also happens to be a hotspot for Bridgerton fans.
The Jane Austen Centre
The most important stop in Bath is the Jane Austen Centre. It is here you will find period costumes, Mr. Darcy rubber ducks, and the most photographed man in England (one of the costumed tour guides).
Learn all about Jane Austen and her time in Bath at this interactive museum. You can also visit the gift shop (to buy a Mr. Darcy rubber duck, of course) or the Regency Tea Rooms while you are here.
- Good to Know: You do not need to book a ticket to the museum in order to visit the gift shop and tea rooms.
The Pump Rooms
The Pump Rooms play a prominent role in Northanger Abbey. They are where Catherine eagerly waits to meet Mr. Tinley and other social acquaintances during the day. In Austen’s time, people would gather in the Pump Room, where mineral water from the Roman baths was pumped in, and socialize while “taking the water.”
Today, you can have breakfast or afternoon tea in the Pump Room. You can also choose to book a tour of the Roman Baths that includes afternoon tea or brunch in the adjoining Pump Room.
The Assembly Rooms
During the day, Georgian society cavorted in the Pump Room. In the evening, they met in the Assembly Rooms for grand balls. Jane Austen fans must visit the Assembly Rooms to see where all the drama and intrigue of her society took place!
- Good to Know: The Assembly Rooms used to house the Fashion Museum, but they left the location in spring 2023 to make room for a “Georgian Bath museum.” The Fashion Museum plans to open in a new location in 2030.
The Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent is a row of houses that will be familiar to most any fans of period TV shows. It is most notably seen in the Netflix series Bridgerton. It can also be recognized in the 2022 Netlfix rendition of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (one of my favorite movies!), as well as plenty of other period pieces.
While most of the Royal Crescent remains private homes, you can visit the museum at No. 1 Royal Crescent for an idea of what it would have been like to live there in Austen’s day, as well as some nice views overlooking the area!
No. 4 Sydney Place
Not to be confused with No. 4 Privet Dr… No. 4 Sydney Place is one of the many homes where Jane Austen lived while she was in Bath. This one is the most recognizable, with a plaque out front commemorating the famous resident. You can walk by to see the plaque and the outside of the house, though do take note that this is still a private residence today.
Places Jane Austen Lived
For the hard-core Austen fans out there, who really want to see everywhere that she lived, this section is for you! While London and Bath are very easy to get to, these Jane Austen places will require a little more effort, or even your own vehicle. However, there is a guided tour available from Southampton, which is about an hour and a half train ride from London.
Jane Austen’s Birthplace-Steventon: 1775-1801
Jane Austen was born the tiny village of Steventon, UK in 1775. Her father served as rector (basically a pastor) of the church there. The rectory (or parsonage) they lived in is no longer there, but the church remains, along with a plaque dedicated to the family.
The village is about an hour and a half to two hours from London. You can get a train to Basingstoke, and then a bus toward Steventon, if you feel so inclined as to visit. I personally would just leave this stop off of a Jane Austen tour of England, unless part of the guided tour from Southampton.
Bath: 1801-1806
After Steventon, Austen lived in Bath from 1801-1806, as we already discussed in the previous section. Bath is an easy train ride from London, which you can visit on your own, or on an organized day trip.
Southampton: 1806-1809
After her father’s death in 1805, Jane and her sister and mother ultimately moved to Southampton to live with one of her brothers. The city created this self-guided walking tour map of Jane Austen related sites in the city.
You can also take a tour from Southampton (a charming sea-side town about an hour and a half from London) to Jane Austen’s birthplace, Chawton home, and burial place, making Southampton a good base for a Jane Austen England tour.
Chawton: 1809-1817
In 1809, the three women moved into a small cottage on another brother’s property in Chawton, along with another single female friend (girl power!). This cottage is where she spent the rest of her life and wrote her final novels.
The Jane Austen House is one of the best Jane Austen places to visit in England, and should definitely be on your list! You can explore the little cottage where she lived, as well as Chawton House (the “great house”), where her brother and his family lived.
You can get a bus from Winchester to Chawton, but the best way to visit is via tour or to drive yourself.
Jane Austen’s Burial Place-Winchester: 1817
When Austen took ill in 1817, she traveled to Winchester to seek medical treatment. She died there a few months later, and is buried in the Winchester Cathedral. Winchester is a one hour train ride from London, or about 15 minutes from Southampton.
Jane Austen Filming Locations
There are so many filming locations you could visit on a Jane Austen England tour! This list could go on forever and ever, but here are my picks for the absolute best and most recognizable spots!
Chatsworth House
Also known as: Pemberley! Also also known as: Mr. Darcy’s House!!
The beautiful Chatsworth House was used as the filming location for Pemberley in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. We toured the house on our first trip to England, and it was one of my favorite things we did!
The house itself is worth visiting, even without being a filming location. In fact, it is actually presumed that Austen based Pemberley on Chatsworth House.
The best way to visit is to drive yourself (and be sure to enjoy the nearby village of Baslow as well), but you can also get a guided tour from Manchester.
Lyme Park
Also also known as: Pemberley! In the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice (my absolute favorite!), Lyme Park was used as the filming location for Pemberley. We haven’t personally visited this site yet, but it is on my UK bucket list.
I haven’t found any guided tours that visit Lyme Park, so you will need to travel here on your own. It is less than an hour’s drive from Manchester, which is a good base for visiting the Peak District as well as Chatsworth House. Another good city to base yourself in is Sheffield, which is fairly close to all of these Jane Austen filming locations.
Belton House
To be honest, you won’t find Belton House on a lot of lists of Pride and Prejudice filming locations. Like I said, there are so many places you could visit, it would just be overwhelming! But we actually have friends who live in England and volunteer at this particular site, so they made sure to bring us here.
If you do choose to visit Belton, you will need to drive yourself. The closest big city is Nottingham or Sheffield. You could also do a whole (self-guided) tour of the Peak District, stopping at Chatsworth House, Belton House, Lyme Park and Stanage Edge.
Belton House was used as the filming location for Rosings in the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. In fact (if anyone still has the DVD…) it is the house shown on the cover of the DVD! There is also a famous spot known as the “Mr. Darcy desk,” where Colin Firth composed his letter to Elizabeth.
Stanage Edge
This is one of the top spots still on my UK bucket list! The absolutely gorgeous viewpoint where Keira Knightley stands in the 2005 adaptation.
You will need a car to visit this viewpoint, but it is so worth it! This article explains how to find the Keira Knightley spot at Stanage Edge.
Bath
Bath seems to fit into every category on this list… I won’t say much, since it’s already been mentioned a lot, but just in case you’re a Jane Austen fan and you don’t have Bath on your bucket list… know that it is also a recognizable filming location in many period pieces, including probably every version of Persuasion ever made.
Other Locations of Note
There are a few more places you can add to your UK bucket lists if you’re a Jane Austen fan that I think are worth mentioning.
Highclere Castle
I intend to visit Highclere Castle on my next trip to England! Personally, I want to see it because it is the filming location of one of my favorite TV shows, Downton Abbey.
Now, just because you are a Jane Austen fan does not mean you will be a Downton Abbey fan, and vice versa (I’m looking at my sister here…). But most likely, this will be up your alley. Plus, Austen spent some time at Highclere Castle as a visitor, so it is doubly worth visiting!
You can get a guided tour to Highclere Castle from London, which includes stops in the Cotswold village used in the show, plus Oxford.
Brighton
Brighton is where all the girls go to find husbands… er… I mean…
Well, anyway, Brighton is a fun, sea-side town to go to, and is well known to Austen fans for various reasons. Brighton is about a one hour train ride from London.
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is another sea-side town, that is featured in Persuasion. The town is in Dorset, England, about 3-4 hours west of London.
Map of Jane Austen Places in England:
Jane Austen Events in England
There are always Jane Austen events happening in England, but especially in 2025 with the celebration of her 250th birthday (in December).
Here are some of the best events you can attend, this year and every year! You can also find a full list of 250th events throughout the UK on the Jane Austen Centre’s website.
Jane Austen Festival in Bath
Every year in September, the Jane Austen Centre in Bath puts on a festival where you can dress in period garb and live out your Jane Austen dreams as you dance the night away at a ball! The festival lasts for 10 whole days, and is the absolute best Jane Austen event you can attend!
- Can’t come in September? Good news! They also put on small events all year long, like summer balls and the Yuletide Birthday Ball.
Pride & Prejudice Screenings at Chatsworth House
Sometimes Chatsworth will host outdoor screenings of Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 version) on the front lawn. What better place to watch the movie than at the house used as Pemberley in the film?!
Jane Austen House in Chawton
For the 250th celebration, the Jane Austen House in Chawton is hosting different events all year. They are having festivals based on all of her novels throughout the year, with a special birthday celebration in December.
Jane Austen Novels
For your convenience, I am listing out all of Jane Austen’s Novels (in order of publication), as well as the main locations in which each one takes place.
Sense and Sensibility-1811
Jane Austen’s first novel, Sense and Sensibility follows the three Dashwood sisters and their mother after their father (and provider) dies.
Sense and Sensibility is set mainly in Sussex, though parts of it do take place in London.
Pride and Prejudice-1813
Austen’s most well-known novel is Pride and Prejudice. It is the timeless story of the 5 Bennet sisters navigating love, marriage and mis-understandings in 19th century England.
The novel has been adapted into countless movies, the most famous being the BBC’s 1995 version, and the 2005 Keira Knightley version. The best locations for fans to visit are in the Peak District National Park, especially Chatsworth House, which was used as a filming location for Pemberley, and is even thought to be actual inspiration for the fictional setting.
Mansfield Park-1814
Mansfield Park is honestly the novel I know the absolute least about… though I have seen a movie version of it once. It is certainly one of Austen’s lesser known works; however, I think all of her books are worth reading! Mansfield Park follows the young heroine Fanny Price as she is taken from her family and sent to be raised by wealthy relatives.
The novel mainly takes place in Northamptonshire, with references to London and Brighton.
Emma-1815
Another of Austen’s most popular (and most adapted) works is Emma, the story of a witty young matchmaker who causes a bit of a tangled web with her antics.
Emma takes place in a fictional village in Surrey. But a popular spot mentioned in the book a Box Hill, a very real place where you can visit and have your own picnic, just like in the book!
Northanger Abbey-1817
Austen’s final two works were published together posthumously, but thankfully for us, she completed these enjoyable novels before she passed. Northanger Abbey is the coming of age tale of a naive heroine, Catherine, who must learn to think for herself, and (hopefully) make a good match at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.
Northanger Abbey is a fictional place, but the majority of the tale takes place in Bath. This novel will definitely leave you wanting to visit (and dance in) the Pump Room and Assembly Rooms.
Persuasion-1817
The first time I heard the story of Persuasion was watching the 2022 Netflix adaptation, and I absolutely loved it (though there are other good adaptations to watch too!). I am currently reading the book, which tells the story of Anne Elliot, who is living in misery, having been persuaded to give up her one true love in hopes of a better prospect.
Two significant locations associated with Persuasion are Bath and Lyme Regis, both worth a visit from Austen fans!
Unfinished-Sandition
In the last year of her life, Austen started writing a final novel, Sandition, which deals with doctors, health issues, and the latest treatment fads, all in Austen’s trademark witty style. Many people have attempted to finish the novel, but unfortunately we only have a partial tale from Austen herself.
Sandition is a fictional up and coming sea-side town.
Any other suggestions?
If you know of any other sites to add to a Jane Austen England tour, please share them in the comments below!!
Any other questions?
If you have any questions about visiting England or any of the Jane Austen places listed above, I will do my best to answer them for you! Feel free to email me or comment below.
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Julia is a travel blogger with a Bachelor’s Degree in photography from Indiana Wesleyan University. She worked as a professional photo-retoucher for seven and a half years, before leaving the company to work in the travel industry. She now works at a historic 1800’s hotel. When she’s not working, she’s reading fantasy novels or classic literature, and planning trips to magical destinations.
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