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A ‘Week’ with Jane Austen
Combining Jane Austen’s Hampshire and Heart of England Homes and Gardens short tours into one 10-day holiday
OK so we’re taking a big of dramatic license as our tour is a 10 day ‘week!’
This is an adventure into the world of Jane Austen, places where the author herself lived or visited and places of inspiration for her novels. Enjoy fragrant gardens, thatched country villages and small parish churches. We’ll explore the regal estates used for recent film versions of her works. We’ll sample local favorite dishes, regionally made wines and ales and have lovely experiences off the beaten track, meeting the locals.
Our tour will visit some highlights of the English counties of Hampshire and Heart of England, the region famous for the Cotswolds villages and some of the countries’ best gardens. Both regions offer quite a number of worthy attractions in their own right, our tour adds in the fun bonus of exploring their Jane Austen connections too. Along the way, enjoy literary connections to a few other great British writers and the iconic towns of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Salisbury and Bath. We’ll explore the lesser known area of the Peak District, where we will explore some amazingly regal stately homes and gardens used as film sites for recent film versions of Jane Austen’s works. Imagine yourself in the arms of the BBC’s leading men at Chatsworth (real life home of Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire) and Lyme Park, home to one famed lake!
We hope this is an interesting way to explore several lovely regions of Britain while giving you the opportunity to ‘get inside’ some of your beloved novels. All in all, this is simply a well rounded holiday for the Jane Austen fan as well as their companions!
Tour Dates: 12 - 21 June, 2012
Tour Rates: $3599 USD per person; $3999 USD single rate
What your tour price includes: Your accommodation for 9 nights while on the tour including both full breakfasts and 7 dinners. Your price also includes entrance fees to listed attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide.
TENTATIVE ITINERARY
Day 1 Tuesday
We depart London, our destination being Hampshire, ‘Jane Austen Country.’ We will travel to our first village of interest, Steventon, where Jane Austen spent her first 25 years. We will explore the small parish church where her father was a clergyman including the churchyard where her brother and his family lie. This quiet, peaceful place is like stepping back in time.
The Tudor manor house The Vyne, visited by King Henry VIII on at least 3 occasions, is also on the day’s agenda. The house is filled with an eclectic mix of fine furniture, portraits, textiles and sculpture. The attractive gardens feature an ornamental lake, woodlands and flourishing wetlands, a haven for wildlife and water fowl. This was the home of the Chute family, friends of the Austens, and Jane and her sister often visited for dances and to play cards. The dances held here would have been intimate affairs, ones of great contrast to the lavish balls Jane would later attend in Bath. We can see the portrait of the Chute’s adoptive daughter Caroline, said to be the inspiration for Fanny Price of Mansfield Park.
Next, Jane’s home at Chawton, now open as a museum. It was in this quaint village that she spent the majority of her later years and where she wrote or completed most of her most famous works, Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice amongst others. Once inside the house, we are in her world. We’ll also enjoy the village itself and the cottage gardens that Jane and her sister lovingly tended.
Our accommodation for the next two nights, subject to availability, is an Edwardian manor house set in 12 acres of beautiful gardens between Winchester and the coastal town of Southampton.
NIGHTSTOP: Chilworth area, Hampshire
Day 2 Wednesday
Today we’ll explore the ancient Saxon capital of Winchester. Our time here will include a guided walk around the city, seeing the cathedral where Jane Austen is buried, one of England's most famous public schools and the place Jane last called home, where she passed away in 1817.
We’ll also enjoy touring around New Forest and the seaport of Southampton, where Jane Austen lived for 2 years following the death of her father. We’ll explore the ancient city walls, said to be a favorite walking spot for Jane, and a few local landmarks well known to her. It is thought that the Portsmouth scenes in Mansfield Park are modeled after her experience of local life in Southampton.
Dependent upon time and interest, we might also enjoy a stop at Houghton Lodge, set alongside the River Test on a tranquil, rural estate. Often used by film crews, this is a fine example of a late 18th Century cottage garden. Here is a woodland wildlife walk along the river, a lovely walled garden, orchid house and a Peacock Topiary garden.
NIGHT STOP: Hampshire, as above
Day 3 Thursday
During our day, we’ll visit in iconic Salisbury. Here we can pay our respects inside the stunning gothic cathedral and see one of the greatest pieces of writing, the Magna Carta.
Wilton House is a great choice on our theme and truly one of the country's treasure houses. Here, experience nearly 500 years of history as you wander through its magnificent rooms, marvel at its architecture, soak in its fine paintings and spectacular gardens. Wilton House is often used as a location for period films thanks to its sumptuous interiors. Fans may recognize some rooms as “Pemberley” from the 2005 Keira Knightley Pride and Prejudice. The ‘double cube room’ is particularly popular, also appearing in Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lydon, Madness of King George, Judi Dench favorite Mrs Brown and most recently in Young Victoria.
This afternoon, we will make our way to Bath, the city of Georgian splendor and Roman antiquity. Upon arrival, your guide will be on hand for an orientation walking tour of Jane Austen’s city. This place was enjoyed by the social set of the 18th and 19th centuries, a setting for Jane Austen amongst many other writers; Austen fans will immediately recognize several streets and squares from her novels such as Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. You can also see places where the author herself lived.
Dinner is not included tonight for flexibility’s sake.
Subject to availability, our Bath accommodation is a Georgian townhouse with a re-created Regency garden opened exclusively for guests. These gardens were inspired by the writings of Jane Austen and, along with meticulous historical research, all plantings were specifically chosen as ones that Jane or one of her characters would have enjoyed.
NIGHT STOP: Bath
Day 4 Friday
Touring to Lyme Regis far from the madding crowd, we will explore a bit of countryside well known to Thomas Hardy. The counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorsetshire are ones where time literally seems to have stood still since the days of Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy.
Jane Austen's Lyme Regis is sure to be one highlight of our day! We'll spend time exploring this part of Britain's 'Jurassic Park' and perhaps find a fossil along the shoreline nearby. Lyme Regis was a popular sea spa town and the site of many Austen family holidays. The town looks much as it did when Jane spent time here, and sites from Persuasion are recognizable.
Also today, Stourhead Gardens, featuring one of the world's finest 18th Century landscape gardens including a magnificent lake, classical temples, enchanting grottos plus rare and exotic trees. The Temple of Apollo here was featured in a memorable scene between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice and should be recognizable to fans.
NIGHT STOP: Bath, as above
Day 5 Saturday
Today we have a full day to explore Bath as you please. We highly recommend time in the Roman Baths and Pump Rooms, the Jane Austen Centre and perhaps the American Museum with its amazing display of quilts. You could simply wander the lovely tea rooms and antique shops - the choice is yours!
Dinner in not included tonight for flexibility’s sake.
NIGHT STOP: Bath, as above (accommodation included in your package)
Day 6 Sunday
Late morning, we will make our way to the medieval village of Lacock, which has hardly changed in the past 200 years. With its magnificent abbey, half timbered cottages and greystone houses, it provides a perfect setting. This lovely place, where TV ariels, telephone wires and advertising are banned, has been used as a film set for many popular films such as the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle production of Pride and Prejudice, the BBC series of Cranford and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Abbey House Gardens is our next destination. Owned by the “naked gardeners,” this 16th Century Abbey House boasts an unusually large 5 acre town centre garden, nestled beside the historic Abbey in the lovely village of Malmesbury. Famed gardener Alan Titchmarsh said about Abbey House, “The Wow Factor is here in abundance!”
NIGHT STOP: Burford/Woodstock area
Day 7, Monday
Our day first sees us visiting Blenheim Palace. This incredible treasure house, set near Oxford on the edge of the Cotswolds, was given to Winston Churchill's ancestor John, 1st Duke of Marlborough. The superb collection here includes fine paintings, furniture, bronzes and the famous Marlborough Victories tapestries. In addition to the palace itself with all of the opulent splendor, you'll have ample time to wander the amazing gardens, designed in part by ‘Capability’ Brown. A trip to Blenheim Palace would certainly not be complete without visiting the Water Terraces, Rose Garden, Arboretum, Cascades or the Secret Garden.
The rest of our day will be spent meandering through the honey-thatch cottage Cotwolds villages famous in this region. Each is unique and pretty in its own right and there are many opportunities for a stop in a tea-shop or wandering the antique shops. With our small vehicle, we can get where larger coaches can't and avoid the commercialized 'honey-pots' to discover the best of local treasures.
Seeking a Jane Austen connection, there are two quaint villages between Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton to discover – Adlestrop and Churchill. Certainly off the beaten track! There are a wide range of Cotswolds gardens for us to choose from too - Painswick Rococo, a hilly gem with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside or perhaps Hidecote Manor, a series of small gardens within the whole, separated by walls and hedges of different species or maybe Sudeley Castle? Perhaps some time in the iconic hometown of Shakespeare, Stratford-Upon-Avon? Spoilt for choice!
NIGHT STOP: Burford/Woodstock area, as above
Day 8, Tuesday
For 400 years, Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire was the county seat of Jane Austen's relatives, the Leighs. In 1806, Jane visited her cousin Reverend Thomas Leigh on the estate and was so inspired by Stoneleigh that she wove descriptions of the interiors, views of the grounds and cameos of the family into her novels. Stoneleigh Abbey has changed little since 1806, the rooms and much of the furniture are still as Jane Austen would have known them. The park and gardens at Stoneleigh reveal a long history of landscaping undertaken over four centuries at the behest of the Leigh family. There has been a settlement with gardens here from as early as 1154!
Later, a bit of motorway driving will bring us to the Peak District. Jane Austen stayed in the area for 5 weeks in 1806 at the home of another cousin, Edward Cooper. Perhaps we will choose to route via Lichfield, a bustling market town visited by Jane for touring and shopping; it offers a lovely cathedral, some charming Tudor buildings and is the birthplace of Dr Johnson, the author of the very first dictionary (Jane Austen called him her “dear Dr Johnson” and his house “the best hereabouts.”)
NIGHT STOP: Matlock
Day 9, Wednesday
We have a full day to enjoy the Peak District and the magnificent Pennine Hills scenery. Here, where the dry-stone walls make criss-cross patterns of the sheep covered hills, we may find ancient folk customs such as 'well-dressing' as we wander the rural Derbyshire villages such as favorite film location towns Bakewell and Longnor. Another possibility is Ashbourne, a town with connections to both Dr Johnson and George Eliot, who described the church as “the finest mere parish church in the entire kingdom.” It is located nearby the lovely River Dove, a favorite spot for Wordsworth.
There are a few stately homes and treasure houses in this area which may seem familiar for fans of period films. These estates are often used as sets, most famously recent productions of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and The Duchess among others. We will visit as many as time will permit. The grand finale of our day is sure to be a visit to Lyme Park, used by the BBC for the hugely popular Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice. Fans may recognize the lake as well as the house itself. Here, we’ll find the Palladian mansion surrounded by a medieval deer park of almost 1400 acres, an amazing formal garden and lavish interiors.
Day 10, Thursday
Another full day in The Peaks permits us the opportunity to explore even more stunning places. There’s the town of Hathersage, known as “Morton” in Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre. The town itself is an attractive, prosperous gritstone village of charm and character, perched rather picturesquely on a hillside. This whole area is well known to film crews, capturing real places of inspiration for classic literature. Nearby there’s the soaring Stanage Edge, a famous scene from the Keira Knightley Pride & Prejudice, Lees Hall and connections to Little John from the Robin Hood legends.
A sure inclusion today is a visit to the Duke of Devonshire's stately home at Chatsworth, the real life home of Georgina, The Duchess of Devonshire and said to have been the inspiration for Jane Austen as her “Pemberley.” It was here that most of the exterior sequences for Pemberley in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice were filmed as well as a few interiors including the sculpture gallery.
Our tour finishes in Manchester this evening.
Manchester is wonderful city, there’s the opportunity to extend your stay and discover the best of this northern city. We can add accommodation and day tours as you wish for the appropriate supplemental fee. Please discuss choices with us.
Add London to your package: London accommodation, airport transfers, London city tours, London attraction passes and London transport passes are separate from our short tour but can be added to your overall package as you wish. Ask us for full details.
London offers heaps of options for visitors! We recommend enhancing your Jane Austen literary adventure with a visit to the British Library where you can see Jane’s manuscripts. Another choice is the National Portrait Gallery, where among the many painting and photographs of famous Britons, you can see the sketch of Jane Austen done by her sister Cassandra. This is the only undisputed portrait of the author.
Perhaps you will choose to go around on the “Big Bus”, the best introduction to the iconic sites of the Capitol. Hop off when you want then hop back on - a fun way to start your holiday. SGT highly recommends a visit to St Paul’s Cathedral during your time in London. Their new included multi-media personal Ipod Touch tour guide brings hundreds of years of British history to life - literary at your fingertips! Avoid the queues/lines and pre-book your tickets via us. We can also assist you with pre-booking The Tower of London tickets too. This evening, perhaps go to a show at one of London’s fantastic theatres such as Shakespeareﾒs Globe? Spoilt for choice in the Capital!
Please note: All attraction opening times are correct at time of printing this website. While we will do our utmost to include all of the properties mentioned as central visits, we reserve the right to change an attraction should it become impossible to deliver a planned visit due to changes in opening days or times that we could not have been aware of at the time of loading this tour to our website.
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