Jane Austen’s House Museum

Vicky Sartain

Chawton is where Jane Austen spent the latter part of her life, and her home at the heart of the village is now a museum dedicated to her and her work. It was here that Austen did most of her mature writing and worked on some of her best known novels such as Mansfield Park and Emma.

As well as writing, Austen spent her days playing the piano, taking long walks and sewing in the evenings. Visitors to the museum can now view the author’s personal items, such as her writing table along with other family furniture, jewellery, manuscript letters and a patchwork quilt that Jane made together with her sister Cassandra and their mother. Although the museum’s collection is on the small side, it provides a tangible insight into what life would have been like for the Austen family within this property.

Tel: 01420 83 262. www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk