By Ali Scott, author of A Heart's Secret
This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Her house in Hampshire is hosting a wide range of special events, and this Christmas my lovely husband surprised me with tickets for us to visit.
Chawton is a tiny village nestled in the South Downs National Park. It is home to Jane Austen’s House, a charming red-brick cottage surrounded by a garden and outhouses. The property belonged to Jane’s brother Edward, who lived at ‘the big house’ nearby. The first room one enters is a kitchen, with a sign that explains that Jane lived here with her sister, mother and their close friend Martha Lloyd.
The second room is the drawing room; it is bright and spacious, decorated with a replica of the original yellow wallpaper discovered during the property’s restoration. In the corner is a piano, which competent pianists are invited to play—it’s incredible to hear how the music echoes through to the other rooms. Hanging from the walls are drawings and paintings by Jane’s sister, Cassandra, who was a talented artist. In front of the fireplace there is a chair, and guests are invited to sit in the same spot where Jane and her family read the first published copy of Pride and Prejudice aloud to a family friend. When we visited, there was an American girl of about fifteen reading an excerpt of Pride and Prejudice to her mother, with all the enthusiasm of one who had fallen completely and utterly in love with Jane’s work. It was a touching reminder of all the generations of people who had been swept away by Jane’s wit and imagination, and of her enduring legacy.
The third room was the dining room, which had been arranged as though the family were about to have dinner — complete with white soup (Miss Bingley would approve!), bread, and a tea caddy. By the window was Jane’s chair and writing table, set up as though she were still writing there. I never thought I would get emotional over a piece of furniture, but it was humbling to consider that her work —which is so adored—came from such an unassuming place. From her writing desk, Jane would have been able to see the comings and goings of the street, and one can only imagine as to all the different people she would have noticed and drawn inspiration from.
Aside from the faithful restoration of Jane and her family’s living quarters, there is one more room, which is dedicated to the film and television adaptations of her work. Tucked away in one corner are the costumes worn by Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle and Alison Steadman.
Upstairs, there is a bedroom, with a surprisingly small bed. Everything is very modest and uncluttered, and on the wall is one of Cassandra’s early embroidery samplers as well as a prayer written by Jane. The bedroom looks out onto the yard at the rear, and seems very peaceful— although it must have been very noisy when there were animals and servants hurrying about the place.
Across the corridor is an exhibition that pays tribute to her writing. First editions of all six Austen books are displayed together. One of the staff members explained that at the time, people would purchase a book and have it bound to match the rest of their private library. A few of the books on display did not have any such covering and were exactly the same as when they were lifted from the printing press. The staff member commented that as Jane published anonymously, she never saw her own name on her books.
One of the cabinets is called ‘Rebel Reader, Rebel Writer.’ It contains copies of books that Jane Austen read and then annotated with her opinions in the margin. Against the description that Mary Queen of Scots was ‘formed with qualities that we love, not talents that we admire,’ Jane has simply written ‘a lie.’ There is also a short film that discusses her writing process: it explains how Jane wrote in booklets, which required a certain discipline, and speculate as to how much was already formed in Jane’s head before she committed it to paper.
The remaining rooms all contain information relating to either Jane’s family life, or the wider context in which her books were written. There are portraits of her family and acquaintances— including a man who might have been the inspiration for Mr Collins! Naval records, items of Jane’s jewellery, patchwork quilts, feather quills and pounce pots are dotted around the top floor of the house. Darker aspects of Regency life such as the slave trade are also discussed.
Another staff member (who was honestly amazing and spoke to us for ages) told us of Jane’s acceptance and then subsequent refusal of a marriage proposal, and what this meant in terms of her financial security. We learnt of the importance of Edward Austen Knight’s inheritance and the relationship between Jane’s house in the village and Chawton House. There was a sense that Jane had access to many different social spheres and I came away wanting to learn more about how this influenced her writing.
As a final treat, my husband had timed our day out to coincide with a creative writing session and I was able to continue with a little of my next Austenesque story while I was there — which was very exciting! As someone who takes so much pleasure from writing, I left Chawton feeling incredibly grateful for Jane’s tenacity and determination to share her talent. In pursuing her ambition, she helped to open the door for so many others, and it was a privilege to visit her home.
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