Jane Austen's House

As a dedicated fan of Jane Austen I have wanted to visit the Jane Austen house for quite some time. I was able to do so today and it was so wonderful. The staff are present to answer questions and are so helpful. They enjoy your own excitement. The home has been beautifully restored and includes so many items of Jane's. It was a joy to see the table where she wrote her novels. I leaned out the window that she probably leaned out of once upon a time. The grounds are lovely to explore as well. It was amazing to see first editions of all of her books!

Much of how much you enjoy this museum will depend on your knowledge and appreciation of Jane Austen and her work but even as someone who has not read any of her novels I found the house to be an informative snapshot of her life and of the regency era in general and I commend the curators for their dedication to accurately depicting early 19th century life. Important things to note: the house (and therefore the museum) is small. The operators will only permit small groups (12 max) to enter in twenty minute slots. I highly recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a sensible traveller in possession of a free afternoon, must be in want of a visit to Jane Austen’s House. Whether one is drawn by the charm of literary devotion or merely in search of a respectable tea-room nearby, the cottage at Chawton cannot fail to supply both instruction and amusement. House and gardens, gift shop and toilets. Friendly and helpful volunteers working in the house. Dressing up optional. Tickets are limited so book in advance to avoid disappointment.

I don’t know where to start- am feeling both exhilaration and emotional after visiting Jane Austen’s house earlier today. So to start, absolutely make a booking! We saw folks being turned away or having to comeback like two hours later as slots were booked! It’s a small house and a lot to see / read/ experience and so can understand why the House limits the number of folks that can enter within a twenty minute time slot. Parking is also a bit hard and off-street was our only option. We spent over 3 hours enjoying the various rooms and exhibitions, listen to the audio first and then step into the house. Kudos to the volunteers who help preserve this history. The gardens are lovely as is the opportunity to dress up in period costumes. I feel drunk on happiness to have had the opportunity to visit!

A must see for every Jane Austen fan. The house gives such a good impression of how she lived and little details (like the mousseline dresses on the line outside), make it seem as if she just popped out for an errand. After the visit you can sit in the lovely garden.

Make sure you purchase tickets in advance, because each tour will sell out. Although the docents had us enter in small groups, I wish they kept the crowd flow moving through each room, as it grew very crowded within the rooms themselves. The exhibits are interesting, and it was nice being able to sit in the garden.

We visited on a glorious summer’s day which only added to the experience as the garden was in full bloom. A small museum that packed plenty in and did Jane Austen’s story justice - we learnt so much. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and personable. Visiting each room of the house, volunteers shared little anecdotes which made the experience extra special. We prebooked our tickets online (there are time slots) and are valid for 1 year for return visits.

Jane Austen’s House is charming and thoughtfully presented, with personal items, letters and displays that bring Austen’s world to life. The gardens are peaceful, the staff are knowledgeable, and the overall atmosphere feels intimate and authentic. The kitchen experience was very special to me, and the legacy room felt very emotional. A lovely, worthwhile visit!

I am a huge Jane Austen fan (I took a class on her in grad school), so of course I loved seeing her house in Chawton. It was amazing to see after visiting Chawton House and comparing how this truly was a cottage, and realizing it was once on the same property as Chawton House. They do their best to replicate things as they might have been, and even have scraps of the original wallpaper framed next to the renewed version of the wallpaper. You can take a picture with Pride and Prejudice in the room in which Jane herself first read the book. If you do not like Jane Austen, perhaps give it a visit to see if experiencing this place changes your mind? If you like history, you will probably still enjoy a lot of what this museum shows, regardless of your feelings about Jane Austen. If you are a fan of Jane Austen, make sure to visit here. It is a bit of a crazy walk if coming in from Alton, but completely worth it (and really, the walk from the bus stop to Chawton does a great job of transporting you back to Jane Austen's time to better appreciate Chawton House and Jane Austen's House).

I visited this museum on a day trip from London and WOW! Not only is the museum itself beautiful, well organized, and full of information, but the staff is very welcoming! Not only were they friendly when we picked up the tickets, but once we were inside, those inside were happy to answer our many, many questions about the house, the furniture, and the time that Jane spent there. Our group spent almost two hours exploring the house and the small garden. Make sure to save some time for the gift shop! The selection of gifts, books, toys, and specialty items was amazing and the staff was helpful is assisting with our selections. Next to the gift shop, there was even a family activity area for kids to dress up, practice their calligraphy, and color. It turns out that this house was where Jane Austen spent the last eight years of her life, and if you consider yourself a fan of her writing, or even just early 19th century architecture, you need to make the visit!

The staff was lovely, the history was interesting, and the gift shop remarkable Very much enjoyed being able to dress up! Such a fun activity to offer. Would definitely recommend going if you're interested in learning about Jane Austen, her work, or her era!

This is the modest cottage, on one of Jane Austen's brother's estates, where the beloved author spent her last several years, finishing her novels (or "comedies" I would say - not "romances"). She and her sister lived here with their mother, and a family friend, after a stressful period for the Austens - when they were forced to move around, from Bath to other towns, following Mr. Austen's death. So the relative serenity of the village of Chawton was a relief to Jane. Finally she, her sister and mother could relax, with fewer financial worries. Thanks to her wealthy brother giving the three women a roof over their heads, Jane could finally focus on her writing. The house and gardens are lovingly preserved here. There's a bookstore inside and a tea room across the street, named after her sister, Cassandra. The house is smaller than a lot of Austen fans imagine - especially with visions of Pemberley in their heads. But this was just a cottage on the Knight estate, inherited by her brother, Edward, who was lucky enough to be adopted by rich relatives in need of an heir. Today you can walk down a lovely, tree-lined lane from the Austen cottage to that estate home - Chawton House - with a farm and church on the grounds (Jane's mother and sister are buried in the church yard). This grand house is probably where Jane spent a lot of time with family when she needed to get away from the cramped cottage. [By the way, it's only recently that Chawton House been available for public tours. A must-see for Austenites.] Also, Jane is buried inside Winchester Cathedral; and you can see the house where she died, not far from the Cathedral grounds - only 15-20 miles from Chawton. Finally, if you want to see one of the Pemberley-style estates Jane's brother inherited, go to the palatial Godmersham Park in Kent. Jane would have frequented this house to visit her brother's family here as well. It's not quite Downton Abbey - but almost!