In the footsteps of Jane Austen

Enthusiastic about Jane Austens novels and their film adaptions, we decided to go on seeking traces. So we visited Bath, Lyme Regis, Chawton, Winchester and Lacock; you can find an overview of travel informations, sights, infos about the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, etc.

Every information of transport, opening times, prices, etc are from our trips in September 2009, September 2010, June 2012 and August 2013. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that they are still the same!

Public Transport

In the beginning of our journey we decided to travel by public transport. On one side you are spared from possible stress with rental cars and left-hand-driving, on the other side you can enjoy the landscape better by coach or by train – and you have time to read good books (Jane Austen, of course!!!).

From train station London Paddington to Bath Spa or Chippenham (nearest train station to Lacock) there are direct trains; from London Paddington to Winchester or Axminster (nearest train station to Lyme Regis) you have to change trains. The tickets are cheaper when you buy them before you start your journey! The tickets need to be collected at a ticket automat at the train station (you need the credit card, which was used to pay the tickets). Connections, prices und more informations:

National Rail

First Great Western

And if you want to spare the way to London Paddington, you can also travel by coach from Heathrow Airport (e.g. to Bath Spa, to Winchester). The tickets for the coach are also cheaper when you buy them before you start your journey! You print your tickets at home. Connections, prices und more informations:

National Express

Local buses (e.g. from Axminster to Lyme Regis, from Winchester to Alton, from Chippenham to Lacock) you have to pay at the driver. And don´t forget: You have to wave to the bus driver, if you want to take the bus :-)

By car in England

For visiting secluded manor houses, gardens and small towns a car is an advantage. If you are traveling for the first time by car in England, it will take all your concentration for conversion to the left-hand traffic. That is why we changed our navigation device to German. This is definitely helpful for the beginning - especially if you are driving towards the first 2, 3 or 4-lane roundabout! :-)

Our advice: stay cool, don´t hurry and wave friendly (for example if it happens that you notice on the first lane that you must on the sooo rightmost lane!! ;-)

Accomodation

While planning our first trip we received a lot of offers from hotels, youth hostels and Bed & Breakfasts. After a very hearty answer we decided to stay at a B&B. Cosy and familiar atmosphere and - of course – every morning British Breakfast :-)

They were soon settled in comfortable
lodgings in Pulteney Street.

Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen

Eat & Drink

The British cuisine has a bad reputation: greasy preparation of food, strange spices, very meaty meals. Shortly: you can hardly get good food in Great Britain... While our previous travels we did not notice anything of these things :

• British Breakfast! We would love to eat it more times a day :-)
• Afternoon Tea! Best teas, fresh baked Scones with Clotted Cream, Sandwiches with delicious fillings, Victoria Sponge Cake, etc! We love it!!!
• Chips! Seldom from the refrigerator, but handmade from „real“ potatoes. You can see it at the different wide and size :-)
• Pub culture! From students to business men – you can find nearly everyone in a pub. Even two Austrian Janeites with Spencer and Bonnet are welcome! And most of the time you eat very good there!!!

CONCLUSION: WE LOVE THE BRITISH CUISINE :-)

Travel clothes

We travelled in the clothes of this past time, and we made only good experiences. At Austrian and German airports you cause often asking looks, but on British soil we encountered great kindness. However, you have to reckon that others stare at you, ask questions or take pictures of you (we recommend to steer clear of large travel groups!). So, travelling with Spencer and Bonnet is nothing for shy minds ;-)

When travelling by plane in historical costumes, you may think of more time for the security checks. Once we had the charming pleasure, to show a security official what´s hidden under the fabric masses. Since then we know, that a wooden busk possibly could be a weapon. ;-)

Even if umbrellas in the handluggage are accepted, sun-umbrellas are not always welcome. From Graz to London were our lovely sun-umbrellas no problem. But on the way back we had to give them off; they were joined with a tape and thrown (!) into a container for special luggage. We don´t like to explain our horrified faces; nor have we expected to hold them in one piece in our hands again. Who wants to spare himself or his umbrellas this adventure, should pack them into the suitcase. And if you ask yourself what happend to our sun-umbrellas – they survived their „flight“ into the container and everything that came after this - to our greatest surprise :-)

In the end...

we can only hope that you enjoy our travel reports and maybe you can use them at your travel in the footsteps of Jane Austen.

We wish all Janeites a lovely journey with a lot of unforgettable moments. And we are looking forward to each postcard :-)

In the Footsteps of
Jane Austen

Bath

Lyme Regis

Chawton

Winchester

Lacock (Filmlocation)

Biography

Our Journeys in the Footsteps of Jane Austen

Jane Austen Society Austria

What are men to rocks and mountains? Oh! What hours of transport we shall spend! And when we do return, it shall not be like other travellers, without being able to give one accurate idea of any thing. We will know where we have gone; we will recollect what we have seen. Let our first effusions be less insupportable than those of the generality of travellers.

Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen