Following in Jane Austen’s footsteps in Bath

The town as the set of ‘Persuasion’ - ITV photo

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that all Jane Austen fans  will eventually find their way to Bath

 
Yes, embarrassingly enough, I am one of the “Janeites”: a lover of all things Jane Austen who has read and re-read her six novels and watched countless adaptations of her works by the BBC and others.

The Roman Baths (unearthed after Austen’s time in Bath) with the Bath Abbey in the background.

As all fans of Jane Austen  – and even those who dislike her, but were forced to read her during high school English classes –  know,  Bath plays prominently in her works. Jane Austen lived in Bath for five years and two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were largely set there.

The Circus

So, when I was in London with my two young children, I decided to take a day-trip to Bath, two hours away by trains departing from London’s Paddington Station. My husband was not along on this trip and my two sons are too young to protest, so  the timing seemed perfect to make my own pilgrimage to Jane Austen’s former hometown.

Bath, an elegant town originally settled by the Ancient Romans and containing stunning Georgian and Victorian architecture, is truly a wonderful destination, even for non-Jane-obsessed travellers.

The Assembly Hall where Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth attend a concert in ‘Persuasion’

I decided to join a Jane Austen walking tour , led by the knowledgable guides of Bath’s Jane Austen Centre who pepper the walking tour commentary with segments from Jane’s letters, scenes from her books and shooting locations of the films.

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the commentary and visiting the real sites of fictional scenes from the books, such as the Assembly Hall where the concert scene in Persuasion takes place, the very room in which the dastardly William Elliot comes between the novel’s protagonists.

In addition to points of interest from Jane Austen’s novels, the walking tour takes in all of Bath’s striking architecture, including the abbey, the Roman baths, the Pump Room, the Crescent and the Circus and is a wonderful way to get a feel for the city.

Recovering from the Jane Austen Tour on The Crescent lawn

Even decidedly non-Jane Austen fans, such as the two I had in tow on my Bath pilgrimage, will appreciate the expanses of green and parks dotting this graceful city.

Clearly, Bath offers something for everyone, although, alas,  I can’t speak for ‘single women in want of rich husbands’.

Readers, any noteworthy Bath encounters with modern-day Captain Wentworths or Mr. Darcys?

4 Comments

  1. Travis Casey on March 9, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    I can’t really say I’m a Jane Austen fan because I never read her. But I do love Bath. What a place. Good article, I enjoyed it.

  2. kimberlysullivan on March 9, 2012 at 4:10 pm

    I agree, Travis. Bath really is a special place…

  3. Chantel Rhondeau on March 9, 2012 at 5:38 pm

    Looks beautiful! Nice post and wonderful pictures. I’ve never read any Jane Austen either, but Bath looks marvelous!

  4. kimberlysullivan on March 12, 2012 at 9:42 am

    It definitely is, Chantel! They keep using it as a location for period films and I don’t think they have to do much to prepare the town except get the cars out of the way..

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply