One of Britain’s greatest novelists, Jane Austen’s writing still holds huge appeal - even 250 years after her birth. Here are six Austen-inspired UK destinations book-lovers are flocking to in 2025.
"Oh! Who can ever be tired of Bath?" Jane Austen wrote in Northanger Abbey. Certainly not her fans, who continue to flood into the Georgian city, in England’s southwest.
And in 2025, Austen outings are expected to increase, as the year marks the 250th anniversary of the author’s birth, with events planned all over England’s south. From London to her last home in Hampshire, Southampton, Winchester and Bath, what better excuse to get lost in Austen? Here are some of the key sites to visit.
Although everyone associates Jane Austen with Bath, the author spent a lot of time in London. She stayed with her brother, Henry, at his home at 10 Henrietta Street in Covent Garden, which is now a bar. However, you can stay in boutique hotel The Henrietta, a few doors along, and enjoy the same view of lively Covent Garden that Jane would have gazed upon.
Or you can check in to the super-boutique Henry’s Townhouse, in Marylebone, which was another former townhouse of her brother Henry’s. It has been beautifully restored with a nod to the author.
Don’t leave London without visiting her commemorative tablet in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.
Just southwest of London is the village of Steventon, Hampshire, where Jane was born on December 16, 1775. Her father was rector of the church until he retired in 1801, and the 13th-century St Nicholas Church has changed little since the author sat in the pews listening to his services.
The rectory, where the family lived, was later demolished, but a lime tree marks where it stood. You can take a Jane Austen Trail walk, following in her footsteps around the village. One walk Jane often enjoyed was to the nearby 18th-century country manor, Oakley Hall, then owned by family friends the Bramstons, scenes from which appeared in Mansfield Park. It’s now a 50-room hotel, set in glorious grounds.
Not far from Steventon is the village of Chawton where you’ll find the museum called Jane Austen’s House. A must-visit for any Austen fan, this pretty cottage was the last home of the writer where she penned all her novels. She lived here with her mother and sister from 1809 until 1817. Now it’s an atmospheric museum, and you can wander around the rooms as they were in her day and see her writing desk, letters, clothes and bedroom. To mark the anniversary, the museum has opened a new exhibition, Jane Austen and the Art of Writing.
In May 1817, a sickly Jane travelled to Winchester to be near her doctor. She moved into lodgings at 8 College Street and died there, on July 18, 1817, aged 41, of what is now thought to have been either Addison's disease or Hodgkin's lymphoma. Part of Winchester College private school, this apartment will be open to the public for the first time in summer 2025.
Jane was buried in the north nave of Winchester Cathedral, which is another place of pilgrimage for Austen-lovers, and it's here you can see her tombstone, which famously mentions "the extraordinary endowments of her mind" but not her novels. To mark the anniversary, Winchester Cathedral has commissioned a statue of the author and is holding tours and services through the year.
While Bath gets all the attention, Southampton, on England's south coast, is setting about showcasing its own Austen connections. The author lived there between 1806 and 1809 and her travelling writing desk is on loan from the British Museum as part of the exhibition, In Training for a Heroine, at God's House Tower until the end of February. The SeaCity Museum is also running a special exhibition, called A Very Respectable Company - Jane Austen and her Southampton Circle, from March to October.
You can take a Jane Austen Walking Trail around the port city, following plaques around key places in what was then a spa town, including the former The Dolphin Hotel, where she attended balls, which recently hit the headlines because it's being converted into student accommodation.
On the topic of balls, the last destination is beautiful Bath. The city in Somerset famous for its Georgian streets and Roman baths appeared in all six of Jane Austen's novels. She was a frequent visitor and later resident, and while Austen addicts have lately been outnumbered by Featherington fans, Bridgerton will make way for the Bennets in 2025.
There are special events all year in key sites, including The Jane Austen Centre, Bath Assembly Rooms and Pump House. In 2025 there will be three balls for Austen fans - two Summer Balls and a Yuletide Birthday Ball in December, as well as the annual Jane Austen Festival and Grand Regency Costumed Promenade in September.
The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel also has a program of Austen events, including tours, talks and a celebratory dinner, or you can stay in one of Jane's former homes, apartment No.1 The Paragon.
It's easy to drive from London to Hampshire, Southampton and Bath, all of which are a few hours' journey. Or you can take a train from London to Southampton, Winchester and Bath.
See also:
What's hot in the UK and Ireland in 2025
Crocodiles were displaying disturbing and dangerous behaviour but not removed by authorities before a monster 4m predator killed a fisherman in remote Queensland, it has been revealed. SEE THE VIDEO
Kip Wightman opens up on rebuilding his life after hitting rock bottom, and feeling the ratings pressure after one of Australia’s biggest radio personalities.