Jane Austen is one of the UK’s most distinguished authors, celebrated internationally, her six published works have never gone out of print! As we’re on the brink of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, now feels the right time to highlight more about her time Southampton, a town she visited and lived in.
Walk around our historic city centre and you’ll come across some of the plaques that signpost the places Jane frequented during her time here. The Jane Austen Heritage Trail (available to download here) highlights some of the key points along the way and gives you a more detailed history of the places featured.
Long before the arrival of tourists heading to cruise ships or to Paulton’s Park, visitors were attracted to Southampton as a spa town in the mid-1700s to early 1800s, it rivalled the likes of Scarborough and even Bath. It drew the wealthy and well-connected and although the Austens were neither, this is what brought Jane to the town on the eve of her 18th birthday.
The young Jane, a vicar’s daughter, is thought to have danced at the Dolphin Hotel in the Old Town, the ballroom at the hotel was later named after her.
However, before that she and her sister Cassandra attended Mrs Crawley’s boarding school, lodging on the High Street, however an outbreak of typhus cut short their studies here.
Walk around our historic city centre and you may come across some of the plaques that have been erected to highlight some of the spots that Jane frequented during her time here. There’s a Jane Austen Heritage Trail which you can download here which highlights some of the key points along the way and gives you a bit more detailed history of the sites featured.
Jane regularly attended All Saints Church, which was located on the corner between the High Street and East Street. Sadly, the church was heavily bombed during the Second World War and was subsequently demolished.
Drawn by the site’s gothic ruins, Jane enjoyed walking to nearby Netley Abbey. It is thought this was the inspiration for Northanger Abbey - a novel we know she drafted whilst living in Southampton. She also walked to the former Spa Gardens site at Arundel Gardens (now one of the entrances to Westquay shopping centre). Another regular haunt of the Austen family was The Long Rooms and Hot Baths, where dances were held four times a week (this is where you can now find the Quays Swimming and Diving Complex).
If you’re visiting Southampton for a few days or more, it makes an easy day trip to visit Jane Austen’s house in Chawton, where Jane moved after living in our city (approximately 40 miles away). There’s also Winchester Cathedral, where Jane is buried (approximately 13 miles).
Passionate about all things Jane Austen? Study for an MA in Jane Austen at the University of Southampton!
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