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Marking 250 years since the Hampshire author’s birth, 2025 is the year of Jane Austen with celebrations, special events, and new openings planned across Jane Austen country in what’s set to be an unforgettable year to visit.
Delve into the heart of regency romantic England – Hampshire was Jane Austen’s birthplace, home, inspiration for her writing, and the place where she is laid to rest.
In a few days, discover Hampshire’s rich Jane Austen heritage, encounter its much-loved literary connections, and imagine oneself within the 250-year-old pages of a regency-era novel.
Day one: Steventon and Winchester
Jane Austen’s story begins in the north Hampshire village of Steventon (15 minutes from Basingstoke train station) where she was born in 1775 and spent the first 25 years of her life, penning the beginnings of Pride & Prejudice and other novels.
Visitors can see the small 12th century church where Jane’s father was the vicar, and follow in the footsteps of a young Jane Austen on the new Overton Jane Austen Trails.
Nearby, Tudor mansion The Vyne, which was frequented by Jane and her family, will host a series of special events including Jane Austen tours from April 2025, and Regency Easter Adventures in the Easter holidays.
From Basingstoke, it’s a 30-minute drive or 20-minute direct train to Winchester, the historic city where Jane lived for the last few weeks before she died. Janeites will excite in the first-time opening in summer 2025 of No. 8 College Street, Winchester where she wrote her last poem and died in 1817.
Around the corner, gaze down the endless nave of Winchester Cathedral where Jane Austen is buried, and from September admire the new life-size statue of the writer that will be installed in front of the cathedral.
EAT: The Ivy Winchester Brasserie on the High Street is a suitably grand spot for lunch or afternoon tea, or for excellent pub fare in a historical setting try The Wykeham Arms and The Old Vine.
STAY: Both The Wykeham Arms and The Old Vine also have rooms, or for some countryside charm head out of town to the quintessentially English Lainston House surrounded by acres of Austenesque Hampshire countryside.
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Day two: Chawton and Jane Austen’s House
From Winchester, it’s a 30-minute drive to Chawton (or 45 minutes on the number 64 bus), the bucolic Hampshire village where the author lived whilst writing her famous novels.
To set foot inside Jane Austen’s House is to step into the shoes of the beloved English author. It is now a devoted museum that still retains its homely feel throughout its rooms that carefully encapsulate their contents – including her modest walnut writing table.
Jane Austen’s House is marking this iconic year with a special anniversary programme of events including Austenmania, a year-long exhibit dedicated to Jane Austen screen adaptations of the 90s; a new permanent exhibition, Jane Austen and the Art of Writing, showcasing her creative process and first editions of her works; and a series of mini festivals throughout 2025 to celebrate 250 years of its eponymous author.
A visit to Jane Austen’s House can be combined with a trip to see Chawton House. The Elizabethean manor house that belonged to Jane’s brother Edward, now celebrates early women writers. Visitors can see Austen heirlooms and the Jane Austen Garden Trail can be found in the grounds featuring quotations from Jane’s writings.
EAT: Opposite Jane Austen’s House and named after Jane’s sister, Cassandra’s Cup is a traditional English tearoom offering cakes, snacks, and cream teas. Opposite Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, The Greyfriar pub serves seasonal food in a cosy country setting.
STAY: The Anchor Inn at Lower Froyle is 10 minutes’ drive from Chawton with classic pub rooms and food.
Day three: Southampton
A 45-minute drive from Chawton or 15-minute direct train from Winchester, Southampton is where Jane Austen briefly attended boarding school, celebrated her 18th birthday, and lived from 1806 to 1809.
The city is marking her 250th birthday celebrations with events including a special Jane Austen exhibition at God’s House Tower until February 2025 where Jane’s travelling writing desk is returned to the city the first time since she lived there.
Follow the Jane Austen heritage walking trail through the city, taking in locations connected to the author’s life.
EAT: The White Star Tavern on Oxford Street where passengers and crew of the Titanic wined and dined has a rich history in the city.
STAY: The smallest piglet of The Pig’s portfolio of chic hotels, The Pig in the Wall is a boutique hotel set within Southampton’s historic medieval walls.
Venture further afield to the original Pig hotel near Brockenhurst in the New Forest and you’ll be well located to visit Buckler’s Hard, where Jane and her sister Cassandra often took boat rides up the Beaulieu River to watch the ships being built.
Jane Austen beyond Hampshire
Hampshire is the heart of Jane Austen’s England and is the perfect place from which to explore many more places associated with the author.
Follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps on the Great West Way – a route between London and Bristol through idyllic countryside, quaint villages and elegant towns – taking in many Jane Austen locations on a special itinerary which celebrates 250 years of the author.
Direct trains run from Southampton to Bath every hour and take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes along a stunning rail route that meanders through southern England countryside. The Georgian spa city of Bath, where Jane Austen lived from 1801 to 1806, is the setting for parts of her books Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.
Also connected by direct rail to Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke, and Bath, the riverside town of Reading, Jane’s former school room at Reading Abbey Gateway – often cited as the inspiration for Austen’s Mr Goddard’s School in Emma – will open for a series of special events and tours in 2025. Nearby, the National Trust's Basildon Park, featured in the 2005 film of Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightley, and further afield many other National Trust properties have starred in TV and film adaptations of Jane Austen novels.
Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary in 2025
Jane Austen inspired days out in Hampshire
Find out more about Jane Austen in Hampshire
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