Happy Birthday, Jane Austen

Jane Austen

Jane Austen, the more than great English novelist, was born 244 years ago today on December 16, 1775. 

I first encountered Jane Austen's writing when I was assigned to read Pride and Prejudice as a senior in high school. That simply whetted my appetite for more and turned me into a lifelong fan. 

A lot of folks consider her a romantic, but not me. If you want to read 19th-century romance, read a Bronte. I've always considered Jane Austen to be a down to earth storyteller who was somehow able to combine biting social commentary and moral theology, all the while developing some of literature's most interesting characters.

A few years ago, in September 2013, Dear Diane and I made a kind of Austen pilgrimage to England, visiting many Austen-related locations. We had an absolutely wonderful time. In fact we spent a week in a rented cottage in the Hampshire village of Chawton, where Jane spent most of her last years. The cottage is right next door to the Austen house, which is now a well-visited museum (Jane Austen House Museum). And most handily, the cottage was also directly across the street from a charming village pub, The Greyfriar. Unfortunately, since the cottage and its main house, a very old home called "Clinkers", were sold not long ago, the cottage is no longer available as a rental. 

The Austen House in Chawton (2013)

The Greyfriar, dogs and children welcome

Dear Diane and I in the garden of the Austen House

We also visited Jane's tomb in Winchester Cathedral and spent time in Steventon, another small Hampshire village where Jane spent the first decades of her life. Her father, Rev. George Austen, was the pastor of St. Nicholas Church, the Anglican church in Steventon.

Winchester Cathedral

St. Nicholas Church, Steventon

We then drove to Lyme Regis, a near perfect coastal town that reminded me of Cape Cod villages back in the 1950s. Austen also lived there briefly and used it for some key scenes in her novel, Persuasion. 

A Blustery Day in Lyme Regis

We also visited the old naval port of Portsmouth, a city that makes an appearance in Austen's novel, Mansfield Park. We even stayed several days in Kent and saw the very large house inherited by one of Jane Austen's brothers, a home she occasionally visited. 

Admiral Nelson's Cabin: HMS Victory

Finally, we spent a wonderful weekend (except for the rain) at a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Bath (The Bath House), another city where Austen lived for a time and which she used as a setting in several of her novels (Northanger Abbey and Persuasion). When in Bath the Jane Austen Centre, another well-managed Austen museum, is also worth a visit.

Diane and friend at Bath's Jane Austen Centre

The Unique Architecture of Bath

Our trip concluded with five days in London where we rented a flat about halfway between Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. One thing we discovered: rather than staying in hotels, it's far less expensive and much more enjoyable to rent cottages and flats. And because they usually come equipped with a washer and dryer, we were able to pack more lightly.

Leaving London, we returned to the USA via a 14-day transatlantic cruise aboard the Celebrity Infinity. It was a long, but truly delightful vacation...all thanks to Jane Austen.

Happy Birthday, Jane.

Winchester, Rain or Shine

Wednesday, 16 October.
When we started out this morning, it had begun to rain. The rain continued, and even intensified, as we drove to Winchester, and by the time we reached the park-and-ride lot on the edge of the city, it was pouring. When our bus reached city center, we decided to jump into a nearby coffee shop and wait out the rain. The coffee was hot and welcome, but the rain continued. It was then we discovered that Winchester Cathedral, the one place we wanted to visit, would be closed today, indeed, closed all week, because it was the venue for a series of college graduations. And so, the day began with disappointing weather and disappointing news. We decided to walk to the cathedral nevertheless so I could at least photograph the exterior. As you can see in the below photo, faculty members, graduates and their guests were all gathered in the rain in front of the cathedral.

We made our way to the cathedral gift shop, if only to get out of the weather, bought a few trinkets, and found that we might be able to enter the cathedral at 4 p.m. if we could sneak in after the last graduation. Buoyed by this bit of good news, we noticed it was time for lunch and found the nearest pub, a locally owned place called The Old Vine. Once again Diane had the soup but I surprised her and myself by ordering a brie and bacon sandwich. Of course I allowed myself a pint of fine ale. It was all excellent, and adding to our joy, the sun had begun to poke out from behind the thinning clouds. Things were looking up. Here's a photo of the pub...

With the sun warming things up and the rain gone, we strolled around the cathedral's beautiful grounds and made our way to nearby College Street and to the house in which Jane Austen spent the last few weeks of her life. Her illness -- thought to be either Addison's Disease, some type of lymphoma, or even tuberculosis -- had progressed to the point that her family moved her from Chawton to Winchester so she could receive better medical treatment. Alas, nothing could be done and Jane died in this College Street home (see photo below) at the age of 41 on 18 July 1817.

To kill time until we could enter the cathedral we stopped by a few nearby shops, including a bookstore and print shop. The print shop owner suggested we pay a visit to a tiny church above his shop, St. Swithun-upon-Kinsgate church, which the locals claim is the smallest church in England. While in this little church I noticed a memorial to an 18th century apothecary that I found particularly moving. I've included photos of the church and the memorial below.


During our stroll we happened on a couple who live on Cape Cod, where Diane and I had our home for 25  years before we retired in 2003. As we compared notes on our trips we discovered that their best friends will be aboard the ship (Celebrity Infinity) on which Diane and I will return to the USA. We promised to look them up once we're aboard. Interesting coincidences.

We managed to enter the cathedral surreptitiously and spent a few minutes searching for Jane Austen's grave. With the help of a young college student we found it and paid our respects. Unfortunately, I have very few good photos of the interior of the cathedral. Before entering I changed lenses to take advantage of a fast, wide-angle lens. But I later discovered this lens was having trouble communicating with the camera and so most of the photos are out of focus. Ugh! Ah, well, no day is perfect.

Jane's grave is marked by a stone slab inscribed with a personal tribute describing her virtues, but with no mention of her writings. The inscriptions reads:

"In Memory of JANE AUSTEN, youngest daughter of the late Revd GEORGE AUSTEN, formerly Rector of Steventon in this County. She departed this Life on the 18th of July1817, aged 41, after a long illness supported with the patience and hopes of a Christian.

"The benevolence of her heart, the sweetness of her temper, and the extraordinary endowments of her mind obtained the regard of all who knew her and the warmest love of her intimate connections.

"Their grief is in proportion to their affection, they know their loss to be irreparable, but in their deepest affliction they are consoled by a firm though humble hope that her charity, devotion, faith and purity have rendered her soul acceptable in the sight of her REDEEMER."

Here's a photo of her grave:

It was only decades later that family members added a memorial plaque on the wall of the cathedral adjacent to her grave. This second memorial pays tribute to her as an author. Below is my poor photograph of this memorial, which reads:

Jane Austen, known to many by her writings, endeared to her family by the varied charms of her Character, and ennobled by Christian Faith and Piety, was born at Steventon in the county of Hants Dec xvi mdcclxxv and buried in this Cathedral July xxiv mdcccxvii. "She opened her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness."  Prob xxxi vi xxvi

We left the cathedral, took the bus to our car, and drove back here to Chawton. For a day that began so poorly, it really turned out quite well. I'll leave you with a few more photos...



Blessings friends...

Chawton Cottage and Winchester

Wednesday, 16 October.

Once again I'm up early, relaxing in our comfortable living room, and enjoying my morning coffee. Dear Diane likes to sleep in while on vacation and I can hardly blame her. Sadly, my internal clock simply won't let me do the same.

After a quick glance behind the window curtain, I can see we won't likely repeat yesterday's glorious weather. It's overcast and looks colder than it probably is. Indeed, I just checked the forecast online and we can expect light rain and drizzle for most of the day with a temperature in the mid-fifties. We've become quite accustomed to such weather, though, and so remain undeterred and will as the English say, "keep calm and carry on."

I haven't written very much about Clinkers Barn, our delightful little cottage here in Chawton, an oversight that must be attended to. I can't imagine a better choice (slight pat on the back). The location couldn't be better, especially for a Jane Austen fan, but the cottage itself is just about perfect for anyone visiting the south of England for a week or more. It was also amazingly affordable, far less than a simple hotel room in the same area.

On the ground floor we have a fully equipped kitchen, including a washer and dryer, two indispensable appliances for travelers. There's also a half-bath downstairs, a dining area, and a comfortable and quite roomy living area. We have a TV with limited satellite access, a nice selection of books, and a DVD player and CD/Radio audio system. There's also free WiFi that works very well, once I found the password posted on a small bulletin board.

Upstairs consists of a long, narrow bedroom and a 3/4 bath that even includes a bathroom scale calibrated in kilograms. This is a true advantage for us periodic weight-watches since the numbers are much lower than on a scale calibrated in pounds. The cottage has a wonderful heating system which we use only when we're here during the day. At night there's no need since we're bundled up under a stack of warm comforters.

My only complaints are truly minor.  The shower's one of those tiny, European stalls that encourage you not to drop the soap. The shower itself, though, is quite good and puts out a strong spray of water. And the bed might be an inch or two short for me, but will be fine for most folks.

We also have our own off-the-street parking area, a real advantage in this nation of limited parking spaces. And for those planning a visit during the warmer months, behind the cottage and accessible from the living room is a lovely little enclosed private garden with a table and chairs, perfect for an al fresco breakfast or afternoon tea or a glass of wine under the stars. What could be better? Honestly, I'd rather stay here than in the most luxurious of hotels.

So...if you're considering a similar trip, our little cottage receives my personal five star rating: ***** Dear Diane is up and about, so we're getting ready to set out on today's adventure: a visit to the nearby city of Winchester. I'll tell you all about it this evening.