English author, Jane Austen, has strong ties to the city of Bath. In addition to having spent a significant portion of her life here, Bath is mentioned in every one of her works, plus, two of her six major novels about 18th century British upper class society are based in the city. Austen began her writing career (poems, stories, and plays) at the age of 12. While all of her major works were written between 1811 and 1818, not one of them was published under her own name during her lifetime. Her most highly acclaimed novel, "Pride and Prejudice" was published as "anonymous." An original Georgian townhouse on Gay street, just a few steps from one of the homes in which she actually lived, serves as the Jane Austen Center, dedicated to her time spent in Bath. We both remember some of Austen's novels being on our school reading lists growing up, so visiting this Center was a must for us. There are guided walking tours of the places in which Austen lived while in Bath, and of sites that were important to her novels.
The Jane Austen Center on Gay Street, Bath, England, is dedicated to the life and works of this famous English Author.
Even though we were not dressed in authentic 18th to 19th century attire, we were accepted into the Center.
The first floor (in the United States, the second floor) parlor was used by ladies of the house to read, write, and do sewing.
The ground floor parlor was used for less formal dining and sitting.
This portrait was drawn by Jane Austen's sister, Cassandra.
Austen's brother, Francis, depicted here as a Naval Captain, would eventually rise to the rank of Senior Admiral of the Navy, the highest position in the British Royal Navy.
This wax figure of Jane Austen, specially commissioned by the Center, was created by forensic artist Melissa Dring. It is considered to be the most accurate depiction of the famous English author.
Number 25 Gay street, just a few doors up from the Jane Austen Center, is one of the homes in which the Austen family lived while in Bath. Today, it is a dentist's office...
...but they still acknowledge the historical significance of the building.
Not far from the Jane Austen Center is St. Swithin's church where her parents were married...
....the original church was built on this site in 971 AD and dedicated to Swithin, Bishop of Winchester. The present structure was constructed in 1777, after the first one was damaged by storms. The foundations of that original Saxon church are beneath the floor of the crypt...
...Austen's father, the Reverand George Austen, is buried in the small cemetery next to St. Swithin's church. The engravings depicting his name have severely faded...
...but a modern plaque has been placed next to the tomb to acknowledge who is buried here.
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