08:30 — Check out of the Abbey Hotel and meet your coach driver and Jane Austen expert guide. After loading the coach, set off on a beautiful journey through the countryside to Hampshire. Along the way, you will pass Stonehenge—while we won’t have time to stop, you’ll enjoy a great view from the road.
Our first stop is the village of Steventon, where Jane Austen was born and spent the first 25 years of her life. Here, we visit St Nicholas Church, where her father served as rector, and later, one of her brothers did too.
After a short stop, we continue to the charming village of Chawton, passing through idyllic countryside dotted with thatched cottages, chalky lanes, and sweeping rural views. Jane spent many of her later years here, and the cottage where she lived and wrote her most famous novels has been transformed into a fascinating museum dedicated to her life and work.
The reason Jane came to Chawton was her brother Edward Knight, who inherited a large estate including Chawton House. We have arranged a sandwich buffet lunch at Chawton House before you embark on a tour of the impressive property and grounds.
In the late afternoon, we travel to Winchester, where you will check in to the Winchester Royal Hotel, ready to relax after a day steeped in Austen’s world.
Start Time
Oct 8 8:30AM BST
to
End Time
Oct 8 4:00PM BST
Chawton, Alton, UK