A Jane Austen Year

‘May’ celebrates the garden here at Jane Austen's House, both as it was in Jane Austen's time and as it is today. We also drive along the Hogs Back, visit Bath and Winchester, examine Jane and Cassandra's 'topaze crosses' and the Austen women's patchwork coverlet, and witness the formation of the Jane Austen Society. We see Lydia joyfully depart for Brighton and accompany Emma and Frank Churchill to the much-anticipated ball at the Crown...

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A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.

Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.

Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.

‘May’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Lisa Felix, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood and Celia Simpson, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.

Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:
Letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 26 May 1801
Topaz crosses
Patchwork coverlet
Dining Room grate

Episode website
https://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/

Script: Sophie Reynolds
Cover Artwork:Jessica Halmshaw
Sound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard

This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.

If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. 

Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.

‘April’ is full of rain showers, umbrellas, muddy walks and romantic meetings. We celebrate Reverend and Mrs Austen's wedding day and Jane's passionate letter to the Prince Regent's Librarian in which she declares 'I must keep to my own style & go on in my own Way'. We examine a pair of Regency pattens and Frank Austen's handwritten Memoir. We take countless wet walks in Bath, Hartfield and Netherfield, and we finish with perhaps the most famous scene in all of Jane Austen's writings - a certain proposal, taking place in the small parlour at Hunsford Parsonage...

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A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.

Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.

Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.

‘April’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Emma Moffatt, Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.

Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:
Album of sketches by Admiral Sir Francis Austen and Cassandra Eliza Austen
Manuscript memoir of Admiral Sir Francis Austen
Letter from Jane Austen to Rev. James Stanier Clarke, 1 April 1816
Pair of pattens

Episode website
https://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/

Script: Sophie Reynolds
Cover Artwork:Jessica Halmshaw
Sound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard

This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.

If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our new book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories - now available wherever you get your books!

Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.

This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.

If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. 

Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.

‘March’ opens with snowdrops, potatos and many cups of tea. We visit Mr Collins’s humble abode at Hunsford Parsonage and take a sunny stroll on the Portsmouth Ramparts. We go shopping at Twinings and enjoy a bookish letter from Jane to her young niece Caroline. 

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A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.

Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.

Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.

‘March’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Emma Moffatt, Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood and Megan Shearman, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.

Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:
Wooden tea caddy
Sermon scrap
A Memoir of Jane Austen
Letter from Jane Austen to Caroline Austen, 13 March 1816
Martha Lloyd’s Household Book

Episode website
https://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/

Script: Sophie Reynolds
Cover Artwork:Jessica Halmshaw
Sound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard

This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.

If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. 

Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.

As we move into February, we are delighted to release our second episode… Here you’ll find snowdrops, marriage proposals, stage costumes, dusting and polishing, Mary Queen of Scots, ‘A good salve for sore Lips’ and *that* letter from Persuasion – all bound together with original music and sounds recorded in the House itself.

~

A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.

Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.

Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.

‘February’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Amelia Harvell, Emma Moffatt, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.

Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:
Letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra, 4 February 1813
Watercolour of Fanny Knight by Cassandra Austen
Costume design by Rex Whistler for Pride and Prejudice (1936)
Martha Lloyd’s Household Book

Episode website: https://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/

Script: Sophie Reynolds
Cover Artwork: Jessica Halmshaw
Sound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard

This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.

If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. 

Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.

A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.

Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.

Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.

January was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Amelia Harvell, Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood - with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard

Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:
Letter to Cassandra Austen, 29 January 1813
Portrait miniature of Tom Lefroy
Silhouette of Cassandra Austen
Letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra, Thursday 14-Friday 15 January 1796
Martha Lloyd’s Household Book

Episode website
https://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/

Script: Sophie Reynolds
Cover Artwork:Jessica Halmshaw
Sound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard

This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.

If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. 

Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.