An itinerary for exploring Jane Austen's Winchester in a day
Marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Winchester presents a host of special events, tours and exhibitions to celebrate the remarkable life and works of this beloved Hampshire-born novelist. Spend a day in the city exploring places she knew, seeing objects from her life and retracing the journey of her final days.
Winchester City Museum
The Winchester that Jane knew was quite different to the city you see today. Begin your day with Jane discovering the history of Georgian Winchester at City Museum, located in The Square.
There are only a handful of items that survive today that actually belonged to Jane, and at City Museum visitors will also be able to see four of her personal possessions – two handmade purses, a personalised ivory spool case and her pelisse coat.
These are some of the most precious items in Hampshire Cultural Trust's collection and offer a unique glimpse into Jane's personal life. Jane paid £5 for the pelisse in 1814, an expensive purchase that marked the author's rising popularity - and income!
Hampshire Cultural Trust will be touring the pelisse throughout Hampshire, so be sure to catch it at City Museum from 22 May to 16 June, and 27 July to 20 October. You can find out how else Hampshire Cultural Trust is celebrating Jane Austen 250 here.
After you've had your fill of history, you'll be ideally situated to explore The Square, a hub of independent shops and eateries. Grab a coffee and a pastry at Café Monde or General Store. For a bigger bite to eat, try The Winchester Orangery, which serves up a brilliant brunch!
Winchester Cathedral
Adjacent to The Square is Winchester Cathedral, known for being one of Europe's most magnificent medieval cathedrals and as Jane Austen's final resting place.
Many wonder why Jane, who did not rise to huge personal fame during her lifetime, came to be laid to rest inside Winchester Cathedral. She died in the parish of St Swithun, which entitled her to burial in the Cathedral precinct. It is also thought that perhaps the family’s connection to the church was a contributing factor to her burial here.
Visitors are welcome to pay their respects at Jane's grave. The memorial stone has words composed by her brother, Henry Austen, and pays tribute to “the extraordinary endowments of her mind”. In 1869 Jane’s nephew published A Memoir of Jane Austen, the proceeds of which paid for a brass plaque to be installed on the wall near her tomb.
After, make your way to the Kings & Scribes mezzanine, which is holding a special exhibition for a poem written in Jane's hand: ‘To the Memory of Mrs Lefroy’.
The poem was written by Jane in 1808, on the anniversary of her friend and mentor Anne Lefroy’s death. It has rarely been displayed before and joins a collection of other objects from the Lefroy family. This remarkable exhibition is a must-see for visiting Austen fans.
Find out more about Winchester Cathedral's Jane Austen 250 celebrations here, including the unveiling of a Jane Austen statue in the Inner Close.
No. 8 College Street
From the entrance of Winchester Cathedral, turn left into Curles Passage, emerging into the Inner Close. You are now walking in the footsteps of Jane's funeral procession from No. 8 College Street, where she died at the age of 41 in 1817.
Book-lovers will find a useful pitstop at the Deanery Bookstall, which sells a wide selection of second-hand books. From here, walk through Prior's Gate and Kingsgate to reach College Street.
Another must-visit bookshop can be found on this road. Both Jane's father and brother kept an account with John Burdon, ‘gentleman bookseller’, who traded on the south side of College Street from 1757 to 1803. The bookshop and stationers, now known as P&G Wells, has operated under various owners since 1729, making it one of the longest unbroken records of trading in the country.
Just two doors along is No. 8 College Street. Jane arrived here with her sister Cassandra on May 24 1817. The house was secured by a friend living in Winchester for Jane to be close to her doctor, Mr Lyford.
On 15 July, three days before her death, Jane dictated her final verses to Cassandra: a comical poem about the Winchester horse races being rained upon by a vengeful St Swithun. By that evening, Jane’s health had declined and Cassandra became “hopeless of a recovery”. Jane died on the morning of 18 July 1817, with her head resting on Cassandra’s lap.
While tickets to visit No. 8 College Street are sold out, Winchester College's Treasury is home to many Austen-related artefacts and first editions. The museum is free to visit and accessed via the Porter's Lodge on College Street.
