Take time for reflection at Jane Austen's final resting place

Jane Austen is buried in the north nave aisle of Winchester Cathedral under a memorial stone. Visitors are invited to leave letters and flowers next to Jane Austen’s brass memorial plaque, at the side of her grave. There are many candle stands around the cathedral, as well as quiet chapels, if you would like a quiet moment to sit and reflect.

From May, visitors with an Annual Pass will have a special opportunity to view the handwritten manuscript of Jane Austen’s poem about the death of her close friend. The Angelic Women: The friendship of Jane Austen and Anne Lefroy exhibition is located in the Kings & Scribes exhibition area. During your visit, be sure to go on a Jane Austen guided tour, offering an intimate and often amusing insight into her life and connections within the Cathedral. Families can take part in the interactive family trail, collected for free from the Welcome Desk.

If you are looking to find out more about the novels of Jane Austen, book tickets to one of the talks taking place in 2025. Professor Michael Wheeler will be exploring the openings of Jane Austen’s novels; Dr Gillian Dow will be looking in detail at the choices Austen made when concluding her fictions.

In October, Winchester Cathedral will hold the Jane Austen Anniversary Service, featuring beautiful music, readings and prayers. This will be a ticketed service; booking is not yet open.

October will also see the unveiling of the Jane Austen Statue. The Cathedral Chapter have worked in close collaboration with Martin Jennings, one of the country’s leading figurative sculptors to develop a memorial to Austen, located in the Inner Close.

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Visit exhibitions and events at Hampshire Cultural Trust venues

At The Arc in Winchester, Beyond the Bonnets gives a voice to those who were overlooked by many but not neglected in Austen’s novels: working women. This unique exhibition has been specially created for her landmark anniversary year. It explores the untold stories not only of working women in her novels, but those of real-life women from Regency Hampshire, whose lives mirrored her fictional characters.

Join The Great Hall for a puzzling evening of a Murder Mystery Most Austentatious. Characters from Jane Austen's novels are coming for a recital, but before it even can begin, murder strikes! Guests are welcome to join this murder mystery evening dressed as their favourite Austen character. Book a consultation with Hampshire wardrobe here.

City Museum, just a short walk from Jane’s final resting place in Winchester Cathedral, will be hosting a summer of Austen themed events and activities. 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 three of her personal possessions – two purses and her personalised ivory spool case.

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Take a stroll in Jane Austen's Footsteps

Visitors can also discover the city as Jane knew it with our brand new Jane Austen's Winchester self-guided walking trail. Learn more about the people and places that marked Jane’s final weeks, guided by quotes from Jane's letters and illustrations of Georgian Winchester.

A guided walk exploring Jane Austen's Winchester is among the special interest tours run by Winchester Tourist Guides, starting from the city’s Visitor Information Centre. To learn about Jane's wider Hampshire connections, visitors can also take the the Jane Austen's Hampshire trail.

For those who want to literally follow in Jane’s footsteps, the Jane Austen Circular Walk is a must. Start at Jane Austen's House in Chawton and retrace the route she would have taken across fields and through the village of Farringdon. Jane was inspired by this beautiful countryside to write, and revise, all her novels.

Jane Austen’s House runs regular Guided Village Walks around Chawton – discover the village Jane Austen knew and loved, learn about her love of nature, Chawton neighbours, the houses and views she knew, and the importance of village life in shaping her writing. Throughout the walk, short readings from Jane Austen’s letters and novels bring her world to life.

For a longer stroll, the Jane Austen Trail winds its way from the market town of Alton to Chawton village. Starting from Alton High Street, where Jane and her sister Cassandra frequently walked for shopping and entertainment, Alton is also where her brother Henry had a branch of his bank, Austen, Maude and Tilson.