JANE AUSTEN’S GREAT HOUSES IN FACT & FICTION

 

A 2008 Pathfinders Tour Sponsored by the Jane Austen Society of North America

July 17-26, 2008

 

Tour Itinerary 

 

7/17      Meet Elizabeth Proudman, Austen Tour Specialist who will guide the tour, and Mary Lou White, previous tour organizer who will escort the group, at London Heathrow Airport or a tour-designated Heathrow area hotel. Travel by deluxe motor coach to London to view original Austen materials at the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery. Travel to Steventon for a visit to St. Nicholas Church.  Later, get acquainted with tour members at a welcome party preceding dinner. Hotel in Winchester. D*

 

7/18      Gain an overview of the tour’s itinerary during an illustrated lecture by Elizabeth Proudman. Travel to Brighton to tour the Royal Pavilion, fabulous palace of the Prince Regent, the first of the “great houses” on the trip. Leisurely explore antique shops or the seacoast. Hotel in Winchester. B, D

 

7/19      Honor Jane Austen during a JASNA ceremony at her grave in Winchester Cathedral. Travel to Chawton to see Jane Austen’s House and Chawton House Library, Edward Knight’s manor house. Take tea in the renovated Chawton House Stables. Attend the AGM of the Jane Austen Society (UK) with the option of attending evensong in St. Nicholas Church, Chawton. Free evening. Hotel in Winchester. B, Tea

 

7/20      Free morning with opportunities for a walking tour of Winchester, a service at Winchester Cathedral, or a visit to 8 College Street (separate pricing). Visit The Vyne, the elegant great house where Jane Austen attended many parties. Drive past Ashe House, where Mrs. Lefroy lived. Tour the house & gardens and have tea at Ibthorpe House, where Jane’s friends, the Lloyds, lived. Following dinner enjoy a program at the hotel with Hampshire Jane Austen Society members. Hotel in Winchester. B, Tea, D

 

7/21      Have morning coffee and a tour of Houghton Lodge, a private home in the cottage orné style.  Tour Wilton House, used in S&S and P&P films. At Stourhead Gardens, a P&P film site, enjoy an illustrated lecture by Elizabeth Proudman, who is also an English garden expert. Hotel in Bath. B, MC, D

 

7/22      In Bath, enjoy a walking tour of the Royal Crescent and visits to the Bath Assembly Rooms and Museum of Costume. Hear a speech on film fashions at the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. Following free time in Bath, visit 4 Sydney Place and enjoy a cream tea nearby. Attend a gala dinner party at handsome Crowe Hall with a program of music in the style of Regency Gala Evenings. Hotel in Bath. B, Tea, D

 

7/23      Drive past the site of George Austen’s grave in Bath and then visit Lacock Village, site of Emma & P&P films. Travel north to Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire, the recently refurbished great house of the Leigh family, which Jane Austen visited. Continue north to Buxton. Option for attending the local Buxton Opera Festival. Hotel in Buxton. B

 

7/24      Travel to Bakewell and tour Haddon Hall, used in a P&P film. Enjoy the beauty of Chatsworth on a guided tour, with time for lingering in the gardens. Elegant Chatsworth, home of the Duke of Devonshire, was mentioned by Jane Austen in P&P and used in a P&P film. Following dinner, enjoy an Austen related program. Hotel in Buxton. B, D

 

7/25      Travel through Haversage Moor and Stanage Edge with its breathtaking view of Derbyshire, the site of P&P filming. Visit Lyme Park, the great house used as the exterior of Pemberley in P&P.  Later, tour Sudbury Hall, setting of indoor scenes in P&P.  Arrive in Windsor and enjoy a Farewell Dinner after seeing many great houses of Jane Austen in fact and fiction. Hotel in Windsor. B, D

 

7/26       Following breakfast, vans will transport members to Heathrow or Gatwick Airports based on their departure times. Tour ends. B

 

*B, Tea, MC, D indicate meals that are included in the tour price.