The seven English counties all Jane Austen fans must visit and walk in the footsteps of the famous author

One of England’s finest and best loved novelists, Jane Austen’s stories have captured imaginations across the globe. Born in 1775, her insight into the British landed gentry offer people a women’s view of a male dominated landscape.

Most famous for her six novels; Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion, they have seen numerous hugely popular screen adaptations. Sadly, her books only brought her modest successes in her lifetime but she has since gained an army of fans thanks to her commentary, and critiquing, of this particular period in history.

Austen lived in a number of locations and is confirmed to have visited several more. Dotted across the country, these are the English counties to head for to follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen herself.

Jane Austen places to visit in Hampshire

The obvious place to start is Hampshire, and the village of Steventon where Austen was born on December 16, 1775 to parents George and Cassandra, both members of the landed gentry. She lived there until 1801 and although the Rectory in which she lived was pulled down in around 1824, the site is marked by an old lime tree believed to have been planted by her eldest brother, James.

The church where her father was rector for 44 years and where Jane worshipped for 25 years - the church of St Nicholas - is also worth a visit. The Ash Park estate believed to have been frequented by Austen is only six miles from the church.

Given how long Austen spent in Steventon, there are of course a number of locations associated with the writer including Deane House where she met Tom LeFroy who she courted for a time, Ashe Rectory, the home of the LeFroys, Oakley Hall where she visited friends Wither and Mary Bramston, the railway viaduct and the Wheatsheaf Hotel where she collected the mail.

If you’re looking for another Austen-inspired stop off while in Hampshire, Jane and her sister Cassandra are known to have attended dances at The Vyne in Basingstoke. For a day at the coast, head to Portsmouth where Austen often visited as brothers Francis and Charles were in the Royal Navy. The city also features in Mansfield Park.

In 1801, Austen left Hampshire for Bath but returned to the county in 1809 to Chawton Cottage, offered to them, rent-free, by elder brother Edward. Edward’s home, Chawton House, is also just a short walk away.

Austen’s final days were seen out in the county, moving to Winchester for treatment for her health. She stayed near Winchester College, at 8 College Street, which is a private home but bears a blue plaque on the wall outside. The writer’s gravestone can be found at Winchester Cathedral.

Jane Austen places to visit in Somerset

Heading west to another famous Austen residence, a must visit for fans is Sydney Place in Bath where she lived for three years. The city is believed to have been a great influence on her work and both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were set here.

While there, you could also pop along to the Bath Assembly Rooms, the Pump Room and the grand Royal Crescent which Austen would certainly have been familiar with. The Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street also celebrates Bath's most famous resident.

It’s worth waiting until September if you are planning a trip to Bath as this is when the Jane Austen Festival takes place featuring 10 days of costumed balls, promenades and talks.

Jane Austen places to visit in London

While Austen never lived in London, she visited there often and the capital city features in a number of her novels. In real life, her brother Henry lived in Sloane Street and her publisher John Murray was located in Mayfair

In fiction, Drury Lane Theatre features in Sense and Sensibility, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens get a mention in Sense and Sensibility and it was St Clement’s Church, where Lydia and Mr Wickham were married in Pride and Prejudice.

You can also find a plaque in Austen’s honour at Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey, London.

Jane Austen places to visit in Surrey

If you’re in the vicinity of the Old Smoke, you could take a short trip to Box Hill in Surrey where one of the most pivotal scenes in Emma was set. Take a picture and you could re-enact the fateful picnic in the novel.

It is likely Austen visited the beauty spot herself and it is also the filming location for the 2009 adaptation starring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller.

Jane Austen places to visit in Derbyshire

In Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen said, there is “no finer county in England than Derbyshire” so this is a must visit. She is believed to have visited Bakewell in 1811, staying at the Rutland Arms.

While there is some debate as to whether Pride and Prejudice’s Pemberley was based on Chatsworth House, she did visit the stately home of the Dukes of Devonshire, so it should still therefore be on the list. And for those familiar with the 2005 film adaptation, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFayden, Chatsworth was the filming location for the fictional country estate owned by Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Austen also loved countryside walks and there are plenty of walking trails in the Peak District. While there, drop in on Dove Dale valley and the town of Matlock which also both get a mention in Pride and Prejudice.

Jane Austen places to visit in Dorset

Heading back down south, the coastal town of Lyme Regis might also be worth a stop off where you can both relive the heyday of seaside resorts and take a walk on ‘The Cobb’ where Louisa Musgrove had her fateful fall in Persuasion. It is understood that Lyme Regis’ most famous resident, Mary Anning, probably met Austen at the Assembly Rooms there.

Jane Austen places to visit in Warwickshire

Perhaps not enough to see in Warwickshire to inspire a special trip, if Jane Austen fans do find themselves in the area, they might want to check out Stoneleigh Abbey. Home to relatives of Jane Austen's mother, Austen stayed with the Leigh family for 10 days in 1806. The Abbey is thought to have been the inspiration for Mansfield Park's Sotherton Court.