A peek inside Jane Austen's last home in Winchester

No 8 College Street with a plaque for Jane Austen. 

If you have ever visited Winchester, you may have walked past this unassuming neutral-coloured building where Jane once stayed. For the first time this year, to commemorate Jane Austen 250, the house is open to visitors for special tours of the property; I was lucky enough to explore this building over the weekend and see the very informative exhibition created especially for the occasion. 

Winchester College on the left of Jane's lodgings.

Number 8 was built in the 18th century, and the building remains for the most part as it was during Jane's time here. The house was built on Winchester Cathedral land and was leased out to tenants. The property is now owned and managed by Winchester College, which is situated next door. Interestingly, eight of Jane's nephews studied at this prestigious boarding school, and the institute was familiar to Jane through these family connections. I will write more about Winchester College in another post soon. 

When Jane Austen's health could no longer improve under the care of the Alton apothecary, Jane travelled with her sister Cassandra to Winchester for better treatment from Dr Giles King Lyford. She wrote, "As our Alton Apothy did not be pretend to be able to cope with it, better advice was called in. Our nearest very good is in Winchester... I am going to Winchester, instead, for some weeks to see what Mr Lyford can do farther towards re-establishing me in tolerable health". It was here that Jane was cursed by Cassandra and her sister-in-law, Mary, during the terminal stages of her illness and this is where she breathed her last on 18th July 1817. 

The lease was held by a local lady called Mary David who owned several properties on the street, and Jane's friend Elizabeth Heathcote arranged the accommodation for the Austen ladies. The sisters occupied several rooms on the middle floor of the house, although it is unknown how many rooms belonged to their lease. 

Jane wrote to her nephew and biographer, James Edward, "We have a neat little drawing room with a bow window overlooking Dr Gabell's garden". Dr Gabell was the Headmaster of Winchester College. The drawing room may have been this room (below), as it has a neat bow window from where you can see the garden opposite. 

The serene, quiet atmosphere with just the sound of old, creaking floor boards and the melancholy quotes on the walls really take you back to Jane Austen's time here. 

Jane wrote to her nephew James-Edward, "Our lodgings are very comfortable". 

Jane only left the lodgings once, in a sedan chair. She spent most of her time lying on the sofa and was visited by her brothers, her friend Elizabeth Heathcote who lived nearby, and her nephew Charles Knight, who was then a student at the college. 

The image below shows the floor plan of how the middle floor would have looked in Jane's times. 

Walking through this hallway, there are two more rooms at the back that may have been used as bedrooms.

The first "bedroom" (above) exhibited pictures and stories about Winchester College, which I will discuss in more detail in a further post. 

The second room had some maps and an exquisite naval ship on display. 

This model of a warship was created out of bone and metal by French prisoners during the Napoleonic wars, possibly at Portsmouth Harbour. The bone came from the prisoners' food scraps. The significance of this ship is Jane Austen's family connection to the navy and its influence on her novels Mansfield Park and Persuasion. 

From this room, you can see out onto the garden behind the property with a view of Winchester College on the left. 

Downstairs, there are first and second editions of Jane Austen's novels on display. These were bound in cardboard, and wealthier readers would get their copies bound in leather, which was expensive. 

A first edition of "Emma". 

Visiting Jane Austen's last home was such a special opportunity and a somewhat emotional experience for a lifelong admirer of Jane Austen, thanks to Winchester College who have created a truly wonderful exhibition to celebrate the life of Jane Austen. 

Looking out of the upstairs window, you could feel how Cassandra must have felt when the funeral procession left from the house and finally disappeared from her sight on their way towards the Cathedral, where Jane had the privilege to be buried and is still paid respects by thousands of mourners every year. 

References and further reading: 

My blog about Jane's last journey: https://austenised.blogspot.com/2010/08/following-janes-last-journey.html

Le Faye, Deirdre. (2011) Jane Austen's Letters. Fourth Edition. OUP.

My thoughts on "Jane Austen - The Rise of a Genius"

Have you seen the new BBC documentary, "Jane Austen - The Rise of a Genius" yet? 

The two-part documentary, commemorating Jane Austen 250, is an accolade to Jane Austen and discusses her significant influence on modern literature and growth as a writer. The production explores the events in Jane Austen´s life that had a profound effect on her and the people that she knew who influenced her writing.  

For the documentary, the BBC have chosen a range of "experts" to discuss Jane Austen, some of whom are more questionable than others! I thought it was interesting to hear what the biographer, Paula Byrne, had to say about Jane Austen, but Cherie Blair may have been a less relevant expert on the topic. 

Dr Paula Byrne

Cherie Blair

There were several familiar faces from Jane Austen adaptations, such as:

Greg Wise (Willoughby in S & S 1995)

Charity Wakefield (Marianne in S & S 2008)

Sam West (Mr Elliott in Persuasion 1995) 

Tamsin Greig (Miss Bates in Emma 2009)

The dramatisation was well carried out, however the casting was not to my liking - I much preferred the Jane Austen of the recent "Miss Austen" series. 

It was interesting to hear first-hand about the euphoria that authors feel when their book first gets published. The authors interviewed shared how Jane Austen would have felt when she first got her books published and the empowerment that she felt when she earned her own money through writing. 

I thought it was interesting how the documentary described how Jane Austen fitted in her time period and the radical ideas that she had under cover. The documentary claims that Jane Austen was essentially a political novelist who wrote about money, class and movement and was against treating people as commodities, whether they were slaves or unmarried spinster women. Jane Austen used the novel to bring about inequalities in her society, highlighting the disparity in wealth and the responsibility that people with money had over others. The documentary shows how these issues were close to Jane´s own heart, having been somewhat of a commodity in the marriage market herself and been at the mercy of her father and brothers throughout her life. In her novels, Jane Austen makes references to things that her contemporaries would have found radical but modern readers can often be oblivious to, such as her choice to name her book "Mansfield Park" (after the abolitionist judge, Lord Mansfield). Some of these themes were also discussed by Helena Kelly in her novel, "Jane Austen the Secret Radical", which I read recently. 

Although the two-part documentary didn´t teach me anything new as such, I thought it was a well-researched introduction into the world of Jane Austen and her journey to develop her unique style. I feel that the documentary could be helpful for students who are learning about 19th century literature and Jane Austen in particular. I also feel that critics of Jane Austen could benefit from seeing the documentary, as it brings out the best in Jane Austen and really highlights her significance and influence in so many areas. 

Finding Jane Austen in Overton

You may remember my post from last year where I attended the launch of the Overton Jane Austen Trails. We have been blessed with gorgeous, sunny weather this spring, and what a better opportunity than to do some walking tours in Jane Austen country, and I decided finally to give the Overton trails a go. 

The Overton trails were created by a dedicated and enthusiastic group of local volunteers who were keen to bring Overton to the Jane Austen map. Little known as a Jane Austen destination, the Overton trails have already brought many tourists to the area, fascinated by the village's connection to the great author. In fact, Overton is where the closest post office to Steventon was located, and local residents are proud of the fact that Jane's letters from Steventon were postmarked Overton. 

There are three trails: a shorter, two-and-a-half-mile walking trail of Overton, a longer, 9-mile walking trail from Overton to Steventon and a 12-mile cycle trail. This time, I decided to do the shorter trail around Overton, re-visiting some of the places that I saw on my earlier visit to Overton and to learn about unfamiliar places along the trail too. Beautifully illustrated by the artist Jo South, the guide turned out to be very informative and a great way to learn about this beautiful village and explore hidden pockets along the way. It was wonderful to see others walking around with leaflets along the way!

I started the trail from the Overton Community Centre (above), which is built on the site of a Georgian coaching inn called the New Inn. The building now houses a library as well. 

On the library wall, there is a Trafalgar Way plaque commemorating the 5th November 1805 when Lieutenant Lapenotiere stopped here to change horses for his post-chaise on his way to London to bring news about the victory in the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson's death. As you can see on the plaque, his journey from Falmouth to London took 37 hours and he changed horses 21 times! Not a particularly fast way to deliver news. 

The Community Centre is situated on Winchester Street, which was built for markets and fairs and had the best sheep fairs of the region. Jane visited some shops here, as I mentioned in my previous post, buying stockings and shifts.

At the corner of Winchester Street and High Street is the White Hart (left), which was also a busy coaching inn during Jane Austen's times when mail coaches between London and Exeter would stop here. 

I then turned onto High Street and admired the Georgian style buildings on the way (above). 

Down the road, you can see another pub called the Red Lion (above). The Prince of Wales (later the Prince Regent), whom Jane despised but to whom she dedicated Emma at his invitation, stopped at the Red Lion during a hunting trip in 1789. 

Next, I turned to Bridge Street where there were several pretty thatched cottages from the 1700s. 

The Old Rectory of Overton, the first home of James Austen in Overton.

At the end of the street after crossing a small bridge, I saw the Old Rectory (familiar from my previous visit), which used to be Overton Vicarage and the home of Jane's oldest brother, James, from 1790-1792 when he was curate at Overton. The house looks Victorian and must have been rebuilt at some stage.

Court House, the marital home of James Austen. 

Across the road is a stunning property called Court House where James Austen lived after his marriage to his first wife Ann Mathew who sadly died young. This was a very grand house for a young country curate, and Jane must have enjoyed her visits here. 

St Mary's Church where James Austen was curate.

The church where James Austen was curate, St Mary's Chuch, is close to Court House. 

This time I even ventured inside to see the building; I was intrigued to learn from the fascinating Overton podcast that the interiors of the building have changed little since James was curate here. 

The Overton Trails team have created some information boards for visitors here, which are informative and interesting for tourists to see and learn more about the local area and its connection to Jane Austen. You can pick up a trail from here as well as from local shops. 

I continued up Court Drove and then turned onto a lush, green lane called Silk Mill Lane.

The site of the old Silk Mill. 

On this lane, I discovered the site of the old Silk Mill, which operated here in the late 18th Century. 

Southington Mill, home to the Austens' friends, the Portal family.

There is another mill down the lane in a gorgeous property by the river called Southington Mill, which was leased by the Portal family, whom Jane mentions in several of her letters. She mentions meeting the Portals at a ball (where she danced with Tom Lefroy) in 1796, and I think that Jane was quite taken by Benjamin Portal, or at least she describes him in a flattering way to Cassandra: "We had a visit yesterday morning from Mr. Benjamin Portal, whose eyes are as handsome as ever". Later, in 1799, she writes, "Benjamin Portal is here. How charming that is!" 

The area is absolutely stunning to walk around with the gentle stream of the River Test, ducks floating in the stream and the peaceful, lush, quiet country lanes. 

The Parsonage Farmhouse, home to the Austens' friends, the Buller family. 

I continued back onto the main road and saw the Parsonage Farmhouse, which was the official residence of the Rector when he was in Overton. The rector's son, Richard Buller, was one of Jane's father's pupils at Steventon and a close friend to Jane with whom she corresponded. "I have had a most affectionate letter from Buller", she writes in 1800. 

Southington Cottage

I walked back into the village, passing Southington Cottage on the left. This building existed during Jane Austen's times. 

 Overton Jane Austen Trails Committee members Anna Thame and Noelle Gibbs in front of Southington Cottage.

Surprisingly, at this point I had the privilege of bumping into the group of volunteers in charge of the trails, and it was lovely to meet the fellow Austenites behind this wonderful trail and chat about the places we have enjoyed along the trail. 

Across the road, there is an early 18th century milestone showing 54 miles to London and 8 miles from Basingstoke.

The site of the Overton Workhouse. 

I then walked up to Dellands Lane where there used to be a workhouse, which was built around 1800 to help the poor in this region. Many of the workhouse residents worked at the Silk Mill.

Back on Winchester Street close to these beautiful thatched cottages, I saw the site of Sprents Academy, which was a school owned run William Sprent for "Young Gentlemen". 

There is also another pub called The Greyhound, which was an inn at Jane Austen's time. 

Rowan House (above), beautifully adorned with wisteria at this time of year, was where the Apothecary, Robert Brookham lived. 

Yield House (above) is another 18th century house that would have been familiar to Jane. 

I ended my circular trail back at the Overton crossroads by the Community Centre. 

A huge thank you to the Overton Trails team who have worked so hard to produce this wonderful trail to bring Overton to the Jane Austen tourist map and to find the most scenic spots in the area with connections to Jane Austen! I look forward to doing the longer trail soon. 

References and further information: 

For quotes from Jane Austen's Letters, refer to: Le Faye, Deirdre. (2011) Jane Austen's Letters. Fourth Edition. OUP.

For downloads of the Overton trails, visit here: https://overtonparishcouncil.gov.uk/overton-jane-austen-trails/

To listen to the Overton trails podcast. visit here: https://janeaustensociety.org.uk/2025/04/the-overton-jane-austen-trails-group/

To read more about the area in my previous post: https://austenised.blogspot.com/2019/08/adventures-around-jane-austens.html