Steventon Country Fair - Celebrating 250 Years of Jane Austen at "The Cradle of her Genius"

Last Sunday, I was back in Steventon for Steventon Country Fair, a special event held to commemorate 250 years of Jane Austen. There hasn't been a country fair in Steventon for over 50 years, and usually the "Pump Field" where Jane's childhood home, Steventon Rectory, once stood, is closed to visitors and not clearly visible from the road. It was a unique occasion to celebrate Jane at her birthplace and explore the site of Steventon Rectory - the "cradle of her genius" - closer than ever. Therefore I have decided to feature the occasion here in my blog and return to the school topic a little later!

The hay on the field had been cut and the overgrown hedges cut neatly for the occasion. A horse and cart had been brought to the field for "the Arrival of Jane Austen" - one of the highlights of the event where everyone gathered on the field to watch "Jane" arrive.

After that, visitors paraded around the arena in their Regency finest.

There was elegant Regency dancing from the Hampshire Regency Dancers. 

Morris dancing with three different groups performing to traditional folk music helped bring the country fair atmosphere to life. 

Garston Gallopers 

Mayfly Morris 

The highlight of the event for many were the special guests: Historian Dr Lucy Worsley and Adrian Lukis - Mr Wickham from Pride and Prejudice 1995! 

Dr Lucy Worsley

I enjoyed listening to Lucy Worsley's amusing and entertaining stories about the various homes of Jane Austen that she narrated in her usual expressive, cheeky style! 

She also showed us a map of the site during Jane Austen's time and a floor plan of Steventon Rectory, both which were very interesting to see. 

Adrian Lukis (Mr Wickham)

And of course it was wonderful to see Mr Wickham in real life and hear his inside stories in a Q & A about filming Pride and Prejudice. For example, he was asked which character he would choose to play (if he was younger!), and he replied "Mr Collins"! 

Spinning wool

Traditional games, such as axe-throwing, were set up, and traditional craft demonstrations, such as weaving and lace-making gave visitors an idea of village life at the time of Jane Austen. 

Whitchurch Silk Mill team demonstrating weaving on a loom. 

Moreover, there was a number of stalls serving delicious food, some of it made by the villagers. There were also various stalls selling items, such as Regency accessories and books. 

Guests could roam the field freely and peruse the two things left of Steventon Rectory: the now fenced well (hence, the name "Pump Field"), which was situated behind the Rectory, and the impressive lime tree planted in front of the Rectory by Jane's oldest brother, Rev. James Austen, when he was Rector of Steventon. 

Visitors exploring the Pump Field. 

The Old Rectory well. 

James Austen's lime tree. 

From the field, we got a good view of the New Rectory on the opposite field, which was built for Jane's nephew, Rev William Knight, by Edward Austen Knight after the Old Rectory was pulled down in the 1820s. 

The New Rectory 

It felt so incredibly special to be part of this unique event, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it and getting a good view of Jane Austen's birthplace. 

Kudos to the village community who put together this beautiful event, showing excellent community effort!