Ellen Cheshire

With Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein  in cinemas now, ahead of its Netflix release, it seemed like a good time to write up my visit earlier this year to Bath, seeking out locations with a Mary Shelley connection. There aren’t as many as for Jane Austen, but they’re worth the search. I whiled away hours in the fascinating Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein , which brings the novel’s enduring visual power and legacy vividly to life. Mary Shelley spent a pivotal period in Ba

This Autumn sees the publication of Encounters with Jane Austen , a sparkling new anthology that commemorates the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth. Edited and introduced by Professor Jennie Batchelor, the collection brings together over 30 writers, artists and scholars to share their personal, creative and often surprising engagements with Austen’s life and work. From essays and poems to short stories and interviews, it brims with affection, wit, and fresh perspectives on

4 Sydney Gardens basement apartment Bucket list item checked! In March 2025 a friend and I spent a few days in Bath, as we are both fans of Jane Austen's books we made a pilgrimage to visit the places she lived and visited. One of these was easy to find as we were staying in one! The basement apartment of 4 Sydney Gardens available to rent via AirBnB . Jane Austen moved with her parents and sister, Cassandra, to Bath in 1801 following her father’s retirement from his parish