Ellen Cheshire

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

In this series exploring writers in Sussex, we trace how the county - its towns, landscapes and shifting coastlines - has left its mark...

"There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort" , this was not said about Jane's time in Bath, but is cited in reference to her life at Chawton Cottage, where Jane Austen lived with her mother and sister. It encapsulates the simple pleasures and domestic comforts she enjoyed there.  After leaving Bath in July 1806 (which you can read more about here) , Jane Austen, her mother, and sister moved to C lifton, near Bristol, for a short time. However, they did not settl

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

There's plenty of evidence when you hit certain parts of Hampshire that you are entering Austenland. There are trails, tea shops and of...

Ahead of Thursday's screening of Sense and Sensibilty as part of Worthing WOW's Jane Austen season here's an extract from the chapter on...