Jane Austen: Life, legacy and Southampton
Jane Austen is one of Britain’s most distinguished authors, known for her six completed novels characterising life among the landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her skilled prose and wit continue to generate a global fan base and have inspired a plethora of successful films and TV series.
Less well-known is the writer’s connections with Southampton. Jane Austen who was a former resident of Southampton, attended boarding school here briefly with her sister and celebrated her 18th birthday dancing at a ball in the upstairs rooms of The Dolphin. Many of the historic streets and walkways of the old town would have been only too familiar to her. Learn more about Jane Austen's connections to Southampton in our blog post here.
For more information about Jane Austen’s Southampton story click here.
Jane Austen events in Southampton
A Very Respectable Company – Jane Austen & her Southampton Circle Exhibition
SeaCity Museum
29th March 2025 - 12 April 2026
Curated around descendants and families linked to Jane Austen’s time in Southampton, a never-before-seen exhibition of rare paintings, letters, books and personal items will be on display to the public for the first time. The exhibition will focus on Austen’s female network of friends, many of whom could have been the inspiration for some of her iconic female fictional characters.
This circle of friends included her next-door neighbour Ann Newell, an absentee landlord of plantations and slaves, Charlotte Fitzhugh who married into a wealthy East India Company and was a superfan of Austen’s favourite actress Sarah Siddons, and Anne Middleton, a mixed-race plantation heiress from Jamaica whose private life was splashed across national newspapers. Items on display will include the precious Austen Family Household Book of family recipes and silhouettes first started by Austen’s grandmother. Find out more and book your tickets for Seacity here.
Jane Austen Walks and Tours
A number of walks and tours are being hosted throughout the year, offering visitors a chance to explore Jane Austen's connections with the city. Click the links below to find out more including dates, times and booking information.
Jane Austen Walking Trail
The Jane Austen Heritage Walking Trail was launched in 2017 to commemorate Austen’s time in Southampton.
There are eight plaques each at a location associated with Jane Austen. The plaque at the beginning of the trail at Bargate marks the place where seven-year-old Jane, her sister and cousin attended a nearby school run by a Mrs Ann Cawley, only to return home again after a few weeks when the school was closed down after an outbreak of typhus. The author spent many holidays in Southampton and subsequently moved to live in the city from 1806 to 1809.
Download the Jane Austen Heritage Trail here.
