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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel
Annabelle Thorpe

Bath, balls and Darcy’s pile: where to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary

Drone view of historic district in Bath, UK
The art of persuasion: Bath, which Jane Austen described as ‘the most tiresome place in the world’. Photograph: Chunyip Wong/Getty Images

Southampton, Hampshire

Southampton has a significant part to play in the Austen story: after the death of her father in 1805, she moved with her mother and sister to live in the city for three years, taking a house on Castle Square. The Jane Austen Heritage Trail links eight sites around the city that the younger Jane would have known, including the Dolphin Hotel (currently facing an uncertain redevelopment future) where she attended a ball to celebrate her 18th birthday (visitsouthampton.co.uk/janeausten250).

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