Jane Austen was a famous writer from the late 18th and the early 19th century. If you are acquainted with the literature of England, you will associate her with the highly successful novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park. Her novels are a mirror of the society of the time and are, therefore, precious historical accounts as well as fiction.
I planned a solo trip to Bath and Oxford in August last year and was determined to visit The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, dedicated to the author. English treasure their writers as is apparent by the centres dedicated to Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter and the likes. The Lake District is often known as Wordsworth Country, in honour of the poet and writer William Wordsworth who spent considerable time here.
Anyways, back to Bath and the Jane Austen Centre.
The direction sign pointing towards the road towards the Jane Austen Centre. These signs are present in all the cities in the UK and are really helpful.
Here's the entrance to the centre. It is quite modest. If you aren't looking for it, you perhaps wouldn't find it. Moreover, it is also strange that this centre is located in Bath. From what we know, Austen spent only a few years in Bath and, from her accounts of the city, it doesn't seem like she was too fond of it.
The Family Tree of Jane Austen and a portrait of Austen playing a piano. Austen was born into a large family. She had six brothers and one sister.
This fan is important because this was the only fan I saw during my one year long stay in the UK and it is significant that I found this in the museum.
A portrait of Austen probably commissioned by her uncle. Austen died of a mystery disease when she was just 41. She was never married.
The sketch behind shows the Circus, perhaps the most significant landmark of Bath at those times.
An old dress that was discovered by accident. It was put together with a lot of effort. I, however, found no relation between the dress and Jane Austen. Not sure what it was doing in the Jane Austen Centre then.
This was perhaps a typical room setting in the house of lower landed gentry in Austen's time. After this, I bought some things for my writer friends and myself and headed out happy that I had visited the centre. Even though the centre itself wasn't as exciting as I had thought it would be.