Austen, Jane - City of Southampton Society/home.html

Jane Austen

Our booklet by Arthur Jeffery BA [Com] is about Jane Austen's period of residency in the city.

The book includes a map of the Jane Austen Heritage Trial where a series of distinctive markers guides the visitor to places associated with the author. The Jane Austen Heritage Trail has been designed by the City of Southampton Society to publicise Jane Austen's close contact with Southampton on three separate occasions in her life: once as a school girl aged seven, secondly as a godmother attending her first dance on her 18th birthday, and thirdly as her home for nearly three years when she was in her thirties.

Because of war damage and development changes, the Trail would be hard to find today, however, strategically placed plaques have been erected to guide the citizen and visitor through the city centre to point out the sites linked with Jane Austen.

The booklet is on sale at W.H. Smith, Amazon, the Jane Austen Museum at Chawton in Hampshire, the Tourist Information Centre in Civic Centre Road, West End Local History Museum [open Saturdays 10 - 4] and at CoSS meetings at £2-50.

In June 2008 CoSS members chose the Jane Austen Museum as the venue for their summer outing, the weather was fine and everyone found the visit enjoyable.

Leaflets with a map of the Jane Austen Trail in Southampton are normally available in the Southampton Tourist Information shop in Civic Centre Road. Otherwise you may request a copy by e-mailing info@coss.org.uk