Take 5... Homes that could have been plucked from a Jane Austen novel
This year marks a significant anniversary of Jane Austen, whose legacy as one of England’s most celebrated writers remains as strong as ever. Her tales of Regency England are as beloved today as two centuries ago, continuing to inspire films, television adaptations, and modern retellings. From grand country estates to quiet rectories and elegant townhouses, her novels are set against the backdrop of architectural beauty, where symmetry, sweeping staircases and column facades reflected a world where style and society were inseparable.
Austen lived and wrote in places that remain closely associated with her work - notably Bath, with its sweeping crescents and Chawton, the Hampshire village where she spent her final years penning some of her most famous novels. Bath, with its elegant Georgian architecture and vibrant social scene, provided the perfect setting for the intrigues of characters like Anne Elliot in Persuasion and Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey. While Chawton offered a quieter, more intimate environment, with red-brick houses and neatly kept gardens, where Austen found stability to refine her craft. Her former cottage, now the Jane Austen Museum, still draws in visitors from around the world.
As we celebrate her 250th anniversary, we have selected five homes on the market. Some are exemplary Regency properties with elegant proportions and graceful facades; others sit in locations closely tied Austen’s life and novels:
Pound Farm, Chawton
Hampshire
Located in the heart of Chawton, the village where Jane Austen lived and wrote some of her famous novels, Pound Farm is a beautifully preserved early 18th century farmhouse. With its historic charm, generous proportions, and setting within the South Downs National Park, it sits moments from Austen’s former home, offering an opportunity to own a piece of literary landscape.
Merston House, Merston
East Sussex
Merston House, with its Regency elegance and carefully designed interiors, reflects the architectural style of the early 19th century – a period brought to life in Jane Austen’s novels. Its classical proportions, veranda entrance, and beautifully landscaped gardens are reminiscent of the grand country houses that would have set the scene for society gatherings.
The Beeches, Barcombe
East Sussex
The Beeches, with its regency-era modifications, exudes the timeless grandeur of Austen’s world. The 18th-century walled garden and stately interiors wouldn’t feel out of place in a novel where romance and society unfold in the finest country homes.
Hazelbury Manor, Wadswick
Wiltshire
Set in a landscape steeped in literary history, Hazelbury Manor is a Grade I listed manor house just a short distance from Lacock, which was used as Meryton in the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice, and near Neston Park, which appeared as Kellynch Hall in the 2007 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. With its historic grandeur, formal gardens and centuries-old parkland, the manor resembles the timeless elegance of Austen’s world, making it easy to imagine it as the setting for a grand country gathering.
Barclay House, Yateley
Hampshire
With elegant proportions, high ceilings, and a full-width veranda, Barclay House epitomises the architectural refinement of the Regency era. It comes complete with beautiful gardens, elegant drawing room, and generous entertaining spaces.