A Private Tour of Jane Austen's Chawton - With Her Family

Jane Austen's untold family stories and secrets, shared in the village where she lived and wrote — by the last of her nieces to grow up at Chawton House.

Every summer I return to Chawton, the Hampshire village where my fifth great aunt Jane Austen spent the most productive years of her writing career — and my childhood home. In June and September 2027, I'm inviting a small number of Janeites to spend time here with me.

Walk the village lanes Jane knew. Hear our private family theory about Emma. Stand in the rooms where Jane dined with her brother Edward — my fourth great grandfather — and discover the stories, memories and traditions passed down through fifteen generations that exist nowhere else. These are Jane Austen's untold family stories and secrets, shared in the place where they happened, by her living family.

Following sold-out tours in 2026, I'm delighted to be returning to Chawton twice in 2027 — and to welcoming a new group of Janeites into Jane's world through her family's eyes.

Places are strictly limited — maximum 6 people per session for The Austen Heritage VIP Experience on advertised days, though larger groups can be accommodated by arrangement. Individual bookings are very welcome on advertised days — you don't need to come as a group.

Proceeds support The Austen Knights of Chawton — A Family Archive, preserving Jane Austen's family heritage for future generations.

The Day at a Glance

The Village Walk — 1 hour
Morning: 10am–11am | Afternoon: 1:30pm–2:30pm

One hour walking through Chawton village with me, hearing Jane Austen's untold family stories and our private theory that the village of Highbury in Emma is actually Chawton.

The Austen Heritage VIP Experience — 2.5 hours
Morning: 10am–12:30pm | Afternoon: 1:30pm–4pm

The complete experience, including:

• The Village Walk — One hour walking through Chawton village with me, hearing Jane Austen's untold family stories and our private theory that Highbury in Emma is actually Chawton
• Chawton House — Moving through the ancestral home where I grew up and Jane was a frequent and beloved guest, sharing family stories, memories and photographs from my private collection that have never been publicly shared
• St Nicholas Church — Where Jane worshipped regularly, and where generations of my Knight family are buried. The chancel is unchanged since Jane's time. I share the family stories of the ancestors around you — including the story of Sir Richard, whose reclining statue has watched over this church since 1679, and was as familiar to Jane as he is to me today.

What You'll Experience

The Village Walk (1 hour)

Meet me outside Jane Austen's House and walk through Chawton village together. I'll share my family's theory that Highbury in Emma is actually Chawton — pointing out the buildings we believe inspired Hartfield, Miss Bates' cottage, and the post office Jane Fairfax visited. You'll learn why Hartfield is called Hartfield, where Box Hill really is, and why Jane named Mr Knightley after my family.

As we approach Chawton House at the end of the village, I'll tell you about The Greyfriar — a small carved figure hidden in the panelling that every member of my family has known, including Jane Austen herself. See if you can spot him when you visit.

The Village Walk finishes at approximately 11am (morning) or 2:30pm (afternoon).

The Austen Heritage VIP Experience — 2.5 hours

The complete experience — Jane Austen's untold family stories and secrets, shared in the very places where they happened. The Austen Heritage VIP Experience includes the full Village Walk, then continues with an additional 1.5 hours in Chawton House and St Nicholas Church — exclusively for VIP guests (max 6).

The Village Walk (1 hour)
Everything in the Village Walk above — shared with the full group.

The Austen Heritage VIP Experience adds:

Chawton House (1 hour)
We move through Chawton House together — the ancestral home where I grew up and Jane was a frequent and beloved guest. As we go, I'll share the family stories and memories behind these rooms: what happened here, who sat where, what this house meant to Jane and to the generations who came before and after her. I'll bring photographs from my family's private collection that bring Chawton to life across the decades — images that have never been publicly shared.

These are the stories that exist only in living memory. This is the only place you'll hear them.

St Nicholas Church (30 minutes)
A short walk from the house brings us to St Nicholas Church, where Jane worshipped regularly throughout her years in Chawton — and where generations of my Knight family are buried, including ancestors Jane knew personally.

The chancel is unchanged since Jane's time. Standing where she stood, we'll look together at the reclining statue of Sir Richard — placed here in 1679 and known to every generation of my family, including Jane. I'll share his story and the stories of the ancestors around us, just as Fanny Knight wrote in her diary: "It is very curious to trace the genealogy of the Knights and all the old families that have possessed this estate... so that we are not at a loss for amusement."

Ask me anything — about Jane, the family, the novels, what it was like to grow up here. This is your time with Jane's living family, in the place where it all happened.

The Austen Heritage VIP Experience finishes at approximately 12:30pm (morning) or 4pm (afternoon).

Please note: the itinerary above reflects my intention for the experience. In practice I may occasionally need to adapt the order or location of elements — Chawton is a living village and a working estate. What will never change is the quality of the experience and the family stories you'll hear.

Before/After Your Tour

Jane Austen's House opens at 10am and is well worth a visit — we recommend arriving early to explore before a morning session or visiting after if you've joined us in the afternoon. Jane Austen's House is small and can be busy — booking in advance is recommended: Jane Austen's House Bookings

The Old Kitchen Tearoom at Chawton House serves lunch and afternoon tea in the original kitchen where Edward's cooks once prepared the meals Jane ate when she dined upstairs. The gardens at Chawton House are beautiful and well worth exploring at your own pace. Both are open to the public and we recommend either as a wonderful way to extend your time in Chawton before or after your tour.

Booking Options

The Village Walk — USD $60 / GBP £45 per person
One hour walking through Chawton village with me, hearing Jane Austen's untold family stories and our private theory that Highbury in Emma is actually Chawton.

The Austen Heritage VIP Experience — USD $135 / GBP £100 per person
The complete experience — the Village Walk together with the full group, followed by an exclusive additional 1.5 hours in Chawton House and St Nicholas Church for VIP guests only. Chawton House entry is included in the price.

Ticket proceeds support The Austen Knights of Chawton — A Family Archive, preserving Jane Austen's family heritage for future generations.

Practical Details

Dates: Selected days in June and September 2027, timed to coincide with Jane Austen Regency Week (Chawton and Alton, June 2027) and the Jane Austen Festival in Bath (September 2027) — perfect for Janeites already planning to attend either event.

Other days available by arrangement for private bookings — see below.

Meeting point: Outside Jane Austen's House, Chawton, Hampshire

Start times: Morning sessions begin at 10am, afternoon sessions begin at 1:30pm — please arrive 5 minutes early as the tour will start on time. Your booking confirmation will confirm your session time.

Group size: The Village Walk welcomes up to 12 guests — those booked for the Village Walk joined by those booked for the Austen Heritage VIP Experience. After the Village Walk, the group reduces to a maximum of 6 for the exclusive VIP session in Chawton House and St Nicholas Church. You are welcome to book as an individual — you don't need to come as a group.

Private bookings: Interested in a private experience for your group? Private bookings for groups of 6 or more are available on days beyond those advertised, and larger groups of up to 20 can also be accommodated. Now taking enquiries for both 2027 and 2028.

Email caroline@austenheritage.com to discuss.

Weather: In the event of inclement weather, the itinerary may be adapted on the day to ensure everyone's comfort. The experience will always go ahead.

Cancellation Policy: Because our tours are intimate and exclusive — with a maximum of six guests per VIP session — cancellations affect us significantly and places may not be able to be resold at short notice.

• 90+ days: Full refund
• 30–89 days: 50% refund or transfer
• Under 30 days: No refund or transfers

If you have any concerns before booking, please contact caroline@austenheritage.com

About Caroline

I am Caroline Jane Knight, Jane Austen's fifth great-niece and the last of her nieces to grow up at Chawton House — the ancestral estate where Jane spent the most productive years of her writing career. I spent the first eighteen years of my life immersed in Jane's world and have spent the last decade sharing and preserving our family's irreplaceable heritage.

I am author of Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage, Creator of Jane Austen's Niece, Founder and Chair of the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, Patron of Jane Austen Regency Week, and Director of The Austen Knights of Chawton - A Family Archive. The family stories at the heart of this day have been part of my life since childhood. I am delighted, finally, to share them with you in person, in Chawton.