Podcast
A Jane Austen Year
Hosted by Jane Austen's House · EN
Welcome to A Jane Austen Year – a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in.
Created and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire – the most treasured Austen site in the world.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Spring
Apr 2200:23:25Tap to summarizeWelcome to another year with Jane Austen's House...‘Spring' is a time of sunshine and showers, fresh beginnings, new homes and new acquaintances. In this episode we see Edward and Elinor fall in love, take a walk on the Ramparts with Henry Crawford, make pancakes, and examine the Dining Room wallpaper. We also visit Hunsford Parsonage for *that* proposal scene...~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.This year we will share an episode for each season - join us on an atmospheric journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings, and sounds recorded in the House and garden.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘Spring’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Dining Room wallpaperLetter from Jane to Cassandra, 2-3 March 1814Martha Lloyd's Household BookEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →December
Dec 100:20:35Tap to summarize‘December' is full of winter weather and Christmas cheer. It brings the winter solstice, with its promise of longer days and better weather. It brings advent, candles, parties, and Christmas. It also brings the anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, on a bitterly cold night 250 years ago…~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘December’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Amelia Harvell, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Music Book in Jane Austen's HandMartha Lloyd's Household BookLetter from Jane Austen to Rev. Stanier Clarke, 11 December 1815A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-LeighPortrait miniature of Mrs Philadelphia HancockEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →November
Nov 100:19:39Tap to summarize‘November’ is the twilight of the year, the days short and cold, the air full of frost and woodsmoke. It is a time for lighting fires and wrapping up in woollen shawls and flannel waistcoats. It is also a time for sparkling candlelight, and we enjoy a night of revelry at the Netherfield Ball, complete with White Soup and delicate silk dancing slippers. There is also piano practice, a crisp winter walk, and a visit to Castle Square in Southampton. Jane writes to her niece Anna from London, discussing her busy schedule and a recent visit to the theatre. ~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘April’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Emma Moffatt, Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Clementi square pianoLetter from Jane Austen to Anna Lefroy, 29 November 1814Martha Lloyd's Household BookMarianne Knight's dancing slippersEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →October
Sep 3000:19:09Tap to summarize‘October' is full of autumn leaves, muddy walks, crisp apples and spooky stories. We take forays into The Watsons and Mansfield Park, celebrate the publication of Sense and Sensibility, play bilbocatch and reflect upon the importance of aunts. As the month draws to a close, we mark the coming of winter with a Hallowe'en special - dipping into Northanger Abbey and The Mysteries of Udolpho, and enjoying the delightful terrors of the Gothic.~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘September’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Cup and BallThe Morning Chronicle, 31 October 1811The Mysteries of UdolphoEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →September
Aug 3100:20:38Tap to summarize‘September' is a time for holidays, sea bathing, and maybe even a seaside romance. We follow the Dashwood women as they move to Barton Cottage, and Anne Elliot as she leaves Kellynch for Uppercross. We also accompany Jane herself on a visit to London, where she stayed at her brother Henry's house in Covent Garden and enjoyed a trip to the Lyceum and a shopping expedition to Wedgwood's. We share a recipe for Raspberry Vinegar and congratulate Harriet Smith on her engagement to Robert Martin.~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘September’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Amelia Harvell, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra, 15 September 1813Knight Family Wedgwood ChinaMartha Lloyd's Household BookEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →August
Jul 3100:21:08Tap to summarize‘August’ rolls in with heatwaves and thunderstorms. We accompany Jane and her mother on a visit to Stoneleigh Abbey, Jane sends a wedding gift of handkerchiefs to a friend, and she enjoys cheese on toast for supper. August is also the month of the 'insufferably hot' visit to Sotherton in Mansfield Park, whilst in Persuasion it is Anne Elliot's birthday. We finish with Jane's advice to her niece Anna, who was following in her aunt's footsteps and writing a novel of her own.~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘August’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Amelia Harvell, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Cassandra's handkerchiefVerses to Catherine Bigg, 26 August 1808Martha Lloyd's Household BookEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic GerrardThis series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our new book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories.Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations. This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →July
Jun 3000:19:50Tap to summarize‘July’ sees Jane, Cassandra and their mother move into this house in Chawton, an event that Jane celebrated with a playful poem letter to her brother Frank. In this month also Lizzy Bennet visits Pemberley for the first time, and we admire a painting of Godmersham by William Watts and examine Jane's donkey carriage. July is also the month of Jane's death in 1817, and of her burial in Winchester Cathedral. Over 130 years later, in July 1949, Jane Austen's House first opened to visitors. ~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘July’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Poem letter to Frank AustenPainting of Godmersham Park by William Watts Jane Austen's donkey carriageEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic GerrardThis series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our new book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories.Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our new book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories.Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations. This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →June
May 31, 202500:18:49Tap to summarize‘June’ takes us to Emma - the perfect summer novel, with its picnic on Box Hill and strawberry picking at Donwell Abbey. We also mark the birthdays of Lydia Bennet and Elizabeth Elliot, as well as that of Charles Austen - Jane's 'own particular little brother'. We visit the battlefields of Waterloo, Jane attends a gala in Sidney Gardens complete with fireworks and illuminations, and we enjoy the first blooms of the Blush Noisette rose on the wall of the House.~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘June’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Emma Moffatt, Sophie Reynolds and Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance from Dominic Gerrard. The soundscape features soprano Georgina White. Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Portrait miniature of Mary PearsonEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic GerrardThis series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our new book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories.Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations. This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →May
Apr 30, 202500:20:21Tap to summarize‘May’ celebrates the garden here at Jane Austen's House, both as it was in Jane Austen's time and as it is today. We also drive along the Hogs Back, visit Bath and Winchester, examine Jane and Cassandra's 'topaze crosses' and the Austen women's patchwork coverlet, and witness the formation of the Jane Austen Society. We see Lydia joyfully depart for Brighton and accompany Emma and Frank Churchill to the much-anticipated ball at the Crown...~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘May’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Lisa Felix, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood and Celia Simpson, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 26 May 1801Topaz crossesPatchwork coverletDining Room grateEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic Gerrard This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →April
Mar 31, 202500:20:17Tap to summarize‘April’ is full of rain showers, umbrellas, muddy walks and romantic meetings. We celebrate Reverend and Mrs Austen's wedding day and Jane's passionate letter to the Prince Regent's Librarian in which she declares 'I must keep to my own style & go on in my own Way'. We examine a pair of Regency pattens and Frank Austen's handwritten Memoir. We take countless wet walks in Bath, Hartfield and Netherfield, and we finish with perhaps the most famous scene in all of Jane Austen's writings - a certain proposal, taking place in the small parlour at Hunsford Parsonage...~A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations.‘April’ was voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Julia McLeod, Emma Moffatt, Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood, with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.Find out more about some of the objects featured in this episode:Album of sketches by Admiral Sir Francis Austen and Cassandra Eliza AustenManuscript memoir of Admiral Sir Francis AustenLetter from Jane Austen to Rev. James Stanier Clarke, 1 April 1816Pair of pattensEpisode websitehttps://janeaustens.house/news/podcast/Script: Sophie ReynoldsCover Artwork:Jessica HalmshawSound & Original Music: Dominic GerrardThis series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our new book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories - now available wherever you get your books!Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations. This series was written and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday in 2025.If you enjoyed it, we think you’d also love our book A Jane Austen Year – a gorgeous coffee table book full of pictures, extracts and stories. Every purchase supports our work, caring for and preserving Jane Austen’s House for future generations.
Transcribe →