A Jane Austen Christmas A new Christmas tour featuring Winchester and Bath  

Dec 20 – 28, 2012

Itinerary

December 20–21 — U.S., London, Winchester
Depart the U.S. for London, Heathrow on individual flights. Upon arrival the next day, take a private luxury coach to Winchester and check into the Hotel Du Vin. Gather with fellow Jane Austen fans for a welcome reception and dinner. (R,D)

December 22 — Jane Austen House Museum, Chawton
In 1809, Jane moved to the village of Chawton with her mother, sister, and a family friend. Here she wrote Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion and revised her earlier works for publication. Of the house she wrote, “Our Chawton House how much we find already in it to our mind, and how convinced that when complete it will all other houses beat.” Their home is now a delightful museum, featuring a notable collection of personal artifacts, including her writing table, jewelry, and original manuscripts and letters, as well as family memorabilia. Return to Winchester for a festive Jane Austen evening featuring period music, readings and meet with Jane Austen Society members. (B,R)

December 23 — The Vyne, Hampshire villages
Transport yourself to the turn of the 19th century on visits to places where Jane Austen lived and socialized, where her observations of town and country society became wryly portrayed in her novels. Originally built for Henry VIII’s Lord Chamberlain, and eventually passing to Austen family friends, The Vyne is a 16th-century English country estate now under the care of The National Trust. Jane, her sister, Cassandra, and brother James attended many social events here. Viewing the elegant rooms full of portraits, textiles, and sculptures, and the tranquil grounds and gardens, it is easy to imagine where Austen developed the sumptuous settings for her time-honored stories. Visit charming Steventon, the village where she was born and lived until the age of 25. The rectory, her birthplace, no longer stands, but you can explore other area landmarks of her time, including Popham Lane, the Wheatsheaf Inn, and former site of the Assembly Rooms, where she attended many balls. In Steventon Jane wrote Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. Learn more about her life on visits to the area towns and villages frequented by the novelist. (B,L)

December 24 —Christmas Eve in Winchester
It was here in Winchester that beloved English novelist Jane Austen came in July 1817 and spent the last of her days. On a walking tour of this ancient city, stop by the humble house where she died and visit her burial place in the north aisle of Winchester Cathedral. Although her original memorial stone doesn’t note her literary achievements, a brass plaque was added in 1872 to redress the issue, and a stained glass memorial window was installed in 1900. This evening enjoy a festive Christmas Eve reception of mulled wine and traditional mince pies before dining in the hotel this evening. There is the option of attending Midnight Eucharist at Winchester Cathedral, if you wish. (B,D)

December 25 — Christmas in Winchester
Celebrate Christmas Day at morning services in the sublime Winchester Cathedral. From its humble beginnings in the 7th century as a small, cross-shaped church to the grand design it is today. The cathedral was once the most important royal church in Anglo-Saxon England. It is the burial place of early kings and bishops, once the priory church of simple monks, and a place of pilgrimage for fifteen centuries. Listen to the magnificent choir sing traditional sacred music, accompanied by the 150-year-old organ—5,500 pipes! A special Christmas Day lunch is served at your hotel. Gather with new-found friends to pop a Christmas cracker, engage in conversation, or take a walk. (B,L)

December 26 — Winchester, Lacock, Bath
It’s Boxing Day in Britain, and we journey from Winchester to Bath, stopping to visit the charming rural village of Lacock. The National Trust property dates to the 13th century and features lime-washed, half-timbered, and stone houses frequently used as settings for many television and film productions, including Pride and Prejudice and Emma. The abbey, founded in 1229, has appeared in Harry Potter films. The village remains unchanged over the centuries—you won’t find telephone poles or cars—and thrived on the wool industry during the Middle Ages. Meander through its picturesque streets and learn about the abbey’s monastic history, as well as its most famous resident, William Fox Talbot, whose experiments in photography led him to discover the photographic negative. Experience the tradition of a full afternoon tea, featuring delectable cakes, biscuits, finger sandwiches, and, of course, freshly brewed tea. Take yours with a spot of milk, the perfect soothing beverage for a winter’s afternoon. Continue to Bath and check into the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel. (B,D)

December 27 — Jane Austen Sites of Bath
Your discoveries of Jane Austen continue on a private tour of Bath, where she lived from 1801 to 1806. Both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were set in this ancient Roman spa city, now a World Heritage site. Learn about and admire the Georgian architecture of Gay Street and the nearby Circus, a set of curved townhouses inspired by Rome’s Coliseum. Stop by the house on Gay Street where Jane and her sister lived after their father’s death and Sydney Place another Austen residence. Other architectural highlights include the Royal Crescent—with its uniform façade but mixed roof heights, angles, and fenestration in the back—and Pulteney Bridge, a splendid landmark that arches over the River Avon. At the Bath Abbey discover the history of the parish, from Norman roots to its present 16th-century construction, one of the region’s largest examples of perpendicular English Gothic architecture. At Bath’s Assembly Rooms, designed by architect John Wood, admire the elegant Georgian rooms that hosted balls and public functions during Austen’s day. These Assembly Rooms featured in two of her novels as the place where parents brought their daughters to meet eligible suitors. Also housed here is the Fashion Museum, a fantastic collection of clothing dating from the late 16th century to the present. Conclude the day at the Jane Austen Centre, where her legacy is kept alive by authorities on the writer’s life. This evening, celebrate your explorations of the life of Jane Austen among newly made friends at a farewell reception and dinner. (B,D)

December 28 — Depart Bath
Transfer to London for individual flights to the U.S. (B)

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