[4] The surrounding parkland to the south of the house is open at all times to walkers and nourishes a herd of sheep.

The house then passed down the family until the male line died out with the death of Sir Richard Knight.

[5] The house is in 275 acres (1.11 km2) of Hampshire countryside, and after extensive refurbishment is now open to visitors, for conferences, a venue for weddings, and has also been used for some films.

It also states that the main part of the present structure was funded by Sir Arthur Blomfield after a fire in 1871.

In 1992 a 125-year lease on the house was purchased for £1.25 million by a foundation established by Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack, co-founders of Cisco Systems.

The library's main aim is to promote and facilitate study in the field of early women's writing.

[11] These texts explore broad-ranging themes including satire, slavery, marriage, witchcraft and piracy.

In 1813, she wrote to her brother Frank, "He [Knight] talks of making a new Garden; the present is a bad one & ill situated, near Mr Papillon's; — he means to have the new, at the top of the Lawn behind his own house."

[14] Everything grown in the walled garden is for use by the Library, with any surplus being sold locally in aid of the charity.

Austen is known to have been a frequent visitor to what she knew as the 'Great House', and she references it a number of times in her letters.

[17] Chawton House is the venue of the Annual General Meeting of the Jane Austen Society of the United Kingdom.

[18] In 2003 the Jane Austen Society of North America held its 25th Anniversary AGM in the grounds of Chawton House.

Both a formal programme of sessions and a bespoke service, to study specific areas in more detail, can be provided.