Chawton House

[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.

Chawton House in snow
Chawton House from the South, 2023
Chawton house, church and sheep
Chawton St Nicholas church
Chawton House from the driveway