I sit down to do some research at Chawton House Library (CHL) as often as I can. I took last Tuesday off to be in Winchester, but I did get to the library on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday (all day). On Wednesday I found a place in the Upper Reading Room (I keep capitalizing this… Read more

The day after the bicentenary of Jane Austen’s death (July 18), Jane Austen’s House Museum (JAHM) saw an influx of visitors. It’s like people had suddenly remembered that she was somebody important or something! I volunteered as a steward at JAHM on the 19th. From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. we had over 250 visitors.… Read more

I spend every Monday afternoon in this wonderful room: the Chawton House Library (CHL) lower reading room. This room contains many of CHL’s women writers’ books. Most visitors to CHL end their tour of the Great House by visiting this room. On Monday, I had the pleasure of meeting members of JASNA (a few of… Read more

Bosham, a village in Sussex, is close to Chichester and sits on a peninsula that often floods this small town. Seriously, when the tide rises it covers the road along the edge of town. The houses on the coastal perimeter of this village actually prepare for major flooding by including tiny doors, rather than full-sized… Read more

This post comes to you a week after its event, so forgive me! My previous Alton host Sarah graciously offered to drive Adam and me to Arundel Castle (pronounced air-un-dell) on July 15. This castle has curb appeal for sure! It’s walled off from the town, sits high on a hill, etc.–all those things a… Read more

Last night I began my pilgrimage to Winchester. Like the pilgrims who came to Winchester Cathedral for centuries to commemorate the life of Saint Swithun, I (and many others) visited the cathedral today to honor Jane Austen, who died 200 years ago on this date, July 18. You might deem my use of the word… Read more

On July 14 I attended part of a conference that addressed Jane Austen, Germaine de Stael, and other women writers, such as Charlotte Lennox and Maria Edgeworth. While my reason for being at CHL is to do research, I also have found that attending talks is worth taking a research break. In some ways, attending… Read more

Images of books from Chawton House Library collection. After spending a week getting acquainted with the CHL and JAHM and meeting the people who work there, attending and assisting in events, and volunteering, I finally sat down on Tuesday afternoon (July 11) in the Upper Reading Room to begin my archival research. My goal last… Read more

On July 10 and 11 I officially began my stewardship at Chawton House Library (CHL) and Jane Austen’s House Museum (JAHM), respectively. I volunteered on Monday at CHL and Tuesday at JAHM. See the pics above which show my badges and nifty lanyards. On Monday I began by opening the house. This process includes opening… Read more

Ah, there is some lovely green water. Don’t you want to just go take a long, hot bath in the waters of Bath? No? Perhaps you want to drink the “spa water”? No, again? Well, how about just visiting the baths of Bath and learning a little bit about its history? OK, then. Good. Last… Read more