colyton

Map

Colyton was home to Reverend Richard Buller and his wife Anna. Richard was a former pupil of Mr Austen's at his boarding school in Steventon, and he remained a friend of the family for life. 

He took up the living of St Andrew's Church in Colyton in June 180o. He wasted no time in inviting his former school master to come and stay and so Mr & Mrs Austen went with Cassandra and Jane in the summer of 1801.

At that time Mrs Buller was expecting her first child, who was to be Anna Sophia, born in 1801. A son, William, followed in 1803. 

We meet Mr Buller again later on in the novel in April 1805, when he arrived in Bath with his wife for the water cures. They stayed in Bath Street, but he was not in good health. Jane Austen wrote that she was 'astonished' at his appearance and was not hopeful that the waters would be sufficient to cure him. Her prediction came true when, in December of the following year, Richard Buller died at the age of 34, leaving his wife with the two young infants. He is buried in the grounds of Exeter Cathedral.

sidmouth

Map

Sidmouth was the first seaside resort that Mr Austen took his wife and daughters after his retirement. They all went for a holiday in the summer of 1801 when they had just moved to Bath and were waiting for their new house in Sydney Place to be painted.

Sidmouth still has many old buildings from Regency times that you can walk amongst today and you can still take a stroll over the cliffs and along the seafront.

If you would like to see some Antique Prints of Sidmouth from years gone by, you can browse them on the rareoldprints.com website here.

Dawlish

Map

Mr & Mrs Austen, Jane, Cassandra and Charles Austen all stayed here in the summer of 1802. At the time it was not very well kept and the promenades were not properly laid. There was a busy pebble beach, but it was not as fashionable as neighbouring resorts. It had fewer amenities than nearby towns and Jane wrote in a letter in 1814 that the library was 'pitiful'.

Sewage ran through the centre of town, which has changed beyond recognition today as it is now very prettily maintained.

The Dawlish Local History Group has a website that tells of the town's history, which you can read here. 

You can also read about the development of the town through the 1800s on devonheritage.org here.

TEIGNMOUTH

Map

Although direct evidence from letters is lost, many historians think that this the most likely place where Jane Austen had her holiday romance with a mystery man who died soon after they met.

It is also likely to be where she had her first personal experience of sea bathing.

Brian Southam conducted extensive research on Jane Austen's links to the Devonshire coast in an essay for JASNA's printed Persuasions number 33, entitled Jane Austen beside the Seaside: Devonshire and Wales 1801–1803. You can read it online here.   

lyme regis

Map

The Austens visited Lyme in the autumn of 1803 and then again in the summer of 1804. They are thought to have stayed at the house of Mr Pyne, at 10 Broad Street, and a blue plaque commemorates the occasion today.

They were joined on this holiday by Henry and Eliza Austen, who accompanied them to balls in the Assembly Rooms and walks along the Cobb.

Jane took much inspiration from her visits here, setting a substantial part of her novel Persuasion in the town.

Jane corresponded regularly with her sister whilst they were apart and the post box where she sent her letters is still on the wall today.

The sign reads: 'From 1799 to 1853 this building was the town Post Office. In those days this part of the street was called Horse Street. The wooden posting box, still in its original place in the wall, is one of the oldest in the country.'

Today, The Lyme Regis Museum has an area dedicated to the Austens (amongst many other fascinating displays) that includes personal items passed down through the family and believed to have belonged to Cassandra, Jane and their mother.

There is also a section about the fire of 1803 that Jane witnessed when she was there and a fire engine that was used to put out the flames. For more information, you can access the museum website here. 

Constance Hill visited Lyme on her pilgrimage to Jane Austen in 1901 and recorded what she found in her book Jane Austen:Her Homes and Her Friends.

When she was there, some of the key buildings that contributed to the town's entertainment were still standing and she provides us with detailed descriptions and illustrations of the Assembly Rooms,  as well as other cottages that locals linked to the Austen family. You can read her book online here.

weymouth

Map

Cassandra Austen came here in the late summer of 1804 with her brother, Henry, and his wife Eliza. This was a highly fashionable resort through its associations with King George III, who visited every year with his family. His brother, the Duke of Gloucester owned 'Gloucester Lodge', a house on the sea front.

Cassandra famously wrote to Jane on 11th September that she just missed seeing the Royal Family board their yacht there one morning. There must have been quite a crowd every time they did so as it was a very patriotic place and much frequented for sea bathing.

Today there is a replica bathing machine on the display along the sea front next to a statue of the King.

There is also a carving of King George III on horseback in the hillside at Osmington, which overlooks Weymouth bay.

The Regency History website has a wealth of information about the history of Weymouth. A good place to start is with this article - How Weymouth became a Georgian seaside resort fit for a King which you can read here.

devon & dorset extract

If you would like to read an extract from The Austens of Bath where events take place in Devon & Dorset, click here.