This year we are celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen! Austen, born in Steventon in North Hampshire, where her Father was the vicar of the small 12th century Church.

She enjoyed a childhood full of learning, encouraged by her Father and his extensive library, she was the seventh of eight siblings who all excelled in academic abilities. Jane and her sister, Cassandra, attended school in both Oxford and Southampton but mainly learnt from reading books as they were sent home from school due to illness.

When Jane reached 25, her parents made the family move to the city of Bath. During this time she enjoyed family holidays to Devon, one which prompted her to begin writing her first novel, Sense and Sensibility.

The novel follows the Dashwood family as they are forced to make the move from London to Upton Pyne in Devon. The 1995 movie adaptation has many scenes that were filmed in North Devon and Plymouth. Saltram House, near Plymouth was used for Norland Park and Efford House on the Flete Estate was used for Barton Cottage, the home the Dashwoods moved into upon their arrival in Devon.

It is possible to visit Norland Park as it now operates as a National Trust house. It is roughly a 45 minute drive away from our hotel but is definitely worth the visit!

The Lord Haldon Hotel definitely feels like a Jane Austen location due to its historical aesthetic and picturesque location and we definitely recommend bringing a good book to read whilst staying with us. The tranquil and calm Devon countryside make the best backdrop to reading!