In the Footsteps of Pride & Prejudice

by Abigail Reynolds Picture: Jane Odiwe, Abigail Reynolds, and Monica Fairview in Regents Park How lucky can a girl get? Last week I unexpectedly found myself with several days to kill in London and Bath, and almost no plans. It was a little strange, I grant you, to have no idea what I was going to do, but somehow I was certain that I wouldn’t be bored. Indeed, I had a lovely and busy time with Austen friends and historical sights, and I can’t resist sharing it all with you. I started in London with a quick visit to the Wallace Collection, a museum of fine art displayed in a Regency mansion. It’s a hidden treasure, and I only wish that I could have sat on one of their settees with a notebook for hours. But it was not to be, since I had a date for lunch in the crypt of St. Marylebone Church. There I met several of my fellow Austen Authors – Juliet Archer, Jane Odiwe, Monica Fairview and Victoria Connelly – for several delightful hours of chat about our books, publishing, and of course, Jane Austen. Then it was off to Bath for me, where I made the foolish mistake of thinking I could manage a five minute walk from the train station to my B&B with my luggage, not realizing it was a steep hill all the way. It was worth it when I arrived, though, for the view across the city to the Royal Crescent. I could go on for hours about the beauty of Bath and still not do it justice, so I’ll skip to my delightful dinner with Jane Odiwe in her flat overlooking the garden of Jane Austen’s house on Sydney Road. It gave me shivers to think of our Jane sitting there! The next day brought another Austen writer, Sandra Platt, whose stories can be found at Pen & Ink, who generously drove me to stunningly picturesque Stourhead Landscape Gardens where Matthew MacFadyen made his first proposal to Keira Knightly in the 2005 movie of Pride & Prejudice. Fortunately, we managed to avoid the pouring rain from that scene and took a walk around the lake and through the various follies. To give equal time to the 1995 A&E miniseries, our next stop was Lacock Village, better known to many of us as Meryton, a charming village preserved by the National Trust and frequently used as a setting for period dramas. It was a thrill to stand in front of the Red Lion pub, better known as the exterior for the Meryton Assembly. I could practically see the carriages pulling up. To top off a wonderful day, Sandra and I talked plot, troubleshooting some issues in my new Pemberley Variation, providing much needed inspiration. It was lovely to finally meet so many Jane Austen friends. How many people, after all, understand my obsession? It was wonderful to have the chance to slip back in time to Regency England, not least because the drama in my home town of Madison, Wisconsin was finding its way into the headlines even in the UK. I’m already trying to come up with excuses to go back to England. After all, there are so many other Austen-related places to visit! What Austen sites do you wish you could see?

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  Kara Louise Commented on: February 25, 2011

  How many ways can you spell jealous? It sounds like a lovely trip! I went to England when I was in my early 20s, but didn’t go anywhere remotely tied to Jane except seeing where she is buried. Glad you had a good time and could meet some friends in person!

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  Pamala Knight Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Thank you for recounting your trip, Abigail. It sounds lovely! And meeting up with fellow Janeites is always a treat. Welcome home!

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  Karen Wasylowski Commented on: February 25, 2011

  What wonderful pictures and you were there where he proposed! One day maybe…

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  Jakki L. Commented on: February 25, 2011

  What a wonderful recap of your trip! I keep telling my husband that I want to take a trip to England. How fun it must have been to visit Stourhead Landscape Gardens and stand right where Matthew MacFadyen stood! My heart just stopped beating! I would love to visit Chatsworth, Derbyshire, and all their beauty! To go to the Peak District and soak it all in would be a wonderful trip!! I believe there would be so much to see and not enough time to do it justice!

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  Carolyn Eberhart Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Nothing beats touring England with fellow Jane Austen fans! I have had the pleasure of doing this twice and would do it again in a heartbeat!

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  Karen Doornebos Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Welcome back stateside, Abigail! We skipped some dreadful midwest weather living vicariously through you!

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  Cindy Jones Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Wonderful post, Abigail! I feel as if I escaped with you for the time it took to read. Can we go back again?

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  Abigail Reynolds Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Jakki, I have to admit that I could easily have stayed for a month. There were so many things I wish I’d had time to see!Happy to oblige, Karen D.! I barely managed to avoid the blizzard by taking an earlier flight to London, which was a good idea in that my original flight was cancelled. Sharon, I hate to disappoint you. I was at Grovesnor Square when I went to do a little research on Darcy’s townhouse on Brook St., and it isn’t particularly impressive. At least they’ve taken down the massive concrete barriers that were there for my last visit! Victoria and Juliet, we’ll definitely have to put Stourhead on the plan for a group visit next time I’m there. Pamala, Karen W., Kara and Mary – Next time you’ll come along, right?

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  LisaS Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Sounds like a lovely time seeing lovely places with lovely friends. It doesn’t get much better than that IMO. If I were to go to England again I think I would make sure to spend much more time in the country seeing Chatsworth and some of the other grand estates. I’d love to see Bath again too. So beautiful. So much to do so little time. Thank you for sharing Abigail.

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  Anonymous Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Abigail: I enjoy your writing and it was a treat to read about your visits. I once lived round the corner from Regents Park and worked in Grosvenor Square and know Brook Street quite well (perhaps why I think of them more favorably than you seem to!) but I did not at that time think to visit the many JA sites. Shocking even to me! However, that allows me to plan my return visit to the UK, which necessarily must be a long one with so many sites to see, and therefore I enjoy learning of the visits of other JA fans, to better prepare for my own.Thanks to Austen Authors for all of your writing – stories and blogs.

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  Trez Commented on: February 25, 2011

  A lovely post Abigail and even if it looks a little cool it also looks very verdant – which at this time of year I truly miss. I am glad you had such a wonderful time and got to spend some of it with other wonderful authors. When I go, and I am determined to go, I will be sure to visit some of these beautiful places before I head over to Ireland to visit some traditional pubs

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  Marilyn Brant Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Abigail, welcome back! Glad to hear you had such a fabulous trip and got to meet so many of our Austen Authors in England What lovely photos, too! I haven’t yet seen the cottage at Chawton, and I’d love to visit there…

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  Mostly Lisa Commented on: February 25, 2011

  I am so jealous! This is such a great post, and you’re so lucky that you got to go to the places where the movie was filmed. That is a dream of mine. I’ve been to Bath, but I didn’t venture anywhere outside of it. My dream would be to see the Landscape Gardens sometime in the future. I am glad to see you had such a great time.

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  Abigail Reynolds Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Cindy, I would LOVE to go back again!Lisa, I agree – London may be great for museums, but give me the countryside any day. Anon – I quite like Brook St., which is why Darcy lives there, and the bits of Regents Park I saw were lovely. Grosvenor Square itself disappointed me because I’d seen so many images of the 18th century houses that it was a shock to discover they’d been torn down and replaced with 20th century blocks of flats, but it’s a great area. Trez, it was surprisingly verdant to my Wisconsin eyes. Crocuses and a few daffodils were in bloom, something which won’t happen here for another two months. Marilyn, I haven’t seen Chawton either. I figure it gives me an excuse to go back, right? Lisa, you’d love the Landscape Gardens! I hope you get there.

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  SuzeJA Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Great post thanks for sharing.. I am so upset I was I London and never went to the museum… I guess I have to wait for my next trip..

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  Monica Fairview Commented on: February 25, 2011

  So glad we managed to meet up, Abigail! And I’d love to visit Lacock and see the National Trust village, just haven’t made it there yet. Thank you for these lovely photos.

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  JoanneMM Commented on: February 25, 2011

  I am so jealous!! When I go to the UK, and I WILL go to the UK :), I have to spend tons of time there because there is so much I wish to see!! Obviously, I must go to London and I must see these Jane Austen sites!! I am so glad you had a spectacular time and were able to see some other Austen Authors!

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  Vee Commented on: February 25, 2011

  Abigail thank you for a lovely post! What a wonderful experience! Travelling to all these amazing locations that are familiar to all of us! I am also looking forward to seeing some of these wonderful sights when I visit the UK later this year! And how fortunate that you got to spend time with your fellow authors! Wonderful!!! Love the pics too! My favourite has to be Chatsworth House. I adore Chatsworth and in my dreams it is my home I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit this beautiful estate on my last visit to the UK (which was all of two days), I was very tempted to go again this trip but I will take the opportunity to see new places this time. JoanneMM don’t worry it WILL happen. It took me a good 20 years to get around to my first trip but here I am going again! And I will be pinching myself to make sure it is not a dream when I am there, just like last time TSBO devotee Vee

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  Abigail Reynolds Commented on: February 26, 2011

  Suze, I’d never even heard of the Wallace Collection until very recently. I found some great pictures of their rooms at http://willowbrookpark.blogspot.com/2011/01/wallace-collection.html – just scroll down a bit. Gorgeous!Monica, it was delightful to meet you as well! I loved our luncheon and walk in the park. Joanne, you should definitely allow yourself lots of time in the UK! There’s so much to see. Vee, I’m so glad you can make a second trip! I hope you’ll tell me all about it.

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  Jane Odiwe Commented on: February 26, 2011

  Abigail, it was so lovely to meet you! Thanks so much for spending the evening with me in Bath-and to indulge in our obsession!

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  Candy M Commented on: February 27, 2011

  I didn’t have time to read all the comments, so if somebody already mentioned this…well, we think alike! We should plan a trip together! Your trip sounded lovely, Abigail.Candy

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  Sandra Platt Commented on: February 27, 2011

  Abigail, thank you for taking time out to meet me. I really enjoyed getting lost in Wiltshire with you! The conversation was a lot of fun; I just wish we could have fitted more in.I am hoping the Darcy bust will survive into a new season at Chatsworth – I’m just about to contact them to find out – because several people I know are finally getting their first trip there this summer! Thanks again for a really fab time! Sandra x

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  Susan Adriani Commented on: February 28, 2011

  Abigail,How wonderful that you not only visited so many beautiful Austen destinations, but that you were able to do it with such lovely friends. I’m envious, but so glad you had such a wonderful time! It sounds like magic! Best, Susan