From the adaptations, and from Jan's lovely website, I have a mental image of what the area around Barton Park would have been like.

I have been wondering, though, what exactly are 'downs'? When the novel mentions 'high downs' or ascending the downs I was thinking the land must be sloped. Or is it flat but you climb up to it?

Marianne talks about how delightful it would be to gallop on the downs, and Willoughby and Marianne go driving on the downs while others were in the lanes. I guess what I was imagining wouldn't be very suitable for driving if it was sloped.