December 24, 1997 - Hello my US friends, I have read many of your memories of trips to the UK and thought I would trouble you with mine. Myself and my beautiful wife Sue are big Austen fans and have spent the last couple of years visiting both areas and houses where she lived and also locations of the latest BBC adaption of P&P. P&P was made at several locations within easy reach of our house, so the following summer trips were fantastic for us:
Pemberly (Exterior) Lyme Park in Cheshire (50 miles away)
This house was beautiful, there was a display of clothes used in the film and other info dotted around. Although it rained all day, we walked down to the famous lake and into the Gardens (where Lizzie finally warmed to Darcy).
Pemberly interiors (Sudbury Hall in Staffordshire) (30 miles away)
This Tudor mansion had a display of clothes including Lizzie and Darcy's wedding clothes and display boards containing amusing shots of Lizzie smoking a fag, Darcy watching soccer on TV and others messing around during make-up. We walked in the long Gallery, visited the music room and stood at the white staircase where the housekeeper showed off the display cabinet cameos etc. Incidentally, there was a radiator behind the display cabinet!
Huntsford Parsonage (a private home at Thythe in Leicestershire [my County] 15 miles away)
This house was fairly hard to find, but after driving around in the Snow we came across it. Mr Collins was unfortunately out! There was a church next door and a strange little Topiary donkey cut into a hedgerow which was many years old, apparently.
Rosings Park ( Belton House in Lincolnshire) 20 miles away
This house was visited after the above Parsonage on the same day (following a couple of pints of beer and a large plate of fish and chips(Pomme Frites to you) in a local Pub.) What a beautiful place! Again displays were evident. Lady Catherine's room, the little room where Lizzie played the Piano Forte etc. etc. were all there. The Gardens were Majestic, even during a Snowstorm.
Incidentally, this house was also used to film The Moon Dial (which stands in the Grounds).
During the Summer we paid a long awaited visit to Chawton...
...to see where she lived. Her House was superb. I touched the table where she wrote many of her novels, saw her little donkey carriage, walked in her Garden (pinching a few seeds to sow in our garden), saw where she slept etc. etc. We brought many mementoes, including a Cross Stitch of her house, a JA badge, postcards, bookmarks etc. We then went by Horsedrawn carriage to the Church where her mother and Cassandra are buried (someone was getting married on this lovely summer's day).
Last year we stayed at Bath...
...for a couple of days Jane lived here for a few years and one house had a plaque to indicate this. Bath is a lovely Georgian Town today and is well worth a visit. The Pump Room is now a Restaurant serving food at 300% normal costs!!
Next year...
... we want to revisit Lyme Park and Sudbury, and also to try to find Meryton, Netherfield (I fancy a dance with Lizzie in the Ball Room, if my wife permits me) and Lizzie's own house.