Jane Austen in London - some places
Jane Austen mostly stayed with her brother, Henry, who was a banker before becoming a bankrupt banker. He lived in Sloane St, Hans Place, Upper Berkeley St, Henrietta St. His bank was in Henrietta Street, Albany, and Cleveland Court off St James St.
Jane also stayed in the Bath Hotel, Arlington Street - near where the Ritz now is, which she found 'dirty' and in Cork Street off Burlington Gardens.
She loved shopping, and shopped in New Bond St at Grafton House, Grafton St, and around the area between Leicester Square to Piccadily. There are quite a few shops still in existence in this area that survive from her time - however, the ones that survive are mostly 'men's' shops - wine merchants, barbers, tailors. But there there is Fortnum and Mason's and Hatchard's but the former provided the Duke of Wellington with provisions for his campaigns so maybe the 'rule' applies.
She went to exhibitions and galleries but was more interested in the visitors than the exhibition although she looked for her characters in the portraits on the wall - Mrs Darcy wore green she said, but she could not find a Mrs Bingley - interesting that she uses the Mrs - for the Bennett sisters.
She went to the Theatre a lot, seeing the famous Edmund Kean amongst others - Drury Lane mostly I suspect, but ofcourse Lydia Bennett is trapped in London with the Gardiners and she is only allowed the Little Theatre as her sole amusement. The Little Theatre is now the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.
Jane also stayed in the Bath Hotel, Arlington Street - near where the Ritz now is, which she found 'dirty' and in Cork Street off Burlington Gardens.
She loved shopping, and shopped in New Bond St at Grafton House, Grafton St, and around the area between Leicester Square to Piccadily. There are quite a few shops still in existence in this area that survive from her time - however, the ones that survive are mostly 'men's' shops - wine merchants, barbers, tailors. But there there is Fortnum and Mason's and Hatchard's but the former provided the Duke of Wellington with provisions for his campaigns so maybe the 'rule' applies.
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| Royal Opera Arcade - finished just after Jane Austen's death |
She went to exhibitions and galleries but was more interested in the visitors than the exhibition although she looked for her characters in the portraits on the wall - Mrs Darcy wore green she said, but she could not find a Mrs Bingley - interesting that she uses the Mrs - for the Bennett sisters.
She went to the Theatre a lot, seeing the famous Edmund Kean amongst others - Drury Lane mostly I suspect, but ofcourse Lydia Bennett is trapped in London with the Gardiners and she is only allowed the Little Theatre as her sole amusement. The Little Theatre is now the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.
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