A Visit to Bath - Jane Austen's Inspiration

​If you've been following my blog this summer, you know that I am plagued by wanderlust. So, to relieve it, I'm posting one of my favorite trips to date. My daughter and I took a self-guided "Chasing the Janes" tour, visiting the homes of Austen and Brontë (Jane Eyre) and the movie locations of our favorite film versions. Of course, we couldn't leave England without visiting Bath. This was the setting for Austen's Persuasion.

 When we arrived via train (which was a half hour late), we walked up the cobblestone street to the visitor's center (always the best move), and purchased our tickets for all the attractions we would need for our two days in this quaint town.

Our first stop were the Roman Baths . . . actually discovered long before the Romans arrived, but they dedicated this natural mineral spring to their goddess Minerva. Later, it became a popular place, especially in Jane Austen's era, to 'take the waters' for the sake of one's health.

Here are a few photos:

​We were brave and tasted the mineral water. Not too bad - just a slight irony taste.

​Then we went for brunch and had both top and bottom of the famous Sally Lund Bun. It is so large, that you must use a knife and fork. Here is Olivia triumphantly eating it. It's the first break in our diet since New Year's, but we couldn't come to Bath without trying one! I would describe it as the best hamburger bun you have ever tasted. Almost brioche in nature. Hopefully, that's not offensive to a Brit.

Three photos of the shop front, below. Then a visit to the tiny museum in the basement. I've written a middle-grade historical fiction about Sally Lunn, who might have been a Huguenot girl seeking refuge in Bath!

​Then we took a bus tour of Bath - the next best thing to do after arriving in a new city:

​A few photos from the Jane Austen Center:

​​A forensic rendering of what Jane probably looked like using family descriptions and a sketch.

Hope you enjoyed this quick tour of Bath. Here's a parting shot of the Abbey at night. Stunning!

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Were you aware my debut middle-grade historical fiction, The Heart Changer, has a teacher's guide? Whether you are in a classroom setting or at home teaching your children, the guide has multiple activities and questions to use as a mini-unit literature study.

Click on the image on the left to find my author's page on the Ambassador International website. Scroll down, and you will see the the guide above my profile photo. Click on it to see the pdf and discover many ways to incorporate The Heart Changer into your curriculum. 

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Are you a Jane Austen fan? If so, which of her novels is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below . . .