The Jane Austen Centre in Bath

Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath’s many famous residents and visitors. She paid two long visits here towards the end of the eighteenth century, and from 1801 to 1806 Bath was her home.

The Jane Austen Centre, located at 40 Gay Street just a few minutes walk from the Royal Crescent Hotel is a permanent exhibition. It tells the story of Jane’s Bath experience – the effect that living here had on her and her writing. The Centre organises walking tours, an annual Austen Festival and Group Visits. Come and see our costumed guides. Enjoy being shown Bath’s fascinating history and associations with Jane Austen and her family.

The Jane Austen Festival
Each year over 500 people dress in Regency costume for this world famous spectacular which marks the official opening of the Festival. Departing from Queen Square, accompanied by red coats and navy officers and led by our own town crier and drums the procession stops the traffic and brings awe to the centre of Bath. If you would like to join this truly one-of-a-kind experience and be part of something that Jane would describe as “being of all the consequence in our power, draw as many eyes, excite as many whispers, and disturb as many people as possible!”