Inspiration really can be found everywhere
Because, my goodness, Jane Austen must have been positively wallowing in it when she wrote Pride and Prejudice, considering all the claims being made these days for having inspired the book.
Visitors come to Goodnestone Park Gardens for its 15 acres of walled kitchen and woodland gardens, arboretum, parterre and terraces and an 18th-century house that inspired Jane Austen to write “Pride and Prejudice” after one of her frequent stays there.
Sheesh!
April 10th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
It’s like all the places that say “George Washington slept here” (you’d think the poor man never slept at home in his own bed)–”Jane Austen inspired here!” Good grief.
April 11th, 2006 at 5:11 am
Wherever you go in Kent, almost every stately home tries to stake some claim for its inspiration in some way.
I’ve heard the names of both Knole House in Sevenoaks and Squerryes Court in Westerham associated with JA and P&P.
April 11th, 2006 at 5:26 pm
[...] As Kirsty pointed out in the comments of a previous post, historic homes work hard to attract visitors by claiming ties to famous individuals such as Jane Austen, however tenuous the connection. Since we rather enjoy visiting such places, perhaps we should keep our snark to a minimum; in this spirit, we present an article about Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire, which is holding a celebration of the bicentennial of Jane Austen’s visit to the house, which was owned by a cousin. Events include a Jane Austen tour held each Sunday from Easter through October; a Jane Austen weekend in August; a Georgian Tea Party in July; and several plays and enactments throughout the summer. We’ve heard from some people who are visiting the U.K. this summer to check out Jane Austen sites–this sounds like something worth checking out if you’ll be in the area. Visit the Stoneleigh Abbey Web site for more information. [...]