Steventon. Every Janeite has heard of this sleepy little village in Hampshire and the parsonage in which Jane lived over half her life. Situated in the chalk hills of North Hants, about seven miles from Basingstoke. As with Chawton, I “traveled” through narrow lanes to St. Nicholas church, where Reverend Austen held Sunday service, married parishioners, and baptized babies, and where members of the Austen family were laid to rest.
Drive to St. Nicholas. Google street view.
Edward Austen Leigh, Jane’s nephew, described the area as somewhat tame but well clothed with woods and hedgerows. The soil is poor, and while there is an abundance of timber, there are no large trees.
The narrow winding lanes curve naturally and offer pleasant nooks and corners. Google street view.
Approach to the church, which sits on the left, behind the tree. Google street view.
St. Nicholas as seen from the road, with the graves of the Austen family to the right. Google street view.
St. Nicholas church, first mentioned in records in 1238. Image @Tony Grant
Interior of St. Nicholas. Two of the three arches have been closed in. Image @Tony Grant
Detail of the arch to the right in the above image. Image @Tony Grant
St. Nicholas’s stained glass window, which dates from 1883. Image @Tony Grant
Gargoyle. Image@Tony Grant
Another view of the lane near the church. One can imagine Jane and Cassandra walking through this country, wearing pattens during rainy weather to protect their delicate shoes, clutching their red hooded cloaks, and umbrellas.
The old rectory site where the parsonage once stood. A well (inside the enclosure in back of the tree) is the only visible remnant of that house. Image @Tony Grant
More on the topic
- Listen to a description of Steventon and Jane Austen’s life there in this Librivox recording of A Memoir of Jane Austen. Click here.
- St. Nicholas, Steventon, a description and history
- St. Nicholas Church, more images
- Arial view of the area
Click on image.
Really nice, exactly what I would have wanted to see if I had been able to go on that jaunt! Amazing that genius could develop in such a remote, even anonymous, setting. But it is entirely in keeping with the delicacy of Austen’s work. Thanks so much!
Thanks as always. I love traveling with this blog. Awesome pictures! Jen Red
Isn’t it lovely to think that the Austen sisters would still be able to recognise the lanes & countryside & find their church so little changed.
Thanks, Vic. Next best thing to being there.
Really lovely. So like the countryside in many of her books.
This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for posting the photos of the rural area that brought peace and enjoyment to Jane. You are right, I CAN imagine Jane and Cassandra walking and also talking and laughing as they shared sisterly secrets. That thought made me smile.
Really charming and lovely. I can easily imagine Jane Austen walking there. Really enjoyed reading it and admiring adorable images.
Wow!! This is enlightening. Now I want to make a trip myself.
Steventon is indeed a lovely place. The village where the majority of cottages are nowadays is a little bit away from the church up on the hill. Where the rectory was positioned, where Jane was born, is on a corner of a field where the main road through Steventon meets the turn off for the church going uphill.Some of this is a result of village development. At one time cottages came along the road to the site of the rectory. However through neglect or demolition and because other new cottages were built on other plots there are gaps between parts of the village. Many of the cottages Jane knew are no longer there as indeed the rectory is no longer there.The house that Edward Knight, Jane’s brother, built to replace the rectory is still on the opposite side of the valley to where Jane’s rectory was. Obviously the church is still there and also the large house next to the church at the top of the hill where the the Chute family lived. It was the Chute children that Jane, Cassandra and their brothers played with as children. I am sure there are other cottages which were there in Jane’s time but I don’t know which ones.
In the church yard there are some Austen graves. James and his wife are buried there. Also inside the church there are some memorials to the Austens and Jane.
You still get a feeling of going back in time when you are there. It is a very peaceful place to wander around. You could go at any time of the year and you will not come across many visitors and at most times nobody at all. It really is cut off from the twenty first century.
I notice Vic you have been doing your research on Hampshire websites. You mention the ,”North Hans,” hills. There is a mistake in the spelling.. In Hampshire we use , Hants,” as an abbreviation for Hampshire. The article writer missed the the letter ,t, out of the spelling. It was somebody being lazy no doubt. It should really be, North Hampshire hills anyway.
Have a great day,
Tony
Thank you, Vic and Tony. Between your story and pictures, Vic, and your further explanation from an-ALMOST-local‘s point of view (or at least an obviously-frequent-vistor, anyway), Tony, I very much feel as if I’ve been there. You’ve also made me want to visit, even more that I had before. Maybe someday… Thanks again.
Loved the pictures. I tweeted.