A rare chance to turn the clocks back to Jane Austen’s school days

16th October 2024

Global celebrations marking a major milestone for one of the world’s most famous authors will include a rare chance to turn the clocks back to Jane Austen’s school days in Reading.

As part of the 250th anniversary of the writer’s birth in 2025, a host of special events and commemorations are planned in the places most associated with Austen, particularly in Hampshire and Bath.

But in Reading, fans will have the opportunity to discover a less well-known side to her story, and to visit a site connected to the writer that they have likely never seen before.

When she was just nine years old, Austen spent 18 months at school in the Thames-side town when she, her elder sister Cassandra and cousin Jane took up residence at Reading Ladies Boarding School between the summer of 1785 and December 1786.

Not only was it her home for 18 months, but the author’s time there is also cited as the inspiration for Mrs Goddard’s School in Emma, her fourth published novel, and the last to be released during her lifetime.

Now the public will have the opportunity to visit the school in the dramatic setting of the former Gateway to medieval Reading Abbey.

To date, the location of Jane’s school has only been open for educational workshops and booked tours, offering true-to-life Victorian schoolroom activities for youngsters learning about that period of history.

But from April to October 2025, new interpretation and events will explain its time as Jane Austen’s schoolroom as well as her family connections to Reading and the Thames Valley.

Reading Museum will be staging a series of events, tours and visits to the Abbey Gateway and Reading Abbey Quarter to tell the story of Jane’s connections to the town, as part of worldwide Jane Austen 250 celebrations.

Guided visits will take place every Saturday from April to October, while group tours will also be available on other days by arrangement. Each Wednesday in May and June will also see a series of talks, tours and workshops organised by the Museum celebrating Jane Austen and her time in Reading.

Reading’s 2025 celebrations also include visiting the National Trust’s Basildon Park - a location for 2005 film of Pride & Prejudice – and a theatrical world premiere of Death Comes to Pemberley, a Jane Austen themed show based on a PD James novel, at The Mill at Sonning, 1 May – 28 June 2025

For a tempting Regency era treat, the 5-star Roseate Reading Hotel, which sits next door to Jane Austen’s schoolroom, will be offering special Jane Austen Afternoon Teas throughout May and June 2025, taking inspiration from Georgian-period recipes. The Roseate also has a sister hotel in another destination linked to the author, Bath, and will be offering a special Jane Austen rate for stays during 2025 

More information about anniversary events can be found at www.visit-reading.com/janeausten