Now you can sleep amongst shelves of Jane Austen first editions at Henry Austen’s townhouse.
Good news for Janeites with disposable income and an interest in vacation: Henry’s Townhouse, former home of Jane Austen’s brother, is available to rent after a period of renovation. The London house—with seven suites, a drawing room, terrace and dining room pantry—has been redecorated with an eye toward the Austens’ style.
“I’ve created a theatre,” said owner Steven Collins to Forbes. “At first you think you have stepped back in time, but, after all, this is London—so we’ve added the requisite sprinkle of glamour.”
That modern glamour is mixed with Austen-themed touches throughout the home: first-edition Austen novels, a renter’s newsletter titled The Loiterer after the bimonthly journal Henry Austen edited, and bedrooms each referencing a different Austen family member.
And now, you can attend Henry’s Townhouse with added knowledge of the man himself’s interiority: the Times Literary Supplement recently revealed Henry Austen was publicly abolitionist, named as a delegate to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840. But if Henry’s Townhouse is too expansive for your needs, you can always rent Jane’s former home in Bath or the cowshed of her brother Edward’s Godmersham Park estate.
[h/t Forbes]
