Centred on Jane Austen and her time in Bath, this tour guides you through the city’s key landmarks, featuring excerpts from her novels and letters that capture Bath in its Georgian prime.
Lasting around 90 minutes, the tour allows for flexibility – you can pause anytime to explore a museum, enjoy a café, or browse the shops.
Below you will find a downloadable map that takes you around the historical highlights, via many of Jane’s favourite spots. Simply head to each location on the map and select the audio track for more information.
Audio tour
Bath Abbey Churchyard
As described by Jane as the most agreeable and most polite places in the kingdom, Bath Abbey is truly one of a kind. Its magnificent stained-glass windows, honey-gold stone columns, and world-renowned fan vaulting create a breathtaking sense of light and space. But its wonder goes beyond just its beauty.
Thermae Bath Spa
The Hetling pump room was important in Jane’s day as her brother Edward took the cure when he came to Bath when he was suffering from suspected gout.
Sally Lunns House
Allegedly, the oldest house in Bath was home to Sally Lunn around 1680. She was known for creating the Bath Bun, which is still baked there to this day.
The Lower Rooms
This location was once home to the Lower Assembly Rooms, a place familiar to Jane Austen and the setting where Catherine Morland first meets Mr. Tilney in Northanger Abbey.
The River Avon and Pulteney Bridge
In 1760, Robert Adam was commissioned to build the Pulteney Bridge to continue Bath’s building boom on the other side of the river. This bridge is unique in England in having shops on it. Many compare this to Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
Laura Place and Great Pulteney Street
Bath’s longest and widest street in Bath. Jane would have known this bridge and street particularly well, as from 1801 to 1805, she lived at Sydney Place at the far end of the street.
The Royal Mineral Water Hospital
Built in 1737, this hospital marked the beginning of a new era of faith and scientific confidence in the healing powers of Bath’s mineral waters.
Beau Nash House and The Theatre Royal
This is the last house of Beau Nash, which he shared with his mistress. Jane Austen loved the theatre and would often have her characters perform here in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
Queen Square
On the south side of this square, Jane took lodgings with her brother Edward and his family. The fine layout and central obelisk were constructed by Beau Nash in honour of the visit of the Prince of Wales.
Gravel Walk
This is where in Jane Austen’s novel, Persuasion, a touching love scene happens between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth
The Royal Crescent
This row of 30 houses was built between 1768 and 1775 and designed by the second John Wood. No.1 Royal Crescent is furnished exactly as it would have been in the 18th century, giving us an accurate idea of how it would have looked.
The Circus
This innovative design by John Wood, the elder, was originally called The King’s Circus. Circus is the Latin word for circle, hence the name. Originally, the whole area would have been paved with a well in the centre where the servant would collect water for the houses.
The Assembly Rooms
Once known as the Upper Rooms, this venue was a popular gathering place for high society. Frequently mentioned in Jane Austen’s novels, it was also a place she visited multiple times.
The Paragon
This is where Jane Austen’s aunt and uncle, the Leigh-Perrots, lived and where she stayed during her early visits to Bath. The Paragon was also the main route for horse-drawn carriages entering the city.
Milsom Street
The hill you see in the distance is Beechen Cliff, where Jane would often take walks. Milsom Street was also a prime shopping location in Jane’s day, similar to what we see now.
Courtest of Bath Tourism Plus
