| Chawton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welcome to Jane Austen country, a pleasant
area of countryside which has brought immortality to the village of
Chawton. It is here that a tiny red brick house has brought pleasure to
countless millions of people who have read Miss Austens work. This
little house was the final home of the authoress and it is here she
spent the last seven years of her life.
The garden of the house was her favourite place and she used to look forward to the springs here with the buds starting to swell and blossoms and flowers gradually opening their faces to the warm sunshine, as well as sitting for ages in the garden she also cared for her brother Henry and it was through his nursing that she over did it and did in Winchester where she had gone for help and advice on the caring of her brother. The house is still standing in Winchester and there is a plaque on the house which has been donated by her millions of readers and her mother and sister now lie in the Churchyard at Chawton
The old church was destroyed in a fire in the 19th century and the new Church of St Nicholas was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield. There is a screen also designed by him with rood figures on its crown, nine beautiful candelabra and an exquisitely painted reredos. The original 15th century bell has been installed and a memorial tablet ot John Hinton who was the rector here until his death in 180a, as well as grand memorial to Sir Richard Knight who lived in the manor house during the 17th century. IMAGES OF CHAWTON
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It
was also here that she finished Emma and Persuasion and where she spent
some of her happiest days in the company of her mother and sister
Cassandra. 
