Fly British Airways into the world of Jane Austen
To mark the 200th anniversary of the great British novelist Jane Austen, British Airways selected four places in the UK for travellers from Kuwait to explore the world of Jane Austen. Travellers can enjoy great value return fares from Kuwait with daily direct flights arriving early afternoon to London making for easy transit onto the metro to begin their tour to Hampshire, Bath, Lyme Regis and Sheffield - places that play an important role in the author’s life and work.
1. Hampshire: Hampshire holds a significant place for Jane Austen as her birth and resting place. Visitors can start with Jane Austen’s House Museum in the quiet village of Chawton. It was here that Austen wrote and revised six of her most famous novels. She revised her manuscripts for “Sense & Sensibility”, “Pride & Prejudice” and “Northanger Abbey”, and wrote “Mansfield Park”, “Emma” and “Persuasion”. This beautiful county is the perfect blend of city, coast, and country. Visitors can visit Austen’s country home that was built in the 17th century which open daily. The county is hosting the “Jane Austen 200” to celebrate her life with numerous events including special exhibitions, tours, talks, and performances to honour the novelist. (Image: The Dining Room (Cr. Peter Smith) of Jane Austen’s House Museum, Chawton, Hampshire, UK. (c) Jane Austen’s House Museum)
2. Bath: Enthusiasts can experience a day like Jane Austen in Bath, where she lived from 1801 to 1806. Admirers can take a free audio walking tour through the city which includes extract from Jane Austen’s novels and letters while soaking in the beautiful Georgian architecture depicted in the Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. After the tour, “Tea with Mr. Darcy” at the Regency Tea Room located in the Jane Austen Center is highly recommended. Visitors can enjoy delicious finger sandwiches, homemade cakes, a pot of tea and dress up in a selection of Regency costumes. British Airways’ customers can take advantage of a free train ride from London to Bath through its partnership with the Great Western Railway. (Image: People dressed in period costume for the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, Credit: VisitBritain)
3. Lyme Regis: For Austen fans who love the beach, Lyme Regis is the perfect place to experience both. A popular place for summer vacation, Austen and her family visited the southern coast twice, once in 1803 and in 1804. The quaint coastal town impressed the writer so much so that she used it for the setting of her book, Persuasion, which is believed to be Austen’s most autobiographical book. Visitors can walk along the famous harbour, the Cobb, to relive her inspirations. (Image: The Cob at Lyme Regis at dawn, with the Jurassic Coast beyond, Dorset, England, UK. Credit: VisitBritain)
4. Sheffield: Visitors who love the illustrations and imagery from “Pride and Prejudice” should not miss the Chatsworth House located in Derbyshire. Scholars believe that Pemberely, the fictional country estate owned by Fitzwilliam Darcy, was inspired by the Chatsworth House Bakewell in Derbyshire. Today, the property serves as home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, but it also opens its 105 acres of gardens, 30 lavish rooms and one of Europe’s largest collections of art for public to visit. (Image: Chatsworth, a large mansion founded in the 16th century and added to and extensively remodelled over centuries, seen from across the lake in the park, reflected in the flat calm water surface. Credit: VisitBritain)
British Airways currently operates a daily service between Kuwait and London. All flights from Kuwait arrive at the airline’s state-of-the-art home at London Heathrow Terminal 5.