Everything about Chawton totally explained
Chawton is a small village in
Hampshire,
England, near
Alton. Neighbouring villages are Lower and Upper
Farringdon,
West and
East Worldham and
Beech. Chawton lies just off the A31 which runs between
Farnham and
Winchester.
In 2000, Chawton had a population of around 380. It is within the census area of Downland which has 2,149 people.
History
Village history
Chawton's recorded history begins in the
Domesday survey of
1086. In the 13th century, there was a royal manor house. The owner, John St John, served as deputy to
Edward I in
Scotland.
Henry III visited the manor on over forty occasions. The descendants of John Knight, who built the present
Chawton House at the time of the
Armada (1588), added to it and modifed the landscape in ways that reflect changes in politics, religion and taste. One of those descendants was Elizabeth Knight, whose progresses were marked by the ringing of church bells and whose two husbands both had to adopt her surname. Later in the 18th century,
Jane Austen's brother Edward (who had been adopted by the Knights) succeeded, and in 1809 was able to move his mother and sisters to a cottage in the village, now "
Jane Austen's House" and visited by 30,000 people each year.
Jane Austen
Jane Austen lived here in
Chawton Cottage with her mother and sister, Cassandra, from
1809 until May
1817, when because of illness she moved to
Winchester to be near her
physician. She died there on
18 July 1817.
Austen wrote many of her books in Chawton, and her house is now a museum. Among the items of furniture are a Clementi pianoforte (about 1810) and a
Hepplewhite bureau-bookcase containing several of her works.
By the start of the twentieth century the house was tenanted by a workmen's club.
Visitor attractions
Chawton Cottage
Chawton Cottage,
Jane Austen's house and garden are open to the public.
Chawton House
Chawton House, the 400 year old grade ll* listed Elizabethan
manor house that once belonged to
Jane Austen's brother and 275 acres of land, has been restored as part of a major international project to establish the new Centre for the
Study of Early English Women's Writing, 1600 - 1830. It houses a collection of over 9,000 volumes, together with some related manuscripts. Visitors can see the relationship between the library, the house, the estate and a working farm of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
In 1992 a 125-year lease on the house was purchased for £1.25 million by a foundation established by
Sandra Lerner, co-founder of
Cisco Systems.
Services
Chawton C of E Primary School is the only school in Chawton. Strung along the minor road (Winchester Road) that runs through Chawton there's The Greyfriar pub, Cassandra's Cup (a tea shop), however usually there are no retail stores. Adjacent to Winchester Road lies a green containing a cricket pitch and the home of Chawton Cricket Club, a newly refurbished playground and a set of allotments.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Chawton'.
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