Christmas at The Jane Austen Centre

Celebrate your own Regency Christmas in the iconic Georgian town of Bath at the Jane Austen Centre.

Christmas arrived early at The Jane Austen Centre Bath this year, with a visit from Dame Emma Thompson, star and screenwriter of the 1995 Sense and Sensibility adaptation! We were delighted to meet her, particularly when she returned the next day with cakes for all the staff; in the words of Jane Austen herself “You know how interesting the purchase of a sponge-cake is to me”. Emma Thompson’s letters to the Centre, alongside exclusive behind the scenes pictures from Sense and Sensibility (1995) and a signed copy of her script will be added to our permanent displays in The Jane Austen Centre from January 2022.

Dame Emma Thompson’s visit marked just the beginning of December Festive celebrations at The Jane Austen Centre. The beautiful Georgian building and home to the Jane Austen Centre, 40 Gay Street, is full of holly, ivy, berries and other subtle decorations to mark the season. Did you know that Christmas looked very different in Regency England? Without a Christmas Tree in sight, you would find Jane Austen and her contemporaries at festive balls rather than the local pub. Based in a house just like one Jane lived in on Gay Street, you too can feel the same festive magic that she did (with a Christmas tree added for the 21st Century visitors!)…

You can enjoy a sample of this very special Regency blend of mulled wine from The Jane Austen Centre Gift Shop for free throughout December, while you browse the Jane Austen themed gifts, including festive jumpers, books, and beautiful felt decorations of her best loved characters – and the author herself! Our doors will be open throughout the festive season (only closing for Christmas Day and Boxing Day!)