Jane Austen Centre

Austen’s Bath in a Georgian townhouse

The Jane Austen Centre is at 40 Gay Street, a Georgian townhouse in Bath. It is a permanent exhibition about Jane Austen’s Bath experience, covering how visiting and living in the city affected her and her writing. The centre describes its aim as showing how Bath shaped one of literature’s best-known voices.

The centre also hosts the annual Jane Austen Festival, which has run since 2001, and a waxwork of the author was unveiled there in 2014. The building is part of a block at 31 to 40 Gay Street that is Grade II listed.

The Regency Tea Room

The centre also runs the Regency Tea Room, which serves real leaf tea and light lunches. Its menu and table booking are on a separate page of the centre’s website. Check access before you plan lunch, because the tea room is on the second floor and the centre says it is not accessible for wheelchair users.

Stairs, access and dogs

Because the house is a Georgian townhouse, getting around involves stairs. There is no lift, a step to the front door and a second step to the entrance, and a ramp is available. The exhibition is on the ground floor, with four steps to the standard entrance and a ramp as the alternative, but the first-floor talk room is up two flights of stairs. The toilets are in the basement and are not wheelchair accessible. The centre offers private accessible tours, with the introductory talk held downstairs.

Pushchairs are awkward on the stairs, and the centre suggests a baby carrier. Only registered assistance dogs are welcome. The centre’s accessibility page has the full detail.

Planning the visit

Buy tickets online through the Jane Austen Centre website, and check the current opening times there. The centre says last entry is one hour before closing. For parking and directions, use the centre’s “Find Us” page before you drive in. The Roman Baths and No. 1 Royal Crescent are other historic sights in the city, and each is a separate visit with its own operator.