BOOKINGS are open for a special tour in Reading which will visit places from the life of one of the UK’s most celebrated authors.
April marks the 250th anniversary of the birthday of novelist and poet Jane Austen, whose works included Pride & Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion.
To celebrate the occasion Reading aims give fans the chance to visit a site connected to the writer that they have likely never seen before.
usten spent 18 months at school in the Thames-side town when she, her elder sister Cassandra and cousin Jane took up residence at Reading Ladies Boarding School between the summer of 1785 and December 1786.
As well as being her home for 18 months, the author’s time there is also cited as the inspiration for Mrs Goddard’s School in Emma, her fourth published novel, and the last to be released during her lifetime.
For 2025, visitors will have the opportunity to visit the school in the dramatic setting of the former Gateway to medieval Reading Abbey.
To date, the location of Jane’s school has only been open for educational workshops focusing on the Victorian period for youngsters learning about that period of history.
The Official Abbey Quarter Tour, which start on Saturday 5 April, with every tour now featuring exclusive access to Jane Austen’s school.
The guided walking tours explore Reading’s Abbey Quarter, including the Hospitium where medieval pilgrims stayed and the impressive Reading Abbey Ruins
This year the tour will also highlight the town’s links with the famous author and visit the Abbey Gateway, which was once part of the school where Jane Austen studied and lived as a girl.
Reading Museum will also be staging a series of special events, tours and visits to the Abbey Gateway and Reading Abbey Quarter to tell the story of Jane’s connections to the town, as part of worldwide Jane Austen 250 celebrations – including ‘Jane Austen Wednesdays’ throughout May and June.
Other highlights in the Reading Jane Austen programme during the year include visiting the National Trust’s Basildon Park, which was among the locations used for 2005’s film of Pride & Prejudice, and a theatrical world premiere of Death Comes to Pemberley, a Jane Austen inspired show based on a PD James novel, at The Mill at Sonning, through May and June.
The Official Abbey Quarter Tour takes place every Saturday from April 5.
Full details and bookings are available via: readingmuseum.org.uk/jane-austen-250-2025
