On an extended visit to Bath in 1801, after a walk up one of its surrounding hills, Jane Austen famously described this English city as “all vapour, shadow, smoke, and confusion,” in a letter to her sister. Lore has it that shortly after, when she learned her family would be moving there, she fainted. And though it’s often said that the years Austen spent living in this former Roman outpost, 1801 to 1806, were not her happiest — the city and its social life still figured into almost everything she wrote. It’s the setting for Persuasion and Northanger Abbey and is referenced, at least peripherally, in each of her other novels. Regency-era Bath was a place of drama after all, a trendy spa town where people had traveled for centuries seeking the health benefits of its mineral-infused thermal waters. Where women went to find husbands, and anyone could easily lose their way, morally or financially.
I knew all of this when I went for a night, to explore the UNESCO-listed city famed for its Roman remains and Georgian architecture as much as its associations with Jane. It was pure coincidence though, that I checked into the courtyard apartment at 4 Sydney Place on a rain drenched afternoon in mid-December during the week of what would have been her 250th birthday. A Grade I listed Georgian townhouse marked simply with a black plaque beside the door — “Here Lived Jane Austen 1801 – 1805” — it’s the author’s only former residence available as a holiday let.
Built in 1794, and now owned and beautifully maintained by Anna and Maxwell Lamb, it’s the former kitchen and butler’s pantry you can stay in, but knowing that original features like flagstone floors, window shutters, and paneled walls remain from Austen’s time here make it easy to imagine what might have been. Now converted into two bedrooms, a bathroom, bright kitchen, and spacious colorful living room, the Lambs have made the most of its historic layout, turning what were once recessed kitchen fireplaces, for instance, into warmly lit coves for reading and writing, complete with cozy leather recliner and a wide desk for summoning the creative spirits of the place. The alcove nearest the front windows was the perfect place to escape the rain outside, whiling away a couple of hours re-reading some of Austen’s work from the apartment’s library.
The space incorporates antique furnishings with modern ones, mixing Victorian armchairs and a William IV Indian Rosewood dining table in the living room with plush velvet sofa and cowhide rug, artwork and eclectic curios from around the world lining the walls and shelves. The master bedroom features an ornate 19th century Louis XIV double bed next to a 1920s wardrobe. A rear bedroom is tiny but quaint, with futon on tatami mats and maps adorning the walls. Updated fixtures, underfloor heating, and a rain shower in the only bathroom add to the charm.
