Jane Austen’s Bath (1803) (1817) 1836-1837

Jane Austen is arguably Bath’s most famous resident; despite the indications we get from her letters (and by reading between the lines in her novels) that she didn’t like it very much.

The Austens had many family connections in Bath so it came as no surprise that Jane’s father chose to retire to the city in 1801. They remained until his death in 1805, after which the family moved to Hampshire. The Austens are known to have stayed in four properties during their time in Bath – their longest stay was in 4 Sydney Place, moving on to Green Park, Gay Street and Trim Street.

Two of Jane’s novels are set in Bath – Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Northanger Abbey was already written by the time Jane arrived in Bath but it is likely she made revisions while she was living in the city. Bath features more prominently in Persuasion, but was completed long after she had left.

Northanger Abbey follows Catherine Morland who, whilst staying with family friends in Bath, meets Henry Tilney, a clever young gentleman. She is invited to stay at his home, Northanger Abbey. Catherine’s love of gothic novels and her over-active imagination leads her into misunderstandings with Henry’s father (at one point she accuses him of murdering his wife in the forbidden wing of the house), and like most Austen novels other plot points include marriage prospects, money and rivals for affection.

Persuasion’s heroine, Anne Elliot, is forced to move to Bath with her family due to financial troubles. Seven years prior Anne had been persuaded by friends to break off her engagement to Captain Wentworth, a naval officer of good standing and character but poor finances. The pair meet again through new social circles and must contend with their emotions and the influence of others in order to renew their affections. Many of the places mentioned in the novels still exist in Bath. The Pump Room was the main focal point in the city, not just for “taking the waters” but for introductions to be made “Every morning now brought its regular duties...the Pump Room to be attended, where they paraded up and down for an hour. One so newly arrived in Bath must be met…”. In Northanger Abbey it is the first place to check when looking for someone in town, as visitors signed in on arrival. Such was the importance of the Pump Room that the square we know today as Abbey Churchyard was known as The Pump Yard in Austen’s time.

The Pump Room, Jean Claude Nattes, 1804. This is a view from across ‘The Pump Yard’.

Ball at the Upper Assembly, Thomas Rowlandson, 1799.

Bath had two sets of Assembly Rooms during the Georgian period, with only what was known as the Upper Rooms surviving today. The Rooms are mentioned in both novels, and describe the dancing, ball gowns and gambling that took place there. While both Catherine and Anne seem to enjoy themselves, it appears Austen did not: “it was a dull affair...there was only one dance, danced by four couples…surrounded by a hundred people”. The White Hart Inn was one of Bath’s most recognisable coaching inns, though its appearance today has changed dramatically. Opposite the Pump Rooms, in Persuasion it offered Anne and her friend Mary a vantage point from which to spy on their friend Mrs Clay and a gentleman caller. The White Hart Inn is also a significant place for Charles Dickens, who makes it a base for his characters to explore the city in The Pickwick Papers. Nearby Bath Street (which was used for the closing scenes of the 1995 film version of Persuasion) housed the shop from which Jane’s aunt Mrs Leigh Perrot was accused of stealing a length of white lace.

View of the Cross Bath and Bath Street, Jean Claude Nattes 1804. The Hetling Pump Rooms - off to the right.

Though Jane’s characters make little to no mention of the taste of Bath’s famous spa water, Jane writes about the water’s supposedly curative properties. Her brother Edward Austen-Knight “drinks at the Hetling Pump, is to bathe tomorrow, and try Electricity on Tuesday…” but made the remarks that “we…expect no advantage in it”. The Hetling Spring is one of three natural hot springs in Bath, and the Hetling Pump Rooms, considered more fashionable and exclusive than the Grand Pump Rooms, were located at the end of Bath Street. Bath’s Mineral Water Hospital on the Upper Borough Walls provided medical treatments using the spa waters, though smaller private establishments existed for the wealthier patrons of the city. It’s been suggested through Jane’s letters that Edward suffered from “over-indulgence”, and another reason behind her father’s choice to settle in Bath was to seek a cure for his gout. One of the more positive references to Bath comes from one of Jane’s other novels, . Mrs Woodhouse recommends Bath the best place for Emma’s father to regain health “the waters do agree, it is quite wonderful the relief they give! […] and it is such a cheerful place”. On the whole, it is fairly easy to see why Jane had such ill-feelings about Bath. She was not consulted about the move; several members of her family were there purely due to ill health, and her father died suddenly in Bath in 1805. He is buried at St Swithin’s Church at the end of Walcot Street.

Luckily most visitors to Bath today agree with Catherine Morland: “I really believe I shall be always talking about Bath…oh who can ever tire of Bath?”

The King’s Bath, John Nixon 1800.

Explore more at: https://www.victoriagal.org.uk/jane-austens-bath