The Property Where Jane Austen Wrote “Pride And Prejudice” Is for Sale

If you’re looking to channel your inner Jane Austen and write the next bestselling romantic fiction novel, this is probably the best place to do it.

The idyllic English country property where Jane Austen was born and had spent her childhood can now be yours for £8.5 million ($10.3 million).

The author resided in the original Steventon House in Basingtoke, Hampshire from 1775 until 1801. It was there that she penned three of her six major novels: “Pride and Prejudice,” “Northanger Abbey,” and “Sense and Sensibility.” Many years later in 1826, long after the family had moved to Bath, her older brother Edward would tear down the structure and build the new Steventon House.

“Many homes across the country can lay claim to having ties to some of Britain’s most historical figures, however only Steventon House was the birthplace of iconic author Jane Austen…” said Ed Sugden of real estate company Savills, adding: “Steventon House is the rarest of opportunities to live in one of Hampshire’s, if not the U.K.’s most significant country houses.”

Austen’s stay at the 51.65-acre estate has been described as the most tranquil period of her life, and it’s not difficult to see why. The place has charming gardens filled with cherry trees, a wisteria walk, a walled garden, and surrounding views of rolling hills. Other newly-added features include a gravel parking area, a heated swimming pool, and a tennis court.

Inside the house, Janeites will find six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and four reception rooms. These spaces have been refurbished yet still maintain period elements like the ornately-carved fireplaces, high ceilings with cornices, hardwood floors, and sash windows. Other modern amenities are a fully-equipped kitchen and a temperature-controlled wine cellar.

According to Town and Country, the author spoke highly about the countryside in her novels, and her childhood home could be a reason why. Here are some excerpts:

“When I am in the country, I never wish to leave it,” said Mr. Bingley in “Pride and Prejudice.”

“The evergreen! How beautiful, how welcome, how wonderful the evergreen! When one thinks of it, how astonishing the variety of nature is! In some countries, we know the tree that sheds its leaf is the variety, but that does not make it less amazing that the same soil and the same sun should nurture plants differing in the first rule and law of their existence,” said Fanny Price in “Mansfield Park.”

You can learn more about Jane Austen’s Steventon estate here.