Today was the total Jane Austen experience. We walked uphill to the Royal Crescent, a sweeping expanse of lawns framed by the semi-circular, well, crescent of houses, each pillared and symmetrical. We got to experience one of them at the Number 1 house, furnished as it might have been in Jane’s day.
Highlights were the mastodon tusks and enormous shells displayed in a very Enlightenment-era way; the painting of Mary Delaney,
who created intricate paper flowers and whom I’d heard of through a quilt blog, I believe; and the turnspit in the kitchen, straight out of the at least two children’s books about the little dogs who ran in place to turn the meat on the spits.
Meanwhile, the views over the crescent were quite lovely. The stripes on the Green lawn are just like everything in a Thirkell novel, except that they no longer use a donkey to pull the mower…
From here we visited the most wonderful bookstore, Bath Old Books, a small shop filled with treasures. In search of interesting books that were small enough to tuck into our suitcases, I found a recounting of an Irish childhood and Alison found an Orkney book. Delightful!
Lunch was at the Green Bird Cafe, delicious toasted sandwiches. Thus strengthened, we walked down to the Assembly Rooms, sadly with limited access because of renovations, and then to Persephone books, where I picked up some Christmas presents. A few steps farther on was the Jane Austen Centre.
Here we were entertained by a Jane re-enactor who recounted the details of Jane’s life in a most dramatic way. Then we wandered through several rooms devoted to Jane and her family, ending of course in the gift shop. We had a delicious cream tea and discussed the Centre.
It is really designed for the Austen fanatic, and though we enjoyed it, we found it less than gripping. Still, we enjoyed seeing Mr. Darcy,
and we’ve now crossed it off our list!
Dinner tonight was at The Scallop Shell, and it was a highlight.
A quick five-miute walk away, most delicious seafood, and to crown the evening, sticky toffee pudding! We rolled home and to bed.
Caroline's Garden and Travel Record 