Year 12 Chawton House Trip

Year 12 Lit Soc pupils enjoyed a visit to Chawton House Library and the Jane Austen Museum in June as part of the programme of super-curricular literacy on offer at PGS.

Chawton House Library, once owned by Jane Austen’s brother Edward Knight, is now the home to a remarkable rare book collection of women’s writing spanning between 1640-1830. Pupils learned about the history of the house, its links to Jane Austen, and its importance in the academic world of women’s studies. They also enjoyed a full tour of the extensive gardens, learning about formal and landscapestyle garden design, alongside the social and political history of these movements.

After a trip into the village to visit the Jane Austen Museum (and trying on a few too many bonnets!), pupils had a seminar with the independent academic Dr Helen Cole, who specialises in book history and illustration. During this session, pupils were able to look at and handle a range of rare books, one of which was published in 1660. They were able to see books that had been handwritten and illustrated, as well as books designed for the very rich with elaborate bindings compared to books for the poor, which had no binding at all.

As an organisation that is open to anyone interested in this period of literature, the pupils were encouraged to return during their summer break to explore the collection and start their academic research journeys!