Back to the Most Pleasant Place in the World

| Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton |

2015 England Trip Journal
April 10

      Ah, our first day in Hampshire, where we can just drive over to Jane Austen's house if we feel like it. This may be why I consider it to be the pleasantest place in the world. Of course I had to face using a bath instead of a shower before we could do so... It wasn't bad, to be honest. Using the detachable shower head was actually fun! Except that I discovered I'd sprayed water all over the outside of the tub behind me – including the old wooden chair we were using to erect a temporary wall so that the other person could use the sink while someone's in the tub. Thankfully there was no harm done, and I didn't ruin a priceless antique.

     We had our usual breakfast of a sausage, two eggs and yogurt with fruit while we watched BBC news. I prefer British strawberries with Weetabix, and Mom takes tangerines with cottage cheese. I love our little kitchen. It's small, but fully equipped with fresh, modern appliances, and the light streams in from the windows on three sides of the room. Pleasant is just the perfect word.

     We went to Alton first, and were able to park in the Sainsbury's lot for free with a 2-hour limit. Marks & Spencer had an inexpensive parking lot, too, but we were planning to get to Chawton soon, so the Sainsbury's lot gave us plenty of time. We wandered around, popping in some shops before at last reaching our truly desired destination: Alton Secondhand Books.

     To find it: if you're coming from Chawton, it is past the second roundabout on High Street (which technically turns into Normandy St.) and across the road from the cinema. From Alton Station: go left out of the door, then when you run into a road, turn right (this is Paper Mill Lane) and you will run into Normandy St. (that will turn into High Street farther down); turn left on Normandy, and the bookshop is only just over a block down the road on your left.

The façade of that unparalleled institution for bound paper volumes: Alton Secondhand Books

     I can honestly say it is my favorite bookstore. On this particular visit, as soon as I saw it it was as if I had been in a wilderness without food (insert books) and at last there stands before me a Costco (insert Alton Secondhand Books), just ready to be enjoyed! It is an oasis of British literature and old, old books that I could simply never find in any California used book shop – possibly all the shops in California combined.

     I soon found the pile of Georgette Heyer hardbacks to rifle through for my favorite titles. I didn't see The Reluctant Widow, but Regency Buck was there – a 1938 edition for £5. It became the first of a rapidly growing pile I began to carry around. In the cookbooks, next to what looked like original Mrs. Beeton cookbooks, I found a brand new edition with "The Best" of her recipes. Meaning that I now have dozens of traditional English recipes in printed form! Next on the pile was a 3x4-inch volume of Cowper's poems from 1853. 1853! And the last of my plunder to carry away was Cassandra and Jane, which just happened to be in the Jane Austen section at the counter right inside the front door  – which I've been wanting to read for a long time!


     Then we had to rush back to the car to go to Chawton, as our two hours in the Sainsbury's lot were almost up. You do not want to test the road rules and regulations over here because the punishment will be quick and merciless. Plus, there are cameras everywhere. I don't resent it – far from it – because I see it as encouraging people to be courteous in a place where the lack of space for cars would quickly send society into chaos if it wasn't for time limits and designated parking areas. I'm just putting a warning out there for anyone daring enough to drive in this endearing country.

     We made it back to our car in time, and headed straight to Chawton Cottage – technically called Jane Austen's House Museum – where we discovered their used book table. Another oasis for book lovers! I tell you, this country is an earthly paradise for book addicts. All books on that table were £1, £2 or £3. I found several more scholarly volumes from past contributors to the academia on Jane Austen, but our most exciting finds were four Jane Austen Regency World magazines and a 1941 edition of Jane Austen and Lyme Regis - all for £1 each! We had actually seen the latter in a second Alton used bookshop that the owner priced for us at £15! So we felt rather smart. (More thankful, really.)

Back at last: Jane Austen's House Museum

     We decided to skip the intro film this time, as we'd already seen it, and go straight to the garden for pictures. It was nearly empty, so we had fun using the benches to take pictures of ourselves using the camera's timer and my purse for a legless - albeit rather low - sort of tripod. That was the third time we've had our picture taken in that lovely garden in front of that lovely house, and it was exciting to see the garden at a time of year when we've never seen it, with the early spring blooms like daffodils brightening up the flower beds and the rather bare hedges.

     After we had soaked up some afternoon Chawton sunshine it was time to go inside!

Enjoying the spring garden at Chawton Cottage.

  

  

     At one point I found myself alone in the dining room with Jane's little table, which could only mean one thing: I had to sneak a touch behind the plastic partition. For good or ill it is done, and I can't say I feel guilty. :) There a sort of power in touching historic objects connected to your favorite author who you admire and are fond of that can make the centuries disappear – Jane, my Jane, who wrote her masterpieces here, left a part of herself and her life on this table, and I can be a part of it with just a brush of my finger. The opportunity is irresistible. It must be done at least once.

The table that can dissolve 200 years...

     After wandering up the amazingly creaky stairs to the equally creaky upper story Mom struck up a conversation with a lady volunteer. During the course of their chat Mom mentioned my wanting to volunteer there myself. This very nice lady (whose name we neglected to ask) kindly offered to go write down the contact information from the volunteer coordinator. Lord willing one day it will be a reality for me to spend my days in this unequivocally pleasant place!

The drawing room with Mr. Austen's original bookcase flooded with glorious spring sunshine!

The most pleasant room in the world.

     There was a slight change in the exhibit room, with a 'new' dress made from a fabric with a print believed to have been around in Jane's lifetime. So she may have worn something made out of it!

     After an hour of imagining the Austen ladies in the cottage, it was time to adjourn to Cassandra's Cup for tea and dessert – one of my favorite traditions. It was our first visit since it had been purchased by new owners, and I believe they have made dome laudable changes to the menu, including the scone with lavender raspberry jam and clotted cream that I chose, and Mom's warm brownie with salted caramel ice cream (so, so, SO delicious! I had some too...). We closed the place down, being the last customers left, as we usually are in this establishment, before taking a comfortably slow walk over to Chawton House.

   

     That may be my favorite walk in the world. I love the low stone wall enclosing tall, ivy-covered trees on one side, with the thatched cottages and thick wall of trees, bushes, and ivy on the other. It was after 5:00, meaning, like everything else, the House was closed, but we had known it would be, so we simply enjoyed the view and just being there. There was something special about being back in that quiet peaceful place – back to a spot we had enjoyed so much on both of our other trips. We walked up the gravel drive lined with daffodils to look over the gate at the house. It was a lovely sunny evening, too, which we stretched out as long as we could by walking slowly back to the car, admiring the carpet of daffodils by the road running in front of Chawton Cottage before climbing into the car.

Walking in Jane's footsteps to her brother's beautiful house.

 

There is nothing unpleasant about the scene I am standing in... Because, as I think I might possibly have just mentioned in this post already, it is the most pleasant spot in the world.

     Sainsbury's was a convenient stop on the way back for us to get some essentials like sausages, cheese, fruit, cashews and whipping cream. :) Sainsbury's not only has disabled parking places, but it also provides spaces for parents with children, which we considered a very thoughtful decision. And just as I was thinking that we could also qualify, since, after all, we're a parent with a child, Mom suggested it aloud... ;)

(Don't worry, we really parked in a regular parking space.)

© Anna Morton 2017