Having a ball in Bath with Jane Austen celebrations
Bath continues to celebrate the city’s unique connection to Jane Austen and the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice with a number of special events over the next few months. With its Georgian backdrop providing the perfect location for all things Regency, the city will hold a recreation of the Netherfield Ball, an outdoor performance of Pride and Prejudice and a Regency promenade as well as talks, dances and many other events.
Jane Austen Festival
The Jane Austen Festival will be making its annual return to the city of Bath this September, attracting people from around the world to celebrate the popular author’s writing, life in Bath and all things Regency. If you ever wanted to learn how to dance, read, write, sew, bathe, dress or indeed eat like Jane Austen then there are lots of entertaining ways to find out with a packed programme of events. One of the most popular is the Grand Regency Promenade - a spectacular costumed walk through the centre of Bath. This year’s Promenade will take place on Saturday 14 September and promises to be a fascinating sight with around 600 people taking part. Open to anyone to join, tickets can be purchased from the festival’s website – the only criteria being that all participants must dress in Regency style! The festival will run from 13 to 21 September and details can be found at www.janeausten.co.uk/festival.
Recreation of the Netherfield Ball
Providing a chance for ladies to meet their very own Mr Darcy, a special event to recreate the famous Netherfield Ball will take place on 22 June in the stunning 18th Century surroundings of the Guildhall in the centre of Bath. The Ball is a costumed event and all taking part are expected to dress in the style of Regency or 18th Century period. Tickets for the Ball include entrance, dancing, entertainment and a light buffet with tea and coffee. For more information see www.janeausten.co.uk/festival.
Pride & Prejudice on the lawns
The stunning five star Manor House Hotel in Castle Combe will be holding a performance of Pride and Prejudice as part of its annual Theatre on the Lawns event. Find a spot in the beautiful grounds, lay out a picnic blanket or put up a deck chair and settle in for an afternoon of fabulous entertainment. Tickets cost £15 per adult and £9 per child and the performance will begin at 5.30pm. Tickets and further information are available from www.manorhouse.co.uk.
The Jane Austen Spa Experience
To celebrate the anniversary of Pride & Prejudice, a very special package has been put together by two of the city’s leading attractions. Visitors can now explore the life and times of the famous author, have ‘Tea with Mr Darcy’ and then bathe in Bath’s natural thermal waters, just as Jane Austen would have done in the 18th century. The special package costs £58 per person and includes entry into the Jane Austen Centre, ‘Tea with Mr Darcy’ at the Regency Tea Rooms (including a selection of finger sandwiches, a scone served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, a selection of cakes and a tea or coffee) and a 2-hour spa session including use of towel, robe & slippers at Thermae Bath Spa. Tickets are available from www.visitbathshop.co.uk or by calling 0844 8475256.
Free walking tour
Bath Tourism is also celebrating the famous author’s links to the city by providing visitors with a section on www.visitbath.co.uk dedicated to Jane Austen. The website includes an audio walking tour that can be downloaded for free. The tour explores highlights of the city and includes extracts from Jane Austen's novels and letters, which brilliantly describe Bath as it would have been in its Georgian heyday.
For more information on Jane Austen’s connections to Bath and details of the above events, see www.visitbath.co.uk for further information and advice.
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Notes to Editors:
For further information or images to illustrate this information, please contact Lucy Ryder at Bath Tourism Plus on 01225 322434 or email: lucy_ryder@bathtourism.co.uk.
For further information or images to illustrate this information, please contact Audra McSherry at Bath Tourism Plus on 01225 322434 or email: audra_mcsherry@bathtourism.co.uk.
Working with the public and private sectors, Bath’s destination marketing organisation, Bath Tourism Plus, takes full responsibility for co-ordinating the work of a busy tourist information centre, the marketing of Bath and the surrounding area to leisure and business travellers, PR activity to attract the nation’s top travel writers, a conference office, and development of Bath’s official destination website www.visitbath.co.uk. For more information about the services that Bath Tourism Plus offers to meetings, conference and incentive travel businesses, see www.bathconference.co.uk
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