Jane Austen spent 18 months at school in Reading in the 1780s. Our walk around central Reading will include some contemporary descriptions of the town, and some of the sights with which an inhabitant or a visitor would have been familiar.
Starting in the Abbey Quarter where the school was situated we will walk around the places Jane Austen would have seen on a daily basis, before progressing to streets and areas of the ancient town which were being transformed with new developments during her lifetime. Adverts and articles from the Reading Mercury newspaper, contemporary comments and pictures will give an idea of life in the town in the years around 1800. Please note, we won't be going into the school room itself.
The route is on pavements,mainly on the flat, with a gentle incline up London St,and there are pedestrian crossings on main roads. Although there are no toilets or coffee shops en route there are plenty at the start and finish, but it might be advisable to take some water.
