Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse paid a visit to the Jane Austen Centre on Monday 12th February, paying homage to one of the city’s most famous residents.
Bath MP Wera Hobhouse at the Jane Austen Centre
Opened 25 years ago, the Jane Austen Centre continues to be one of Bath’s busiest attractions.
Welcoming 200,000 visitors each year from all over the world, the staff, dressed in regency attire, share their love for Jane Austen, her time in Bath, and the lasting influence Bath had on her novels.
The centre holds the Jane Austen Festival each September, an event that contributed £2.4 million to the city last year.
Recognised as the largest and longest-running Jane Austen Festival globally, the occasion, filled with bonnets, soldiers, and drummers, transports attendees to the Georgian era of Bath, allowing Austen enthusiasts to revel in the ambience of 18th-century Bath while enriching the city’s cultural landscape.
Participants of festival events come from all over the world, with roughly 40% of attendees from outside of the UK staying an average of three to five nights in Bath.
This year’s festival is scheduled from Friday 13th to Sunday 22nd of September and promises to captivate visitors with beloved events such as the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade and Austen-inspired grand Balls.
During her visit, Wera Hobhouse met with the centre’s management staff to discuss its important role in championing one of Bath’s most captivating periods of history.
Wera commented: “It was fantastic to visit the Jane Austen Centre and learn more about Bath’s most famous resident.
“The legacy of Austen’s life and literature is felt throughout the city.
“Thank you to the incredible staff who work hard to bring the magic of the regency period to life; their contribution to the city’s cultural landscape is invaluable.”
