the austens of bath
book two in the austens trilogy
The Austens of Bath is a work of biographical fiction that records the lives of Jane Austen and her family from 1801 to 1809.
Image: front cover of The Austens of Bath
Image: back cover of The Austens of Bath
It follows the same chronological order as documented in memoirs, letters, ancestral records and biographies.
If you would like to purchase a copy of The Austen of Steventon, click here.
The Austens of Bath is the second in a series of three novels that follow the Austen family.
The first, The Austens of Steventon, covers the time period from 1764 to 1801. If you would like to visit the companion site for The Austens of Steventon, click here.
The third novel in the series, The Austens of Chawton, will cover the time period from July 1809 onwards, and is planned for release at the end of 2026.
Image: front cover of The Austens of Steventon
Photo: No. 4 Sydney Place, Bath.
I have visited all of the real-life locations associated with events in the novel, and this site provides more information about why they were significant and what took place there.
how to navigate this site
LOCATIONS
When you click on 'THE AUSTENS OF BATH' in the top menu, you will find a list of all the locations linked to the book, in alphabetical order. When you click on a location, you will be taken to a new page of photos, links and explanations for why that place is important.
MAPS
The first item on the page will be a map detailing the precise location of the village, town or city. You can zoom in and out for an overview of where it is in relation to the rest of the UK. The example below is set for Godmersham.
INFORMATION
Important buildings from the novel are documented with photos, facts and links to third-party sites. The photographs are my own from personal visits and although the third-party sites have been checked and verified, I cannot be held responsible for the content that appears there.
Each location is unique so you will find some pages contain more information than others, depending on what took place there. You will find a red link to Google Maps to plan directions, and read about which characters from the book spent time there.
EXTRACTS
At the bottom of each page you will find a link to an extract from the novel, connected to the location in question.
You can also go directly to an extract from the top menu bar, by clicking the arrow next to each location.
Please be aware that although photographs enhance the extracts on this website, there are no illustrations or photographs within the book itself.
REFERENCES
At the foot of each page, you will find a list of the sources I used to create that page. Thank you to everyone who contributed towards them.
If you would like to see the full list of sources for the entire novel, then you will find that here.
SHIPS
Frank and Charles Austen were often out at sea during the novel. Click here for information about the ships that they served on, and the dates they were on board. Entries are supplemented by links to the Wikipedia pages for each vessel.
FAMILY TREES
You will find family trees for the Austen, Leigh, Cooper, Lefroy, Lloyd and Fowle families on the Family Trees page. These include brief explanations to identify who each person is in the story.
have i missed anything?
I am always keen to speak to readers who have personal knowledge about the places I have visited. If you have connections to anywhere mentioned on this site and would like to share your wisdom, then please get in touch.
Likewise, if you spot an error in something I have written, then please let me know.
You can contact me via email on info@diane-jane-ball.com
a word about the TIMELINE
This companion website is dedicated solely to the novel, The Austens of Bath. Consequently, all of the information written on these pages covers the time period from May 1801 until July 1809.
Some of the places mentioned will be more important to certain characters at different points in their lives. Where this is true, you will find more information about them on the companion websites of the other novels in the series.
For a quick reminder, The Austens of Steventon spans the time period from 1764 until May 1801, and the third novel, The Austens of Chawton, will continue from July 1809 onwards.
To visit the companion website for The Austens of Steventon, click here.
The companion website for The Austens of Chawton will be available at the end of 2026.