Chawton House
Hampshire
Chawton House, a sixteenth-century house with later additions and alterations, has been extensively restored by an American foundation as a study centre for the history of English women writers from 1600 to 1830. The house contains a collection of first edition novels by eighteenth century women writers. This collection acts as the core for researchers, while the house and grounds provide the focal point for a range of educational activities involving the local community at all levels. A meetings room in the mansion welcomes groups from local schools, colleges and universities.
The proximity of Jane Austen’s home provides an opportunity to contrast life in ‘the big house’ (where Austen’s brother lived) and in a modest village house. Links have been established with courses at Southampton University (where a Research Fellow is promoting Chawton’s education projects), King Alfred’s College, Winchester and Chichester College.
Current projects:
· From spring 2001 Chawton House Library has worked in liaison with the Learning Zone, a special projects division of Portsmouth Education Authority, which provides a range of practical projects for young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. For over two years a small team of boys, aged 14 to 16, have worked to reclaim the Regency walled kitchen garden and hope to rebuild the glass house.
· In contrast, an inner city girls’ school for gifted children runs a mathematics group to research the tree population, while an English class follows different themes indoors and a Religious Education group looks at the house’s icons (introduced by the Knight family during their ownership). JH
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