Jane Austen events at The Vyne in 2025
As 2025 marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen, The Vyne is celebrating this milestone with a variety of Austen-inspired events. Uncover Jane’s links to the family at The Vyne with exhibition Regency Revisited and biweekly tours of the house.
Featuring Jane, from 3 May to 22 June families can enjoy literary trail Little People, BIG DREAMS®. From May take a stroll to the neighbouring village of Sherborne St John. On select dates, don't miss plays, live music, Regency dancing and outdoor cinema. Read on to note key dates for the diary.Upcoming Austen events:
Regency Revisited: Celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen
Daily until 2 November, house open 11am-3pm: Discover Jane Austen’s links to The Vyne, her views on the Chute family and her friendship with clergyman Thomas Chute who admired her novels. Get up close to first editions of her books and feast your eyes on beautiful Regency costume.
Jane Austen Tours of The Vyne
Wednesdays & Saturdays until 2 November 2025, 2.30-3.30pm: Enjoy a 1-hour tour of the house and uncover an honest account of the family’s interactions with the celebrated Regency author. No pre-booking first come first serve. Purchase your tickets on arrival at Visitor Reception. Suggested donation £5 per person. Normal admission applies.
Regency ramble
3 May – 2 November, 10am-3.30pm
In a landscape familiar to Jane Austen, follow a route leading from The Vyne to the neighbouring village of Sherborne St John. Free trail map will be available. Normal admission applies.
Little People, BIG DREAMS®
Saturday 3 May – Sunday 22 June, 10am-4pm
Featuring Jane Austen, on this literary family trail discover remarkable true stories about inspiring people. Lively games and pioneering fun will encourage kids to ‘be bold, be brave’ and ‘dream big’ in The Vyne’s house and gardens where young readers can look out for vibrant illustrations from this best-selling biography series for kids by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara. In the gardens, try your hand at kangaroo pouch bean bag toss with Steve Irwin and ‘jam’ with Taylor Swift in the Summerhouse. Keep an eagle eye out with David Attenborough using binoculars at the bird hide and throw your own mini-theatre production with Hans Christian Andersen. Join Jane Austen in the house before browsing the shop for copies of these much-loved books.
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Twelve Hours
Sunday 11 May | Gates open 3pm | Performance 3.30-4.30pm
A solo performance in The Vyne's Stone Gallery about Jane Austen's 12-hour engagement, it's December 1802, Jane is twenty-six and back in Hampshire visiting her friends Catherine and Alethea, members of the wealthy Wither family on the Manydown estate. Estate owner Harris Bigg-Wither has just proposed. It was a big decision to say, "Yes,". It is an even a bigger decision to refuse the offer after twelve hours. Tickets now on sale: All tickets £20. Booking essential. Tickets are non-refundable. Please note non-members entering The Vyne before 3pm on the day of the performance will need to pay normal admission.
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Regency Dancing
Saturday 24 May, 11.30am-12.15pm & 2-2.45pm
In The Vyne’s Stone Gallery, don’t miss Hampshire Regency Dancers giving two costumed performances including talks, demonstrations and guest participation. Free event. Normal admission applies.
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An evening with Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra
Saturday 21 June | Gates open 6pm | Performance 7-9.30pm
Celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen and Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra’s 95th season, bring your camping chairs and picnic hampers to the north lawn and soak up the music and atmosphere at The Vyne. Featuring a special performance of Carl Davis’ Theme from Pride and Prejudice, we’ll be honouring the beloved novelist’s deep connection to the area.
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Lace making drop-in sessions
Sunday 13 July | Drop in between 11am and 3pm
In the old kitchen in the house, catch live lace-making demonstrations by experts. Feast your eyes on the intricate detail of delicate lace work before having a go yourself.
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Outdoor theatre: Sense & Sensibility
Saturday 28 June | Gates open 5.45pm | Performance 7-9.20pm
Elinor Dashwood has a lot of good Sense. Her sister Marianne Dashwood has an excess of Sensibility. Together they make a snappy title for Jane Austen’s classic novel of scandals, scoundrels and severely sprained ankles. Don’t miss the marvellous, madcap and crazily inventive Pantaloons Theatre Company performing their own twist on the Jane Austen classic ‘Sense & Sensibility’ on The Vyne’s north lawn. Tickets now on sale: Adult (aged 17+) £15, Child (aged 5-16) £9, under 5s go free. Booking essential. Tickets are non-refundable.
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Outdoor cinema: Bridget Jones’s Diary (15)
Friday 1 August | Gates open 6pm | Screening 7.30-9.07pm
For a chick flick movie under the stars, don’t miss this screening of the 2001 film Bridget Jones’s Diary on The Vyne’s north lawn. Pack yourself a blanket for when the sun goes down and, unless you have a Premium ticket, bring a camping chair. Picnics are welcome and hot beverages and snacks will be available to purchase. Ticket prices: Standard (bring your own blanket or camping chair) £15.50+£1.87 booking fee, Premium (includes luxury deck chair in a prime position) £22.50+£2.71 booking fee.
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Outdoor theatre: Pride & Prejudice
Saturday 30 August | Gates open 6pm | Performance 7-9.20pm
In a whirlwind of balls, dinners and very eligible officers, Lizzy Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy stand alone as the only sane, thoughtful people - and they hate each other! Or do they? Can she see beyond his pride, and can he overcome her prejudice, in order to achieve happiness? If your idea of Jane Austen is stuffy costume drama then this sparkling adaptation is guaranteed to change your mind. Bring a picnic and have a ball as the irrepressible Illyria sharpen their claws to bring you Jane Austen at her vibrant, bitchy best! Tickets now on sale: Adult £20 + £1.68 booking fee, Child (3-16 yrs) £12 + £1.01 booking fee, Under 3’s go free. Registered carer, free (one per paid booking). Tickets are non-refundable.
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In conversation with...
Sunday 7 September | Cream tea 2.30-3.15pm | Talk 3.30-4.30pm
Enjoy a cream tea in the tea-room before joining Lizzie Dunford, Director for Jane Austen’s House, Chawton and Joy Pibworth, longstanding member of the Jane Austen Society as they discuss Britain’s best-loved Regency author in the house at The Vyne. Tickets £20.
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Layers of Jane
Thursday 25 September | Cream tea 2.30-3.15pm | Talk 3.30-4.30pm
From petticoats to pantaloons, chemise to shifts, following an indulgent cream tea in the Brewhouse tea-room, enjoy an interactive and irreverent presentation regarding Regency 'underpinnings' in the house. Tickets £20.
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