Caroline Jane Knight's Blog: Austen Heritage

"When I was a child July was the start of the long summer holidays and I often had a friend from school to stay in Chawton. We spent our days out and about in the garden and woods. At the start of the summer the large swimming pool on the edge of the lawns would be filled – it took about 3 days and another week to warm up en...

“When I was a boy I would normally be away at school in June and miss the seasonal changes. I looked forward to July when term would end and I could go home for the summer holidays.

Chawton House in June

As an adult with my own young family at Chawton House we went camping at the begin...

"I have always loved being outdoors.  As a child I spent a lot of time in almost all weathers roaming the grounds, climbing trees, inventing games and observing nature. 

I learnt when the chicks were hatching and in May the parent birds busily searched for food - caterpillars, moth larvae a...

'On Easter Sunday, the resident family would get together and my mother would provide the most wonderful roast lunch for all twelve of us to eat the Great Hall.  As well as my wife and our two children, the twelve included my parents, Edward and Elizabeth Knight, my younger brother Rober...

"Spring at last - so cheering after the long cold winter at the manor. The days became noticeably longer, brighter and warmer. Some years we still got snowfall in March, sometimes lots of sunshine. 

The snowdrops were still plentiful and the daffodils were fully out, with great swathes of...

"I have such strong memories of Chawton in the snow, it was so exciting! My father, Jeremy Knight (Edward Austen’s 3rd great grandson) was always first up in the morning so was usually the first to know. “You might want t...

“February could be very miserable.  By now we were all fed up with the winter damp and darkness, but with the days getting lighter I could at least get out for a short walk each day after work. My usual walk was up the lawn, to the walled garden then through the woods, the wilderness and back to the house via the back en...

“Having previously been known as Chawton House Library due to our significant collection of early women’s writing, we are shortening our name to Chawton House. Our amazing library collection will still be at the core of what we do but we have had lots of feedback to say that potential visitors to the house and grounds are confused...

"We always saw in the New Year with friends, often with a dinner party at Chawton House. The house had been decorated with decorations for Christmas, which we would take down by Twelfth Night, the 6th January.

My wife, Carol, with our children, Paul and Caroline, in th...

I liked the stillness of th...