Have you ever had something built up in your mind that the actual happening of it seems surreal? As if the dream of this moment has been lived over and over in your mind that when it actually happens your mind cannot comprehend that it’s not still a dream? For me, travel adventures take up this kind of residence. Fueled by hashtags and Instagram stories that highlight far off places, my mind will latch onto a place and I’m off.
Off on a dream adventure. Walking in these picturesque places, capturing it real time with my own camera and experiencing all with wide-eyed wonder.
Sometimes you arrive and for the life of you, CANNOT figure out where the luster disappeared to. The whole ‘Instagram vs. reality’ saying floats through your mind and you’re left wishing you had just opted to experience the beauty of the photo on your phone.
But sometimes an adventure is so epic, so wonderful, in every expected and unexpected way, that when you’re living it you pinch yourself to make sure you’re awake.
This was one such trip.
First dreamt up between two best friends in college as they swooned over their favorite rainy scene in their favorite movie.
“One day friend, let’s go to these places. Let’s walk where she walked. Let’s visit where she lived. Let’s roam where she roamed and see in person the places that fed her inspiration.”
We both dreamt of a loyal fierce love like Mr. Darcy’s. Of a man we could call friend like Edward Farrars. Or one we could count on like Colonel Brandon with the kind generosity of Mr. Bingley. We wanted a verbal sparing partner with the honesty of Mr. Knightley and the bravery of Captain Wentworth.
We lost ourselves in the the relationships woven throughout Jane’s stories and imagined all of them playing out in the picturesque setting in which they were told.
So we dreamed up a trip.
An epic Jane Austen Adventure that would take us to some famous locations. Movie spots as well as places actually mentioned in her books.
Our tickets were booked, a tentative itinerary made, and then…COVID.
Everything stopped and this trip was put in folder and slid onto the top shelf awaiting healthier times. Since we had a time limit on when we could use our travel vouchers, this year was the year.
Jackie let me take lead on our trip (If you know me and my horrible attention to details you might realize just how brave this was of her) and with an extra year and a half on lock down to research, I had plenty of time to scour the internet to find the best places and map our route.
There are a few things I would do different, most I wouldn’t change at all. I figured some of you might also be avid Jane Austen fans and would perhaps enjoy going on your own Jane Austen Adventure so I decided to do a three part series on our trip.
Our adventure was divided up into three sections: Peak District in Derbyshire, Bath/Hungorford, and London. It was 11 days total and the main thing I would have changed was adding an additional 2 days. You lose a day when you hop over the pond and two of our locations were spread out so that the bulk of the transition days were spent driving. Two extra days would have been perfect (I’ll mention where I would have thrown them in later).
We flew into Heathrow and since we had a cross-country trip planned, and because we’re slightly crazy, we decided to rent a car. Our car mantra was a personal spin on Beyoncé’s song, maybe you’ll recognize it.
“To the Left, to the Left…everybody stay in the lane to the left” and while we did have some close calls with a few cars, and may have shaved a few hedges, overall we did fine. I will note that we returned the car before our time in London. Public transportation in the city was more than satisfactory.
Side note: *The best tip for driving on the Left*
This American gentleman was in our rental car line and overheard Jackie and I singing our Beyoncé cover and after striking up conversation we found out he travels back and forth from the states to the UK. Jackie asked “Do you have any tips for driving on the left side of the road?”
He said “The best tip someone ever gave me is to use the left side as your guide. Since we’re used to driving on the right we tend to use the right side as our guide but don’t realize it throws you off when you’re driving on the left side and seated on the left”.
So Tip break down. LOOK LEFT, LEAN LEFT.
I’m convinced this saved us from several accidents. As someone who HAS wrecked a car in Ireland due to this very spatial awareness to the right thing, (not my finest moment but I’m happy to say our marriage survived) I can vouch for its accuracy.
Anyways, car rented, soundtrack playing, we were on our way to the Peak District, Derbyshire. What better place to start our adventure than in place Jane Austen described as the finest country in England.
Our first stay with as a Bed and breakfast. The photos do not do do this gem justice but take it from me, staying here for your Peak District stay will be a fabulous choice.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/42631047?source_impression_id=p3_1660757451_sIUJggZK6owgfLp6
Karen and her husband Mark used to run a Tea Room out of their house gardens and it shows. Their warm hospitality was unmatched, their baked goods and breakfast were the best we had on our trip.
Plus, they made us strong French press coffee every morning, served to us on a French cottage tray in front of large glass windows that opened to their English garden. The amenities were wonderful, location perfect and price didn’t break the bank. I can’t wait to visit them again.
In our travels we discovered that the breathtaking views we were seeing were inspiration to another famous author who wrote “Jane Eyre”. But of course we went mainly for Mr. Darcy’s house and in Derbyshire there are not one but TWO houses nearby that have been used in Jane Austen film adaptations of “Pride and Prejudice.”
Planning an easier day for our first full day was a must for us. I knew we’d be jet lagged and wanted to plan something cushioned with loads of free time in case we needed a nap… which we did.
So, first up was Lyme Park. This parks hosts the home of Mr. Darcy’s (AKA Pemberley) in BBC’s TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (The Colin Firth one).
I found most our information on the National Trust website found here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme
And on this wonderful post from a blog “Kitti Around the World” here:
https://kittiaroundtheworld.com/5-things-to-do-at-lyme-park-house-and-gardens-national-trust
The National Trust sites are great for current events so once you have your spots picked I would recommend looking for that season’s experiences. Jackie and I chose to do the house tour and spent the rest of the day walking the property. They do have a small café but we opted to packing a picnic and eating in the gardens.
The grounds are lovely, so be sure to explore the path that leads around the lake (by the main parking lot) and while we could have taken more time exploring we both felt that a half day was plenty to see what we desired.
The rest of the evening was spent exploring the town of Bakewell. Widely considered Jane’s inspiration for the small market town of “Lambton” We drove past The Rutland Arms Hotel (The hotel where Jane Austen was said to have stayed and revised parts of “Pride and Prejudice”) then walked through a local farmers market and found a cozy spot (with a GREAT Gluten Free menu) by the river for our dinner. https://thewoodyardbakewell.com
Day Two was one of our most memorable as it was spent exploring the breathtaking grounds of Chatsworth. This is believed to be the actual inspiration for Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley, as well as a house Jane herself visited (and her heroine Elizabeth Bennet visited before arriving at Pemberley in the story.
Step onto the grounds and you are transported through time.
“It was a large, handsome, stone building standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front, a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal, nor falsely adorned.” -Pride & Prejudice
After visiting, I whole-heartedly understand the lure. It is magnificent; the grounds as well as the house. I also easily understood how it was chosen as the location for filming Pemberley in the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice.
*We did actively search for Mr. Darcy but he was unfortunately detained with business elsewhere.
The house tour was a must. Complete it by ending in Mr. Darcy’s sculpture hall. We recognized several pieces from the movie and even found the sculpture of Mr. Darcy himself. (May have tried to kiss him but only from a distance as I had a feeling several lips have attempted the same).
The gardens were even more incredible, spanning 105 acres and peppered with lush green, flowers and fountains. It is divided up into separate gardens accessed by easy to navigate walking paths so if you visit make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. The garden maze and rock garden were our favorite but just wandering around the grounds was a delight.
Chatsworth website has all the information you need, including current events and exhibitions. Be sure to buy and print your tickets ahead of time so you won’t have to pay additional for parking. Overall, it was more crowded than Lyme Park, but this was a MUST visit. I would brave the crowds anytime to see this again.
(Also, best gift shop ever. Jackie and I spent way to much money but if you love to shop and are looking for some Jane Austen keepsakes, save your shopping day for here.)
You’ll need a full day to do this park, and honestly could make it two if you took your time and did some of their tours. One day was great for us and after spending time walking the posh grounds of the estate we headed west to embark on a more rural experience.
Our sweet host recommended a few stables but Holymoore Riding School & Hacking Center fit our needs. The facilities aren’t five star but the owner is knowledgeable, kind and clearly loves what she does. The staff seemed to be made up of girls who were working to pay for their love of horse riding and everyone there resulted a close knit family. (I’ll take this over a bougie barn any day).
They offered several different Hacking options. Originally we had a two-hour ride planned (I was SUPER excited about this because it included a run through a field) but because of my knee injury and Jackie’s shoes, we were forced to do a one-hour ride. Our leader, Ginny, let us trot in a few spots, and was so gracious to narrate our ride with little tidbits of the town, her riding school and the horses.
There is nothing quite like seeing the countryside on the back of a horse (even a small one in a saddle you’re not used to using). I would for sure do this again, and next time I’m bringing proper boots so I can run through that field.
To end this portion of our trip, we made a drive up to the spot of one of the most iconic scenes in the Pride and Prejudice movie. Or at least what I consider to be tied with the rain scene (if you know you know).
The Liz On Top of the World, where Liz is standing on the edge of a rocky cliff.
The wind whipping her dress around her, chin turned to the sun, eyes taking in the wild beauty of the world below. This scene speaks to my heart in ways few scenes have. Calling to the deep places that yearn for adventure and love.
It was a must visit for Jackie and I. Thankfully the blogger Sophie Pierce had a beyond helpful blog post about finding this exact spot. Rather than repeat the details of where to park and how to find “THE SPOT” just head to hear post to read about it:
We parked a little closer to “the spot” up the hill verses at the base of the hill. A path marked the way and after a 10-minute walk we saw it. THE SPOT. The view was straight out of a movie… literally. Sheep wandered around the path, rock climbers scaled the cliff faces and a few hikers were camped out on the side of the road.
I could have spent an entire day exploring this area. If you like to hike make sure to give yourself plenty of time. Because of my knee, the edited hike was all I could handle, but if we ever go back, I would LOVE to explore more of this area.
That wraps up the first three days of our J.A. Adventure. To see a short highlight reel of this portion head to my instagram page and check out this reel:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChNGdbRDRQS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I would love to hear what trips are on your Bucket List. Comment below and share one and stay tuned for Part Two of our trip!
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