Where did Jane Austen stay in Worthing?

Jane Austen stayed at Stanford's Cottage on Warwick Street in Worthing in 1805.

How did Worthing influence Jane Austen's 'Sanditon'?

Worthing's development as a seaside resort and its local life inspired Austen's final, unfinished novel, 'Sanditon'.

What did Jane Austen do during her Worthing visit?

During her visit, Jane Austen participated in a raffle, attended church, and observed local events.

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Jane Austen's Worthing Echoes: Unfinished Novel's Seaside Roots

7 Dec

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Summary

Jane Austen visited Worthing in 1805, staying at Stanford's Cottage.
Her visit to the coastal town inspired her final unfinished novel, Sanditon.
Austen engaged with local life, winning a raffle and attending church.

Jane Austen's Worthing Echoes: Unfinished Novel's Seaside Roots

Jane Austen's profound connection to Worthing, West Sussex, is being highlighted as the world celebrates her 250th birth anniversary. In September 1805, Austen resided at Stanford's Cottage, now the site of a Pizza Express, during a period of significant development for the coastal town. This immersion in Worthing's evolving seaside culture is recognized as a key inspiration for her last, incomplete novel, 'Sanditon'.

During her eight-month stay, Austen, accompanied by her mother, sister Cassandra, and friend Martha Lloyd, actively participated in local life. Records indicate her involvement in a raffle, attendance at Broadwater Church, and witnessing an affidavit. She also encountered Edward Ogle, a property developer whose vision for Worthing as a fashionable resort likely informed Austen's literary depictions.