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.

While modern Worthing has transformed considerably since Austen's visit, elements of her experience remain. The exterior of Stanford's Cottage, though now rendered in white, retains its original dimensions and roof structure, echoing the setting she would have known. The town's transformation into a bustling seaside resort during her visit provided a rich backdrop for her literary imagination.