Jane Austen Gardens

From the mid-18th to the early 19th centuries, Lyme Regis was a fashionable seaside resort to take in the sea air for one’s health. The Austen family stayed in Lyme Regis in the summer of 1804 and much of Jane Austen’s final romantic novel ‘Persuasion’ written in 1815-16 is set against the backdrop of the town, notably the incident where the character Louisa Musgrove falls from steps on the Cobb.

At the end of Marine Parade opposite Jane’s café and next to SWIM is a small, elevated garden dedicated to the famous novelist. The garden was opened by Sir Hugh Smiley, 3rd Baronet, chairman of the Jane Austen Society in April 1975.

Find out more about Jane Austen and Lyme Regis.