Janeite fantasies don't get much more fantastic than this: Cassandra's Cup, the tea shop located directly opposite Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton, is for sale, reports Jane Austen's Regency World magazine.
Surely even the most determinedly urban Janeite can't entirely resist the romantic vision of a life lived directly opposite the very country cottage where Austen wrote or revised all her novels. The property even comes with a two-bedroom apartment -- not to mention throngs of tourists dropping in for their mid-pilgrimage cuppas.
"The business might well suit a Janeite looking for a ‘lifestyle’ opportunity," the magazine opines. Or just a Janeite writer hoping some fairy dust will brush off on her.
The catch? (You knew there must be one.) The price tag is 650,000 pounds -- just over $1 million at the current exchange rate. If only I had a few Cisco shares to sell. . .
2 comments
Nov 25 2013 11:56PM by Kit Bakke
Hi Deborah! You are absolutely correct that every Janeite must be feeling a tiny urge to figure out a way to buy Cassandra's Cup--I know I did when I first read about it being for sale. If only to keep it going as it is, and not turn into a pub or a hardware store. A whole chapter of my latest novel DOT TO DOT takes place at Cassandra's Cup, and includes an aunt and a niece, a rainshower, a teapot, and an interesting decision. I have visited many times and love the walk between Chawton and Alton. Cheers to all things Austen (well, not all; there have been some pretty silly adaptations of the Austen genius in the past few years.)
Nov 26 2013 01:40AM by Deborah Yaffe
Oh, no -- a hardware store! Perish the thought! And good luck with your book -- sounds like fun. :-)