Seasonable

Autumn is a lovely season in England—cue the Keats: “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”--and for Janeites, this fall offers some special 250^th anniversary treats:

* Hampshire, Jane Austen’s home county, is hosting its tenth annual heritage festival later this month, and Overton, the village next door to Austen’s birthplace of Steventon, is getting in on the action.

Earlier this year, Overton unveiled a set of Austen-themed walking and cycling trails, and this weekend, visitors can sign up for guided walks along two of them: a nine-mile circuit from Overton to Steventon, or a two-and-a-half-mile loop through Overton itself.

The longer walk takes in Deane, where Austen’s father served as rector before her birth; Ashe Parsonage, where her friend Anne Lefroy lived; and the site of the Austen family’s long-demolished Steventon home. The shorter walk visits the vicarage and church where Austen’s oldest brother, James, served as curate and the building that once housed the local post office.

For less energetic Janeites, Overton’s weekend offerings also include a tour of the church and a visit to an Austen exhibit housed in a deconsecrated medieval chapel. And best of all, every event is free, though some require pre-registration.

* But perhaps you prefer your Austen cinematic, rather than biographical? If so, venture farther north--to Cheshire, where the magnificent estate of Lyme Park is commemorating two important occasions: the 250^th anniversary of Austen’s birth, and the 30^th anniversary of the BBC’s iconic 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, in which Lyme’s exterior--including a rather famous pond--played Pemberley.

The celebration events include indoor concerts, outdoor movie screenings, guided tours of the filming locations (yes, including That Pond), and, on September 28, a day-long festival featuring author talks, Regency dancing and dress-up, a book sale, and an Austen trivia quiz “where there will be some fabulous Austen goodies to be won!”

Frankly, the prospect of trivia glory and Austen-themed prizes is almost worth the price of a transatlantic plane ticket—especially with all that mellow fruitfulness on offer.