Regency Week in Alton

As part of Alton Regency Week,. Jane Austen's family celebrated her 250th birthday at historic Chawton House. On Sunday 22nd June, the grounds of Chawton House came alive with celebration as Caroline Jane Knight, Jane Austen's fifth great-niece, hosted a special 250th birthday party for her famous ancestor.
Caroline, who was the last of Jane Austen's family to grow up at Chawton House when it was still the Knight family residence, brought together the largest gathering of Austen descendants ever assembled for a public event.
Among the family members present was Adam Knight, the current heir to Chawton House, making this a truly historic reunion.
The celebration attracted Jane Austen enthusiasts from around the world, including special guest Susannah Harker, a Jane Austen Literacy Foundation ambassador who famously played Jane Bennet in the beloved 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Harker has now written her own Austen-inspired screenplay, Jane Bennet's Second Spring, currently in development with the unique promise that fans worldwide will have opportunities to participate in and even appear in the film.