Brit Lit: seven visits in England that no literature lover should miss

Join us on a journey that brings the United Kingdom’s rich literary tradition to life. Wind your way from Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon to the Charleston Farmhouse in East Sussex where the intellectuals of the Bloomsbury Group met, debated and created in the early 20^th century.

1. Chaucer’s Canterbury

Painting a kaleidoscopic portrait of medieval society, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is one of the most studied and important texts of British literature. It tells of a pilgrimage of an ill-assorted group from an inn in London to Canterbury Cathedral to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket. Along the way, each pilgrim takes it in turn to tell a story which often reveals more about them than they at first intend. While the shrine is long-gone, Canterbury Cathedral remains a magnificent place to visit.
 

2. Shakespeare Country: Stratford-upon-Avon

After you’ve experienced Chaucer’s Canterbury, pay a visit to the original home of William Shakespeare – still the world’s greatest playwright over four centuries after his death. The writer’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, is a Shakespeare lover’s dream-come-true. You can see his perfectly preserved childhood home and much more in this delightful town. It’s also home to the Royal Shakespeare Company where you can catch one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies or historic plays.
 

3. Jane Austen’s Countryside

Jane Austen didn’t find fame during her lifetime – the author’s books initially didn’t even bear her name. But more than two centuries later, she’s recognized as a supreme novelist whose characters Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy still captivate readers today.

Your first stop should definitely be Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, Hampshire where she wrote many of her best-known works. Then head to the incredible Chatsworth House in Derbyshire that served as the inspiration for Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley. Finish up your all-things-Austen stop with a visit to the Godmersham Park Walk and Heritage Centre in Kent, the charming spot where Austen penned Sense and Sensibility.

4. Portsmouth: Dickens’ Coastal Home

In his time Charles Dickens wasn’t really regarded as a novelist, more as a writer who produced episodic stories serialized in magazines of the era. Today, of course, he has a very different standing in the history of English literature. Although his novels often feature London as a setting, it all began for the author of David Copperfield, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist in 1812 in Portsmouth, 70 miles southwest of London. Visit the Charles Dicken’s Birthplace Museum to discover fascinating memorabilia, including the couch he passed away on, his snuff box and his personal inkwell and paper knife.
 

5. An Elementary Journey Through Sherlock Holmes’ London

He debuted back in 1887, but Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle’s master sleuth, is more popular than ever in the 21st century. First stop should be – where else? – 221b Baker Street in London, where he lived and worked. You won’t find Holmes and Dr. Watson here, but you will find the Sherlock Holmes Museum, which features an amazingly detailed re-creation of the famed study as described by Conan Doyle. Fancy a pint? Head to across to the Sherlock Holmes Pub in St James just off The Strand, home to an array of Holmes artefacts and memorabilia.

6. Charleston: Where the Bloomsbury Group Bloomed

Located in pastoral East Sussex, Charleston became famous as an early 20^th-century hotbed for progressive thought. It was here that the Bloomsbury Group – made up of free-thinkers including Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes and E.M. Forster – gathered to exchange ideas and spark literary and cultural movements that are still very relevant today. A guided tour of the charming and rambling house and lovely gardens will give you an insight into the innovation and creativity that blossomed there. While you’re in the area, catch one of the frequent exhibitions focusing on particular members of the Bloomsbury Set.
 

7. The World of Harry Potter in Edinburgh

J.K. Rowling is the force behind the Harry Potter empire, and Potter maniacs can go straight to the source in Edinburgh. First, head to Spoon, a cozy café where Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first book in the series. Then, take a stroll through Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, a Franciscan graveyard in Edinburgh’s Old Town that served as the inspiration for scenes in The Goblet of Fire. Nearby, take in the positively Hogwartsian architecture of George Heriot’s School, with its turreted roof and imposing stone façade. Finally, head to Victoria Street, Rowling’s basis for the exciting Diagon Alley.

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