LOVERS of one of England's best-known novelists have turned heads by visiting Trowbridge in period Regency dress to celebrate their literary hero.
Just over 40 members of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath visited a historic Grade 1 listed Georgian townhouse for an afternoon cream tea.
They enjoyed a train ride from Bath and a tour of the county town's Georgian buildings before having afternoon tea at Parade House in Fore Street.
Simon and Carey Tesler, the owners of Parade House, said: “It was great for Trowbridge and just shows that we can welcome tourists and bring a lot of money into the town.”
The 42 guests were welcomed by Trowbridge town crier Trevor Heeks ringing his bell before enjoying a tour of the Parade House.
The ladies and gentlemen, in period dress, were among the 800 people taking part in the annual Jane Austen Festival which runs until September 17.
When the celebrated author made Bath her home from 1801 to 1806 the city was a thriving spa resort, popular with fashionable society.
This year, the Jane Austen Festival organisers wanted to expand the popular event to new parts of the region.
Fans of the author travelled from around the world for the event, including Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hawaii, Japan, New Zealand and the United States of America.
Dressed in their Regency finery they were escorted to Trowbridge by Mr Darcy for a private history tour of the house, a champagne afternoon cream tea in the grand ballroom.
They also played Regency parlour games and the ladies were instructed on the language of the fan during a special workshop led by Jenni Trent Hughes in her role as The Queen of Hearts.
The annual 10-day festival celebrates the life and work of novelist Jane Austen, best known for novels including Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey.
Mrs Tesler said: “Our event was so popular, it sold out within an hour and we had to arrange two visits on Sunday and on Wednesday.”
Jane Austen was born on December 16 1775, in the Hampshire village of Steventon where her father was the local clergyman.
The novelist lived in Bath from 1801-1806, before moving to Southampton and then the Hampshire village of Chawton after her father died.
She died aged 41 in Winchester in 1817 and is buried in the city's famous cathedral.
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