Sitting with Jane - BookBench Public Art Trail

About

‘Sitting With Jane’ is a Jane Austen inspired sculpture trail.

The sculptures are all benches, shaped like an open book, and each is uniquely designed and painted by a professional artist in a style inspired by Jane Austen’s life and times in Basingstoke, Steventon and the surrounding area.

The trail and the associated app will give the opportunity to explore (and sit in) places and landscapes that were important influences on Jane’s life and work – often undiscovered by visitors. Jane was born in Steventon, and Basingstoke was her local town for more than half her life, this trail will help to reconnect visitors with where she grew up and began her writing career. The trail will open in mid June 2017 and be in place until late August, following this the individual sculptures will be auctioned for a local charity leaving a lasting legacy in the area.

There will be 25 BookBenches, with a dedicated website and app to guide you around the area, with a chance to visit some interesting locations, linking together places to give an insightful tour.

All BookBenches have free access, and the app is free to download.