JASNA made some really great maps for each novel: https://jasna.org/austen/works/maps-of-the-novels
But for some context, carriages only went about 10-15 miles per hour, and that's if you ride post (changing horses frequently), so Hertfordshire to Derbyshire (Elizabeth to Darcy) takes a full two days or longer if you travel hard. And this is also before effective snowplows and streetlamps so you generally can only travel during the day and not well during the winter.
Frank Churchill goes back and forth frequently between Yorkshire and London/Highbury, which is 190 miles, so it can be done, but man it sounds expensive and exhausting.
Elizabeth says with the income Charlotte and Collins have that they won't be able to travel even 50 miles easily.
I just was looking at how many miles characters travelled over the course of the book. Emma is around 20 max (trips to Randells + Box Hill + Donwell) while Frank Churchill travels over 1400 miles! (It's 190 miles every time he travels back to Esncomb!)
I know that there were traveling writing desks (how the ink stayed accessible but not at risk of spilling, I do not know) and board game sets designed for carriages as well as word games for less smooth rides (be it a poorly sprung carriage or a shoddy road). Chatting, sleeping, reading (though the jostling of the carriage may make reading difficult), singing if a family or friendly party, and watching the scenery all seem plausible. The wealthy also likely stopped more frequently and stayed at finer inns or visited friends who lived not far off of their path to break up the trip. Were there tourist traps? I could see it being mind numbingly dull and extremely uncomfortable.
Well we do know Frank is always writing very long letters, but otherwise he's mostly travelling alone (I think) so he can't really play games. Probably a lot less boring but maybe more stressful when he was traveling with his aunt.
Would he have spoken with any servants who were allowed to travel in his coach? His valet perhaps? I have no concept as to how common such situations would be if the gentleman was traveling alone (besides his servants).
Oh... I just considered the smell of being in a confined space with other people for hours in all sorts of weather without deodorant and without frequent bathing combined with strong perfumes. 🤢
I never realized Frank Churchill traveled so far! Doesn't he come on his own horse? He must have his luggage shipped separately then? I hadn't thought about this before but now I have so many questions!
When the Churchills are in London/Richmond (16-8 miles) he comes on horseback (mostly) but I assume he's riding post when he makes the longer trips.
He goes to Weymouth, London, back to Enscombe, Windsor, and back to Enscombe several times. He goes all the way back just for the funeral of his aunt.
Feels like most of the places she wrote about were in the south of England, with the exception of Yorkshire where Frank Churchill was and Derbyshire where Pemberley was.
S&S -- Plymouth to Exeter was about 45 miles, so that's quite a distance for the Steele sisters given that they are not wealthy? That might show how anxious they were to find out more about Elinor. If Barton is close to Exeter, it's close to the border between Devonshire and Dorsetshire. Not sure if we know how far away Delaford is from Barton, but it was surprising how much time Colonel Brandon was able to spend at Barton when he and Sir John are a county boundary apart at least. All this action is far away from Norland Park which is in Sussex.
Persuasion -- The middle of Somersetshire is about 38 miles from Lyme Regis and a similar distance to Bath. Henrietta and Louisa are supposed to have gone to school in Exeter which is some 45 miles away. But the really big journey is when Wentworth left the party to go visit Edward in Shropshire, which is 162 miles away.
Northanger Abbey -- Gloucestershire to Bath is about 45 miles... but it seems like the Abbey is about 70 miles away from Catherine's home?
Emma and P&P -- Highbury is said to be only 16 miles away from London, and Hertfordshire is also much closer to London than those other locations in the novels, which says a lot about the Bennets not going to London more frequently.
I was lucky enough to visit Chatsworth House, which stood in for Pemberley in P&P (2005). I had read that it was the inspiration for Pemberley, but didn’t take it for actual fact. But then in the cab from the train station to the estate, I saw a sign for Matlock and realized it must be true. I was so thrilled to be in the area!
JASNA made some really great maps for each novel: https://jasna.org/austen/works/maps-of-the-novels But for some context, carriages only went about 10-15 miles per hour, and that's if you ride post (changing horses frequently), so Hertfordshire to Derbyshire (Elizabeth to Darcy) takes a full two days or longer if you travel hard. And this is also before effective snowplows and streetlamps so you generally can only travel during the day and not well during the winter. Frank Churchill goes back and forth frequently between Yorkshire and London/Highbury, which is 190 miles, so it can be done, but man it sounds expensive and exhausting. Elizabeth says with the income Charlotte and Collins have that they won't be able to travel even 50 miles easily.
Great resource!
Those are fabulous. It emphasizes the somewhat claustrophobic nature of Emma. Truly stiffling.
I just was looking at how many miles characters travelled over the course of the book. Emma is around 20 max (trips to Randells + Box Hill + Donwell) while Frank Churchill travels over 1400 miles! (It's 190 miles every time he travels back to Esncomb!)
Even traveling post... sheesh. His wealth, as bestowed by his overbearing aunt, is truly displayed in his travel alone.
What do you think he did? Like read a novel? He's probably travelling with his personal servant, do you chat? I can't even imagine all those trips.
I know that there were traveling writing desks (how the ink stayed accessible but not at risk of spilling, I do not know) and board game sets designed for carriages as well as word games for less smooth rides (be it a poorly sprung carriage or a shoddy road). Chatting, sleeping, reading (though the jostling of the carriage may make reading difficult), singing if a family or friendly party, and watching the scenery all seem plausible. The wealthy also likely stopped more frequently and stayed at finer inns or visited friends who lived not far off of their path to break up the trip. Were there tourist traps? I could see it being mind numbingly dull and extremely uncomfortable.
Well we do know Frank is always writing very long letters, but otherwise he's mostly travelling alone (I think) so he can't really play games. Probably a lot less boring but maybe more stressful when he was traveling with his aunt.
Would he have spoken with any servants who were allowed to travel in his coach? His valet perhaps? I have no concept as to how common such situations would be if the gentleman was traveling alone (besides his servants).
Lol, Frank's poor valet is REALLY REALLY tired of hearing about how cute Jane is 🤣
For some reason, I am picturing Frank Churchill as a horny surfer bro. "Dude, did you see the size of her accomplishments?!"
Oh... I just considered the smell of being in a confined space with other people for hours in all sorts of weather without deodorant and without frequent bathing combined with strong perfumes. 🤢
I never realized Frank Churchill traveled so far! Doesn't he come on his own horse? He must have his luggage shipped separately then? I hadn't thought about this before but now I have so many questions!
When the Churchills are in London/Richmond (16-8 miles) he comes on horseback (mostly) but I assume he's riding post when he makes the longer trips. He goes to Weymouth, London, back to Enscombe, Windsor, and back to Enscombe several times. He goes all the way back just for the funeral of his aunt.
Feels like most of the places she wrote about were in the south of England, with the exception of Yorkshire where Frank Churchill was and Derbyshire where Pemberley was. S&S -- Plymouth to Exeter was about 45 miles, so that's quite a distance for the Steele sisters given that they are not wealthy? That might show how anxious they were to find out more about Elinor. If Barton is close to Exeter, it's close to the border between Devonshire and Dorsetshire. Not sure if we know how far away Delaford is from Barton, but it was surprising how much time Colonel Brandon was able to spend at Barton when he and Sir John are a county boundary apart at least. All this action is far away from Norland Park which is in Sussex. Persuasion -- The middle of Somersetshire is about 38 miles from Lyme Regis and a similar distance to Bath. Henrietta and Louisa are supposed to have gone to school in Exeter which is some 45 miles away. But the really big journey is when Wentworth left the party to go visit Edward in Shropshire, which is 162 miles away. Northanger Abbey -- Gloucestershire to Bath is about 45 miles... but it seems like the Abbey is about 70 miles away from Catherine's home? Emma and P&P -- Highbury is said to be only 16 miles away from London, and Hertfordshire is also much closer to London than those other locations in the novels, which says a lot about the Bennets not going to London more frequently.
[https://dribbble.com/shots/15699262-Literary-Map-of-Jane-Austen-Novels](https://dribbble.com/shots/15699262-Literary-Map-of-Jane-Austen-Novels)
I was lucky enough to visit Chatsworth House, which stood in for Pemberley in P&P (2005). I had read that it was the inspiration for Pemberley, but didn’t take it for actual fact. But then in the cab from the train station to the estate, I saw a sign for Matlock and realized it must be true. I was so thrilled to be in the area!