Overton is celebrating its connection to Jane Austen, ahead of the 250th anniversary of her birthday, by launching trails connected to her life. 

The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Dan Putty, will officially launch the new Overton Jane Austen Trails to the local community on Saturday, September 7, to celebrate Overton’s heritage and to put the village on the Jane Austen map. 

The Overton Jane Austen Trails shine a spotlight on Overton and the neighbourhood that Jane Austen knew and grew up in.

The Overton in Jane Austen’s Time village trail highlights what Overton was like when Jane lived nearby.

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The Overton to Steventon Jane Austen Trails, features a waymarked walking route and a cycling route to Steventon, Jane Austen’s birthplace, and takes in places along the way known to Jane and her friends. 

Run entirely by local volunteers under the wing of Overton Parish Council, the project’s aim is to promote the health benefits of walking, attracting visitors to Overton to enjoy the shops and restaurants and strengthening a sense of pride in place in the cultural heritage of the area.

The Overton Trails will be launched to the local community first, during the weekend of September 6-8 with talks, live music, readings and a children’s trail.

The weekend starts with a talk and a recital of Jane Austen’s music, followed by the chance to join a guided walk, Overton in Jane Austen’s Time.

There will be displays and exhibitions and talks from Jane Austen’s House, author Nicola Pritchard-Pink, readings by Overton Dramatic Society and a rousing finale including authentic folk song and music from the Madding Crowd.

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On Sunday the bells of St Mary’s Church will ring a peal heard in Jane Austen’s time. There will be a guided Overton to Steventon Trail and a tour of St Mary’s Church, where Jane’s brother James was Curate. 

The project won grant funding from Basingstoke and Deane’s Pride in Place Award funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund in January 2024 and has been working to deliver the project which concludes in March 2025. 

Overton Jane Austen Trails received £15,836 through the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Pride in Place Fund which is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The project will complete and launch nationally in 2025.

For more information about Overton Jane Austen Trails see OvertonJaneAustenTrails.org.