Jane Austen's World

As we round out our tour of Elizabeth Bennet’s travels, let’s take a closer look at the Peak District, the fictional town of Lambton, and the real-life town of Bakewell. Over the past few months, we’ve visited Derbyshire, Matlock, and Dovedale and Chatsworth House, as well as Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenilworth, and Birmingham, the route Elizabeth and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner took on their journey to Derbyshire.

Though Austen never visited most of these destinations for herself, she heard about them from friends and family and read about them in popular guidebooks of the time. Many of the wealthy aristocratic set visited these sites during the Napoleonic Wars, as an alternative to traveling through Europe. The rugged landscapes provided a feast for the Romantic imagination and ample scenes for painters and poets to capture.

The Peak District

In PP, we read this description of their travel plans in Derbyshire, where Mrs. Gardiner lived earlier in her life: “About ten or a dozen years ago, before her marriage, [Mrs. Gardiner] had spent a considerable time in that very part of Derbyshire . . . “

In that county (Derbyshire) there was enough to be seen to occupy the chief of their three weeks; and to Mrs. Gardiner it had a peculiarly strong attraction. The town where she had formerly passed some years of her life, and where they were now to spend a few days, was probably as great an object of her curiosity as all the celebrated beauties of Matlock, Chatsworth, Dovedale, or the Peak.

The Peak District would surely have afforded Elizabeth and the Gardiners many scenic drives and walks during the three weeks they spent in Derbyshire. During Austen’s time, the Peak District offered travelers an incredible landscape experience filled with rugged hills, deep dales, and wide-reaching views that unfolded in layers, as far as the eye could see. The sense of grandeur in that region captivated the imagination of all who visited.

In the 2005 PP film, Elizabeth Bennet (played by Keira Knightley) stands on Stanage Edge in the Peak District to survey the landscape. This iconic shot became so popular that the spot is now known as “Keira Knightley’s Rock” and is a famous hiking destination often visited by Austen fans.

Lambton

After seeing the “principle wonders of the country” around Derbyshire, Elizabeth and the Gardiners focus on one small area where Mrs. Gardiner lived previously, in the (fictional) small town of Lambton, which is described as a “small market-town.” Austen provides these further details:

A small part of Derbyshire is all the present concern. To the little town of Lambton, the scene of Mrs. Gardiner’s former residence, and where she had lately learned that some acquaintance still remained, they bent their steps, after having seen all the principal wonders of the country.

We don’t know much about Mrs. Gardiner’s Lambton from the novel. Some believe that Bakewell, which is situated near Chatsworth and was the start of tours during the Regency Era, may have been Austen’s inspiration for Mrs. Gardiner’s small town because it fits the novel’s geography and social function quite well. It’s a compact market town on the route between the scenic Peak District and nearby grand houses, and it’s just the kind of place where Elizabeth and the Gardiners could have stayed while touring Derbyshire. However, Austen also mentions Bakewell in PP, which leads most scholars to believe that while Lambton may have been something like Bakewell, Austen did not intend it to be Bakewell.

In the following passage, we learn that Elizabeth and the Gardiners had recently visited Bakewell:

Mr. Darcy took [Mrs. Gardiner’s] place by [Elizabeth], and they walked on together. After a short silence the lady first spoke. She wished him to know that she had been assured of his absence before she came to the place, and accordingly began by observing, that his arrival had been very unexpected—“for your housekeeper,” she added, “informed us that you would certainly not be here till to-morrow; and, indeed, before we left Bakewell, we understood that you were not immediately expected in the country.” He acknowledged the truth of it all; and said that business with his steward had occasioned his coming forward a few hours before the rest of the party with whom he had been travelling. “They will join me early to-morrow,” he continued, “and among them are some who will claim an acquaintance with you,—Mr. Bingley and his sisters.”

When Mr. Darcy brings his sister (and Mr. Bingley) to visit Elizabeth at the inn in Lambton, it’s quite extraordinary. We are to understand that Lambton was not a place where Darcy and his sister might normally visit, so it says an awful lot that Mr. Darcy brings Miss Darcy there to introduce her to Elizabeth.

Bakewell

Though Lambton was not, perhaps, meant to be Bakewell, Austen does mention Bakewell. Let us explore Bakewell so that we know what it was like during the Regency Era and what it might have been like to visit.

In Jane Austen’s day, Bakewell was a small market town with an older medieval center, a parish church, a five-arched stone bridge (dating back to the 14th century) that stretched over the River Wye, and a busy market (established in 1254). Bakewell was an important stop in the Peak District. Travelers passing through would have found a coaching stop with old stone buildings, narrow streets, and a bustling market.

Today, Bakewell is the “largest settlement and only town within the boundaries of the Peak District National Park. At the 2011 census, the population of the civil parish was 3,949” (Wikipedia). According to Bakewell.co.uk, Bakewell is the capital town of the Peak District, known for its rich heritage and tradition, and the famous Bakewell tart, “a dessert made with almond paste and puff pastry, is a must-try.” If you have time, look up Bakewell; I’d love to visit one day.

Mapping Derbyshire

For those of you who love the minor details in Austen’s novels, I found this information intriguing: “within five miles of Lambton, Elizabeth found, from her aunt, that Pemberley was situated. It was not in their direct road; nor more than a mile or two out of it. In talking over their route the evening before, Mrs. Gardiner expressed an inclination to see the place again.”

Many have wondered if Chatsworth House was a possible inspiration for Pemberley, and on the map today, Chatsworth is about 4-5 miles from Bakewell, depending on the route you take. If Austen had looked at a guidebook or map, or talked with friends who had visited the area, it’s possible that she chose to situate her fictional village (which may have been similar to Bakewell) and Darcy’s fictional estate (which is believed to be similar to Chatsworth) on her fictional map in such a way as to make it seem believable for her contemporary readers.

If you’d like to see a map, the Republic of Pemberley has a detailed map (below), and I’ve added a red arrow for Bakewell. You can see Chatsworth just above and to the right. I highly recommend looking at the maps of Derbyshire that the Republic of Pemberley provides. Each map is filled with interesting sites, as well as information about those sites during Austen’s day.

Travel Dreams

I have had the opportunity to visit many of the “Austen” sites in England, but I have yet been to Derbyshire. This series has certainly given me even more reason to try to get there one day. If you’ve ever been, please share about your favorite sites in the comments below. If I can make it happen one day, I’d love to tour each site and walk in Elizabeth Bennet’s fictional footsteps.

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Rachel Dodge teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. She has narrated numerous book titles, including the Praying with Jane Audiobook with actress Amanda Root. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.