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Things to do in The Vyne house

The staircase hall featuring delicate plasterwork and a balcony.
The staircase hall at The Vyne | © National Trust / Virginia Langer

The Sandys and Chute families made The Vyne their home for over 500 years. They accumulated beautiful and important objects and made significant changes to the house during their lives, which you will see as you explore the opulent state rooms and humble servants’ quarters.

Marking 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen, you can enjoy a selection of events including exhibition 'Regency Revisited' and biweekly 'Jane Austen House Tours'. On select dates don't miss Austen-inspired talks. Read on for ticket prices and more information.

Which parts of the house are open?

The ground and first floors of the house are currently open daily 11am-3pm subject to volunteer availability.

Upcoming Austen events in the house:

A pile of early-edition Jane Austen novels with pale white covers.
These early-edition novels once belonged to Jane's friend Thomas Chute. | © National Trust / Karen Legg

Regency Revisited: Celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen

Daily until 2 November, house open 11am-3pm: Discover Jane Austen’s links to The Vyne, her views on the Chute family and her friendship with clergyman Thomas Chute who admired her novels. Get up close to first editions of her books and feast your eyes on beautiful Regency costume.

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House highlights

Enter the house through the door on the South Drive and discover intriguing stories about The Vyne's former residents. With Grecian pillars, sweeping balconies and plasterwork like royal icing, the 18th-century staircase hall is a sight to behold.

Tucked away in a ground-floor ante-room, examine the intricate detail on Lattimo plates handpainted with 18th-century Venetian scenes. In the stone gallery, you’ll find a Tudor roundel that emulates the style and grandeur of the ancient world. The Vyne's pre-Reformation chapel showcases the earliest depiction of Henry VIII in stained glass.

Must-sees at The Vyne 

Whether you want to see the house’s surviving examples of Tudor craftsmanship or admire the exquisite taste of John Chute, here are key things to look out for.

Preparatory sketch for the altarpiece of the Church of San Marco Evangelista in Osimo, Italy by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri.
Preparatory sketch for the altarpiece of the Church of San Marco Evangelista in Osimo, Italy by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri. | © National Trust / Karen Legg

The ‘Guercino’ Sketch

Part of an Italian Old Master work, see a rare-surviving 17th-century sketch by one of the most celebrated painters in Italian art. Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, who was known during his lifetime as il Guercino (the squinter) because of his crossed eyes, drew this preparatory sketch for the altarpiece of the Church of San Marco Evangelista in Osimo, Italy. Created using red chalk on paper, the sketch is part of an album of 28 drawings bought by John Chute during his Grand Tour (1741-46). John Chute was an early collector of Guercino’s works, which became increasingly popular in the later 18th Century. The complete album was sold in 1949 and broken-up with each sketch then separately sold. Returning to its former home for the first time in 70 years, The Vyne purchased this sketch in 2020.

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Close up detail of the 16th-century stained glass window in the Chapel at the Vyne, Hampshire

Discover more at The Vyne

Find out when The Vyne is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

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A pile of early-edition Jane Austen novels with pale white covers.

Regency Revisited - Celebrating Jane Austen 250 

Daily until 2 November, house open 11am-3pm: Discover Jane Austen’s links to The Vyne, her views on the Chute family and her friendship with clergyman Thomas Chute who admired her novels. Get up close to first editions of her books and feast your eyes on beautiful Regency costume.

A house volunteer explains something to a visitor at The Vyne.

Jane Austen House Tours 

Wednesdays & Saturdays until 2 November, 2.30-3.30pm: Enjoy a 1-hour tour of the house and uncover an honest account of the family’s interactions with the celebrated Regency author. No pre-booking first come first serve. Purchase your tickets on arrival at Visitor Reception. Suggested donation £5 per person. Normal admission applies.

A close up of Regency-inspired crochet crafts at The Vyne.
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Austen-inspired community craft project at The Vyne 

Now on display, look out for a Regency community art installation in the Old Kitchen at The Vyne. Marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, local residents helped create the display by painstakingly crafting crochet objects inspired by Austen.

Two audience members laugh in conversation at an outdoor performance.
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Jane Austen events at The Vyne in 2025 

As 2025 marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen, The Vyne is celebrating this milestone with a variety of Austen-inspired events. Uncover Jane’s links to the family at The Vyne with exhibition Regency Revisited and biweekly tours of the house. Until 2 November, take a stroll to the neighbouring village of Sherborne St John. On select dates, don't miss outdoor theatre and cinema. Read on to note key dates for the diary.

An audience sit in deckchairs in front of a grand house watching a movie on s giant screen.

Outdoor cinema: Bridget Jones’s Diary (15) 

Friday 1 August | Gates open 6pm | Film 7.30-9.07pm. For a chick flick movie under the stars don’t miss Bridget Jones’s Diary on The Vyne’s north lawn. Pack yourself a blanket for when the sun goes down and unless you have a Premium ticket bring a camping chair. Hot drinks and snacks will be on sale. Tickets: Standard (bring your own camping chair) £15.50+£1.87 booking fee. Premium (includes luxury deckchair in prime location) £22.50+£2.71 booking fee. Add ons: Sharing Snack Bag for 2 £12.95, Blanket £12.95. Book online here.

Pride and Prejudice

Outdoor theatre: Pride & Prejudice 

Sat 30 Aug | Gates open 6pm, Performance 7-9.20pm (inc 20 minute interval): Reticules at the ready, the dynamic Illyria Theatre are back with this fun take on one of Austen’s most renowned novels. Bring your own seating/rug, suitable clothing and a picnic. Venue is wheelchair accessible. Tickets: Adult £20 + £1.68 booking fee, Child (3-16 yrs) £12 + £1.01 booking fee, Under 3’s go free. Registered carer, free (one per paid booking). Book online here.

Close up detail of the 16th-century stained glass window in the Chapel at the Vyne, Hampshire
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History of The Vyne 

Discover centuries of history at The Vyne. Explore the people who shaped the estate, its royal connections to Tudor monarchs and its wartime role.