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.

Take a closer look

A house volunteer explains something to a visitor at The Vyne. — Get the gossip on Jane's interactions with the family at The Vyne. | © National Trust / Megan Taylor

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.

Find out more

A close up of Regency-inspired crochet crafts at The Vyne. — Take a look at the creative crafts on display at The Vyne. | © National Trust / Natasha Wright

Community art display inspired by Austen

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.

Find out more

The words 'In conversation with' are surrounded by a floral pattern. — Don't miss this discussion about Britain’s best-loved Regency author. | © National Trust / Karen Legg

Cream tea & talk: In Conversation With...

Sunday 7 September | Gates open 2.15pm | Cream tea 2.30-3.15pm | Talk 3.30-4.30pm Enjoy a cream tea in the tea-room before joining Lizzie Dunford, Director for Jane Austen’s House, Chawton and Joy Pibworth, longstanding member of the Jane Austen Society as they discuss Britain’s best-loved Regency author in the house at The Vyne. Tickets £20. Please note, non-members entering before 2.15pm will need to pay normal admission.

More information and book tickets

Layers of Jane title — Don't miss the irreverent talk on Regency 'underpinnings'. | © National Trust / Karen Legg

Cream tea & talk: Layers of Jane

Thursday 25 September | Gates open 2.15pm | Cream tea 2.30-3.15pm | Talk 3.30-4.30pm From petticoats to pantaloons, chemise to shifts, following an indulgent cream tea in the Brewhouse tea-room, enjoy an interactive and irreverent presentation regarding Regency 'underpinnings' in the house. Tickets £20. Please note, non-members entering before 2.15pm will need to pay normal admission.

More information and book tickets

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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. | © 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.

A pair of Lattimo plates depicting Italian cities, in the Ante Room at The Vyne, Hampshire — A pair of Lattimo plates depicting Italian cities, in the Ante Room at The Vyne | © National Trust Images

Venetian lattimo glass plates

In July 1741 John Chute and his friends commissioned these hand-made plates while visiting Venice. In a time before photography, these decorative souvenirs were a way of displaying their visit, featuring different painted views of the city. Made using a technique named lattimo, tin oxide was added to the glass to give it a white appearance. The images were copied from paintings and engravings. What really makes this set special is its survival. The sets belonging to John’s friends Walpole and Pelham-Clinton were sold after their deaths and are now dispersed. The Vyne is the only place where you can see a large, intact set of these plates (16 of the original 24 survive) which are still displayed in the cabinets made for them in the 19th Century.

A detailed close up of an 18th-century casket of ebony with panels of pietra dura mounted in ormolu and encrusted with semi-precious stones — A detailed close up of an 18th-century Italian casket at The Vyne | © National Trust Images/James Mortimer

Italian casket

This 18th-century ebony Italian casket has panels of pietra dura mounted in ormolu and encrusted with semi-precious stones. It was purchased at great expense by John Chute on the Florence leg of his Grand Tour, as a tongue-in-cheek ‘apology’ to his older brother Anthony, who had asked him to curb his spending.

Entrance hall

John Chute was under pressure from his close friend Horace Walpole to make improvements and alterations to The Vyne. Mostly, he made drawings and then never acted upon it. An exception to this was the new entrance hall which he built in 1769 and 1770. Richly decorated with classical features, it gave a real ‘wow’ factor for visitors to his home and still provides a dramatic entrance today.

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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.

Plan your visit

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.

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.

Article

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.

Article

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.

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.