Bath is a real city featured in a few of Jane Austen's novels, including Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Austen features many famous parts of the city in her books, including well-known residential parts of the city, the pump room, and gardens.
In the Novels[]
Sense and Sensibility[]
Eliza Williams visits Bath with a school-friend and her father. The father is confined to the house because of his health, and unattended, Eliza and her friend range over the town and make undesirable acquaintances, including John Willoughby, who seduces Eliza and convinces her to run away with him.
Pride and Prejudice[]
After their marriage George Wickham occasionally visits Bath while his wife Lydia is at Pemberley.
Mansfield Park[]
Henry Crawford visits his uncle Admiral Crawford in Bath, who visits the city at the same time every year, after the performance of Lovers' Vows is called off. Mrs. Rushworth moves to Bath when her son James marries Maria Bertram and Maria replaces her as the mistress of Sotherton. She returns to London in time for the news to get out that Maria and Henry are having an affair, at which point Dr. Grant and his wife are in Bath themselves and stay out of the scandal by extending their visit until he succeeds to a stall in Westminster.
Emma[]
Philip Elton goes to Bath to visit friends after he is rejected by Emma Woodhouse, and there he meets and becomes engaged to Augusta Hawkins, who visits Mrs. Partridge there for part of every winter. Mrs. Elton recommends Mr. Woodhouse visit Bath for his health, but he has tried it before to no avail.
Northanger Abbey[]
Mr. Allen goes to Bath for his health, and Mrs. Allen invites Catherine Morland to come with them. In Bath she makes the acquaintance of the Thorpe and Tilney families.
Persuasion[]
The Elliot sisters attended school in Bath, where Anne Elliot met Mrs. Smith. Lady Russell visits Bath every winter, and she brought Anne with her the winter after she broke off her engagement with Frederick Wentworth.
Sir Walter Elliot takes a house in Camden Place when he has to retrench, and his eldest daughter Elizabeth presides over his house. Her friend Penelope Clay stays with them, hoping to catch Sir Walter. In Bath, Sir Walter reconciles with his cousins William Elliot and Lady Dalrymple after their respective estrangements. Anne is staying in Camden Place when she reunites with her old school-friend, learns of William Elliot's perfidy, and becomes engaged again to Captain Wentworth.
Lady Susan[]
Mr. Johnson plans to visit Bath, where his aunts live, but his gout prevents him from traveling.
The Watsons[]
Mr. Edwards danced with Mrs. O'Brien in the old rooms at Bath the year before he married, about thirty years ago.
Sanditon[]
Mr. Heywood and his wife Mrs. Heywood once spent a winter in Bath due to "the symptoms of gout."