The suffragette Emily Davison is immortalized in a statue in the beautiful Carlisle Park a short distance from her gravesite in St Mary’s Churchyard. Northumberland County Council and Morpeth Town Council commissioned artist Ray Lonsdale to create a statue of Emily Davison to commemorate her legacy and the 100th anniversary since English women won the right to vote. Lonsdale depicted Davison seated on a bench, pushing a bowl of food, as she did when she went on a hunger strike. She wears the suffragette sash and looks forward, proud; a “VOTE FOR WOMEN” flyer lies next to her, and a nearby plaque describes her story and contribution to British women’s voting rights. The Duchess of Northumberland unveiled it with Davison’s distant relatives on September 11th, 2018. Emily Wilding Davison (1872-1913) was born in London to Morpeth-born parents. She received a scholarship to study literature at Royal Holloway College in 1891 but left after two years when her father passed away, and she could not afford the tuition. Davison worked as a governess and teacher to earn money for her education. It enabled her to attend St Hugh’s College, Oxford, and later at the University of London, graduating with honors. In 1906, Davison joined the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU); two years later, she quit her teaching job to dedicate herself to the union and become one of its most fearless militants; her actions made her get arrested nine times. She went on hunger strike seven times and was force-fed on forty-nine occasions. On June 4th, 1913, Davison was seriously injured at the Epsom Derby when King George V’s horse hit her as she entered the course. She died four days later. WSPU organized her funeral, attended by 5,000 suffragettes and their supporters; 50,000 people lined the streets of London to pay their respects; her coffin was sent by train to the family plot in Morpeth, Northumberland, her final resting place. A statue of Davison was dedicated in Epsom in 2021. Read more...

In 1934, the famous crime novelist Agatha Christie moved with her second husband to Winterbrook House in Winterbrook, on the outskirts of Wallingford, Oxfordshire. Christie lived there a quiet life, got inspiration for her books, and served as president of the local amateur dramatic society. She was buried nearby, at Cholsey’s St. Mary’s Church, after she passed away in 1976. The town of Wallingford has been commemorating her legacy ever since, honoring her at the permanent Agatha Christie exhibition at the Wallingford Museum and at the Agatha Christie trail, which follows places with connections to her. On September 9th, 2023, less than a week before her 133 birthday, Mathew Prichard, Christie’s grandson, unveiled a life-size bronze statue of her in a special ceremony. Sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies, who sculpted the Agatha Christie Memorial in London, received the commission from Wallingford Town Council to create the statue. Twiston-Davies depicted Christie sitting on a bench, holding a book, overlooking the Kinecroft. Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was one of the best-selling novelists in history; she wrote 74 novels (mainly detective stories), 14 short story collections, 19 plays, and an autobiography. Her work was adapted into films, TV series, and stage plays. Her books have been translated into over 100 languages and sold over two billion copies worldwide. Read more...

On June 4th, 1913, the dedicated suffragette Emily Wilding Davison arrived at the Epsom Derby, planning to raise attention to women’s suffrage by putting a Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) scarf on the King’s horse. She stepped onto the course during the race, and unfortunately, the King’s horse ran over her. She died four days later. Recent analysis of the case shows it was fortunate that she miscalculated the situation rather than intending to kill herself. On June 8th, 2013, the 100th anniversary of her death, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in tribute to her legacy at Epsom Down Racecourse. This significant event marked the inception of the Emily Davison Memorial Project, championed by Sarah Dewing. The project faced some obstacles and faded but was renewed in 2018 with the grand commemoration of the centenary milestone, honoring a century of women securing the right to vote. The Emily Davison Memorial Project chose the artist Christine Charlesworth MRBS SWA, who depicted Davison wearing the hat she wore at the Epsom Derby, sitting on a bench, chatting with the visitor who will join her; a pile of her favorite books lay next to her and on top is a mortar board which she wore on suffragette marches. The statue was dedicated on June 8th, 2021, in the Epsom marketplace in the presence of family members, Emily Davison Memorial Project’s members, and the community. Emily Wilding Davison (1872-1913) was a well-educated teacher who joined the WSPU in 1906. Soon, she became one of the most militant and committed suffragettes. She got arrested several times, went on hunger strikes, and was force-fed several times. Her funeral was organized by the WSPU and attended by thousands of people. She was buried in the family plot in Morpeth, Northumberland. A statue of her was dedicated at Carlisle Park in Morpeth in 2018, just a short walk from her grave. Read more...

The Jane Austen’s House Museum is located in the last residence of the renowned writer and where she worked on her novels. Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born in Steventon, Hampshire. Her writing talent was recognized at an early age, and with her father’s encouragement, she explored different genres before the age of 12. By 19, she wrote her first mature work, the epistolary novella Lady Susan (later published as Northanger Abbey). She wrote two more novels over the next seven years but didn’t publish them. In 1801, Austen moved with her family to Bath, and during the following decade, her productivity decreased. After her father died, she, her sister, mother, and their friend Martha Lloyd moved to Chawton Cottage, near her brother’s house, in 1809. There, she had both the surroundings and mindset that allowed her creativity to flourish. Over the next eight years, Austen revisited her early drafts, wrote new novels, and published four of her books – Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815). Austen died when she was only 41 years old, before publishing her last complete novel, Persuasion (published postmortem in 1818), and before completing the novel she was working on at the time, Sanditon. Austen’s literary works, even the unfinished ones, received widespread acclaim and have been adapted into countless movies, television shows, and plays. After her death, Austen’s mother and sister stayed in Chawton Cottage. Later, it was divided into small laborers’ apartments before it became a workman’s club in the early 1920s. In 1940, the Jane Austen Society received the cottage and turned it into a museum dedicated to the life and work of the famous author. Opened to the public in 1947, the Jane Austen’s House Museum hosts a collection of Austen’s personal items, including jewelry, letters, original furniture, her writing table, and the first editions of her novels. The museum also has temporary exhibitions which follow the Regency era and different aspects of Austen’s work, influences, and inspirations. Other Hampshire sites associated with Austen are the Jane Austen Statue in Basingstoke and her final resting place in Winchester Cathedral. Read more...

The Jane Austen Center in Bath showcases a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life of work of the novelist Jane Austen and the Regency period in Bath that impacted her writing. Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born in Steventon, Hampshire, into a landed gentry family. She showed an early interest in writing, supported by her father, who provided her and her siblings with writing and drawing tools. By 12, she had already started writing stories, verses, poems, and exploring prose, parody, comedy, and novels, which she compiled in three manuscript notebooks, known today as her Juvenilia. At 19, Austen completed her first mature work, Lady Susan (later published as Northanger Abbey), followed by Elinor and Marianne (later published as Sense and Sensibility) and First Impressions (later published as Pride and Prejudice). After her father retired in 1801, the family moved to Bath and lived there for five years. There, she worked on her next novel, The Watsons, which she never completed. There is a common belief that Austen’s discontent with her life in Bath impacted her creativity. However, At that time of the Regency period, the city had become the most significant social life center outside of London, and Austen participated in the social activities of the gentry. Some scholars claim that her active involvement in social events and engagements is the reason for her decreased writing. In 1805, her father died, and the family’s financial situation worsened. The following year, Austen, her sister, and her mother left Bath and moved between places until 1809, when they settled in a cottage in Chawton, Hampshire. There, she had the time and state of mind to return to her writing, and in 1811, 36 years old Austen published her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, followed by Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815). That year, her health declined, and while managing to complete the novel Persuasion, Austen died while working on her next one, Sanditon. She was 41 years old. During her life, Austen published seven novels, and two more were published postmortem. Her works achieved universal acclaim, resulting in adaptations for hundreds of movies, TV shows, and plays, and inspired many spin-offs, prequels, and sequels. The Jane Austen Center, located in a Georgian building, provides an immersive experience of the life and works of the beloved writer. The exhibit explores the impact of living in Bath on Austen’s life and writing, with costumed actors, dress-ups in Regency costumes, and period food tastings. The Center features a life-sized wax model of Austen and Regency-style Tea Rooms. It also hosts various events, such as the annual Jane Austen Festival, a Summer Ball, and a costumed promenade through the Center of Bath. Other sites to visit while in Bath are the Roman Baths, for which the city is named, Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent, and the Victoria Art Gallery. Read more...

At Basingstoke’s Market Place stands the first commemorative statue of Jane Austen, one of the greatest and most celebrated English novelists. For the first 25 years of her life, Jane Austen (1775-1817) lived in Steventon, Hampshire, only a few miles from Basingstoke. From an early age, Austen showed literary talent, and by the age of 12, she wrote poems and stories, exploring various genres, from parody to prose. Her writing subjects were influenced by Basingstoke gentry life, where she attended social gatherings, went to the market, and visited friends. These experiences have been the basis of her first novels, including Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice. In 1801, Austen and her family moved to Bath. The relocation and her father’s death affected her creativity, and she stopped writing for a decade. In 1809, Austen, her mother, and her sister moved to Chawton, Hampshire. Back in the tranquil environment of her childhood surrounding, she returned to her writing, revisiting her novels’ drafts and writing new ones. In 1811, at 36, Austen published her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, followed by Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815). In 1815, while working on her next novel, Persuasion, she became ill with what is considered today as Addison’s Disease. She died at 41 before completing her last novel Sanditon. Austen published seven novels in her short life, and two were published postmortem. Her work gained universal acclaim, was adapted into hundreds of movies, TV shows, and plays, and inspired numerous sequels, prequels, and interpretations. The Jane Austen Statue honors Austen’s life and work and memorializes her connection to Basingstoke. Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, initiated the concept of creating the statue, and the Hampshire Cultural Trust commissioned it. The local sculptor Adam Roud won the commission, and the Countess of Portsmouth unveiled the statue on 18th July 2017 – the 200th anniversary of Austen’s death. The life-sized bronze depicts Austen as an ordinary person, walking through the market, clutching a book on her way to collect library books. A replica of this statue was unveiled at St Nicholas Church in Chawton on 8th June 2018. Other sites related to Austen in Hampshire are the Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, her brother’s Chawton House, and Winchester Cathedral, Austen’s final resting place. Read more...

This historic house was the family home of the Brontë sisters, who were prominent English poets and novelists. Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818-1848), and Anne (1820-1849) Brontë were born in Thornton, England, the three out of six children of Maria and Patrick Brontë. In 1820, when their father was appointed vicar of St Michael and All Angels’ Church in Haworth, they moved into the parsonage and lived there for the rest of their lives. In this house, the sisters created the fantasy kingdom of Angria, published Branwell’s Blackwood’s Magazine, filled with poems and stories, and wrote their famous novels. In 1846, the sisters self-published under pseudonyms a collection of their poems. The following year, each published her novel – Jane Eyre by Charlotte, Wuthering Heights by Emily, and Agnes Grey by Anne. All stories were inspired by the moorland surrounding Haworth and by their life experiences attending strict boarding schools and working as governesses. In 1848, Emily died of tuberculosis. That same year, Anne published her second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and 11 months after, she died from the same disease. Charlotte continued to publish two more books – Shirley and Villette before she married and sadly passed away while carrying her first child. Since Charlotte’s death, the sisters’ family house and gravesite became a pilgrimage destination, with people coming from all over the country to pay tribute to the Haworth and the Brontë sisters and witness the place where their magic happened. In 1928, Sir James Roberts, who knew the Brontë family as a child, bought the house and handed it to the Brontë Society to be operated as a museum dedicated to the sisters’ life and legacy. The Brontë Parsonage Museum holds the most extensive collection of the family memorabilia, known as Bronteana, including manuscripts, early editions of their novels, as well as personal items such as letters, Charlotte’s sewing box, and wedding bonnet, Anne’s pebbles collection, and Emily’s paint box. The visitors can stroll around their little bedrooms, their father’s study room, and the dining room, where the sisters worked around the table and helped one another in their writings. At the garden are a stone wall and plaque that marks the location of the gate connecting the parsonage and the church and a bronze statue of the three sisters, created by Jocelyn Horner in 1951. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum presents changing exhibitions of contemporary artists, as well as literary events, family activities, and festivals. Among the interesting places to visit nearby are: the Haworth Parish Church, where Patrick Brontë served as a vicar, the Brontë Waterfall, and the ruined farmhouse Top Withens, which is said to have inspired Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Wuthering Arts gallery named after the gothic novel. Read more...

Licoricia of Winchester was a successful Jewish businesswoman and a community leader in England during the 13th century. The first information found about Licoricia (early 13th century-1277) is from 1234, indicating that she was a widow moneylender who had three sons and a daughter. Licoricia married David of Oxford, the wealthiest Jew in England, and became his business partner in 1242. Their son, Asher, was born a year later. Tragically, two years into the marriage, David died. The kings held Licoricia at the Tower of London until the loans David gave were repaid. Licoricia paid 5000 marks to the king, which he used to build Westminster Abbey and a shrine to Edward the Confessor. Licoricia returned to live in Winchester, managed David’s business, and launched some of her own, expanding her assets across England. Her close connections with the king and the royal family, who were also her clients, helped the Jewish community. In 1277, she was murdered in her home, probably during a robbery. Life conditions for the Jewish community got worse due to high taxes, restrictions, and pressure to convert their religion. In 1290 they were forced to leave the country. In 2009, Suzanne Bartlet published the book Licoricia of Winchester about the story of Licoricia and the significant Jewish community who lived in Winchester during medieval times. It led to the incorporation of the Licoricia of Winchester Appeal on August 2017, with the mission “‘To educate the public about Winchester’s medieval Jewish community, its role in society and its royal connections, and to promote religious tolerance and understanding.” The Charity decided to commemorate Licoricia with a statue and chose the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley to create it. Due to the lack of photos or portraits of Licoricia, he researched medieval-era clothes and used his daughter and grandson as models. The sculpture depicts Licoricia in movement, wearing wealthy woman’s clothes. Her left hand holds Asher while her right holds the tallage demand, the high tax Jews had to pay. Asher holds a dreidel, a game that is played during Chanukah. On the bronze plinth, the words from Leviticus 19:18 in the Bible and Matthew 22:39 in the New Testament are inscribed in English and Hebrew ‘LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF’. It stands outside the Discovery Centre (library), close to the medieval Jewish quarter, where the city’s thirteenth-century synagogue and Licoricia’s house once stood. The sculpture was dedicated on February 10th, 2021. It was supposed to be unveiled by Prince Charles (later King Charles III), but at the last minute, he tested positive for Covid-19 and could not attend the ceremony. He arrived on March 3rd, 2022, to visit the statue. Read more...

In her hometown of Reigate stands a statue of Margot Fonteyn, the first homegrown English prima ballerina. Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991) was born Margaret Evelyn Hookham in Reigate, England. As a child, she started learning ballet, and when the family moved to China, she trained with Russian teacher George Goncharov. On her return to England at 14, the ballerina and chirographer Ninette de Valois spotted Fonteyn, inviting her to join the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (later renamed the Royal Ballet). Soon, she rose to become the leading dancer in the company, performing principal roles such as Giselle, Swan Lake, and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, which was considered the best interpretation of the time. In addition to the classical repertoire, several new roles were created especially for her by choreographer Frederick Ashton, who considered her his muse. These include Cinderella, Sylvia, and Ondine, her most memorable performance. In 1954, at 35, she was nominated to the Royal Academy of Dancing president. Two years later, she received the honorary title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). In the late 70s, Fonteyn gradually retired from dancing and turned to television presentations and writing, publishing a biography and several books on dancing. In 1979, at 60, she was pronounced by Queen Elizabeth II as a prima ballerina assoluta, one of the rarest and most prestigious honors in ballet. She remained active in the dancing world until she died at 71. The Margot Fonteyn Statue outside Watson House was commissioned by her fans and created by sculptor Nathan David. She unveiled it herself in 1980. Her sculpture depicts her dancing as the water sprite in Ondine, one of her favorite parts. Consider visiting other historical sites in Reigate, such as Reigate caves, Reigate Priory, and the Wray Common Windmill. Read more...

In the gardens named in her honor stands a statue of Mary Macarthur, the Scottish suffragist and trades unionist who led women chain-makers on strike to raise the minimum wage in Cradley Heath. Mary Macarthur (1880-1921) was born in Glasgow. She was Glasgow Girls’ High School newspaper editor and aspired to become a writer. In her early 20s, as a reporter for a local newspaper in Ayr, she attended a Shop Assistants’ Union meeting. Impressed by their values, she joined the union.  Within a year, she got elected as the Union president in Scotland and became the first female representative on the Union’s National Executive. The following year, she moved to London and was appointed Secretary of the Women’s Trade Union League. At 26, Macarthur founded the National Federation of Women Workers, Britain’s Anti-Sweating League, and a newspaper for women trade unionists called Women Worker. Over the next couple of years, she researched the financial conditions of sweated homeworking women. Her research conclusions led to the formation of the Trade Board Act of 1909, which set minimum wages in several trades. In 1910, Macarthur led 800 women chain-makers of Cradley Heath on strike to establish their right to a fair wage. It lasted ten weeks until the last employer agreed to pay the minimum wage. This victory was a milestone that changed the course of history and the lives of thousands of workers who previously had earned ‘starvation wages.’ Following her success, the social reformer Ada Salter invited her to organize the Bermondsey Uprising. There, Macarthur recruited the women strikers and led the negotiations with the employers. She continued to work with the Women’s Trade Union League and helped its transformation into the Women’s section of the Trade Union Congress. She died of cancer at the age of 40. The 3-meter Steel statue of Mary Macarthur statue, titled The Lady Chainmaker, was commissioned by Sandwell Council and the Friends of Mary Macarthur Gardens, which chose local artist Luke Perry for the job. The statue, unveiled on June 9th, 2012, depicts Macarthur holding her baby in her left hand and a hammer in her right, looking upwards toward a better future. Seven life-sized figures of protesting women stand behind her. More sites worth a visit in Cradley Heath are the Haden Hill House Museum and Old Hall, the Corngreaves Nature Reserve, and the statue of the renowned jumper Joseph Darby. Read more...