Godmersham Park
Godmersham Park, located in Kent, was the home of Jane Austen's brother Edward Knight and his family. The house was built in 1732 and Edward inherited the property in 1794 following the death of Thomas May Knight II, who had adopted him and made him his heir. Thomas' widow retired to Canterbury allowing Edward and his family to live there.
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Jane would visit the family often, spending time with Edward and his wife Elizabeth, and also being a loving aunt to her nieces and nephews. Jane would have used the library there on her visits. Jane and her sister Cassandra were often invited separately to visit, so a lot of Jane's surviving letters come from these times. Jane mentions going to the nearby Cantebury, Deal, Ramsgate and Broadstairs too for shopping and balls.
As Jane started writing First Impressions (Pride and Prejudice) at Godmersham, many believe that Godmersham inspired Pemberley. It is also thought by some that it provided inspiration for Mansfield Park, as the descriptions of the house match with some of the aspects of Godmersham.
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Edward Knight outlived his sister, and his son succeeded him in 1852. As the family had now been established at the Great House in Chawton, which Edward had also inherited, they did not wish to relocate back to Kent. Considerable additions were made to Godmersham before putting the estate up for sale in 1874. Edward Knight's memorial can be found at the local church.
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Godmersham Park appears on the background of the new £10 note entering circulation in 2017, despite Jane Austen never having lived there. Unfortunately the house is closed to the public, but a public footpath runs through part of the estate offering views of the house and folly. The house is open to ABDO (Association of British Dispensing Opticians) College students though and at certain times of the year the house does host events. You can learn more about the estate at the Godmersham Park Heritage Centre, which was opened to the public in 2008. The Centre holds copies of Fanny Knight's diaries (Jane Austen's niece).