Fifty Miles of Good Road

Two years in the planning, over two weeks in the execution, this is a blog about our road trip visiting all the filming locations for ‘P&P ’95’, in March 2022. Welcome! Please scroll down to subscribe to get updates for the forthcoming book, which will contain a wealth of information, detailed itinerary and maps to help you plan your own tour, should you wish.

A novel that has enjoyed numerous adaptations (by the BBC alone 5 times), the 1995 6-part version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle is without doubt the most beloved and celebrated. In terms of faithfulness to the story, the language, the tone, the characterisations, costumes and locations, many would agree that it constitutes perfection.

Having watched the series numerous times over many years, it was during the Covid pandemic that ‘P & P ‘95’ really came into its own as a means of grounding and comfort, and was watched so many times in our household over that difficult time that my partner Richard and I came to know the script virtually word for word. And we were not alone, ‘as we had daily proof’ from the popular Facebook group of the same name. This most perfect piece of TV helped many get through, it gave us hope.

It was Richard’s idea in the early months of the pandemic, to organise a road trip taking in all the locations used in the series, the researching and planning of which over the next few months came to provide focus and optimism as we devoted many a happy hour to it. Armed with the brilliant ‘Jane Austen’s England, a Travel Guide’ by Karin Quint, we decided on Spring 2022, post-lockdown, and appropriately the time of year that the story actually starts. Karin’s book provided information about most of the locations (though we found a couple ourselves), and very useful suggestions about where to stay along the way, all of which we used over the course of the 16-day trip and were very grateful for.

The forthcoming book is for P&P ‘95 fans all over the world whether they wish to plan their own ‘50 Miles of Good Road’ tour or not, and we hope they will enjoy it as much as we did!

Oona Linnett.

When we do return, it shall not be like other travellers, without being able to give one accurate idea of any thing. We will know where we have gone — we will recollect what we have seen.

Elizabeth Bennet