Plan a literary tour of Britain to visit the places that shaped your favorite authors’ lives and inspired their stories. It’s a fantastic way to focus your UK trip and get off the usual tourist treadmill.

William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, JK Rowling, Jane Austen, and many others have contributed immensely to the rich culture of the English-speaking world. Their works, in various formats – books, films, and television series – continue to entertain generation after generation. Visiting their birthplaces, schools, writing rooms, and final homes offers a captivating glimpse into their lives.

Many of the writers featured here have stood the test of time, with their narratives being reinterpreted across different media repeatedly. We read their works in school because we had to, and later came to cherish them simply for pleasure.

To assist you in planning a tour that includes notable literary figures, follow the links to discover more about each location or check this map of literary landmarks, which highlights additional stops along the literary trail.

1. JK Rowling and Harry Potter in Edinburgh

Address: 21 Victoria Street, Edinburgh EH1 1EN, UK

Phone: +44 131 466 0873

A sign in the window of the Elephant House on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh proclaims it as Harry Potter’s Birthplace. Indeed, it was here, in a back room with views of the city, that JK Rowling dedicated hours to finalizing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (also known as Sorceror’s Stone in the USA). The cafe continues to attract guests looking for a cappuccino and a bite to eat, though be prepared for a wait, as fans flock to this iconic spot.

While composing the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling had shifted to more luxurious surroundings. She resided in one of the Grand Suites at Edinburgh’s elegant Balmoral Hotel, where the suite now carries her name and features her writing desk, alongside a marble bust of Hermes. The doorknocker, fittingly, is a brass owl, a nod to her beloved character. For those looking to indulge, booking a stay here is possible, albeit with a likely waiting list.

2. Agatha Christie

The UK’s “Queen of Crime,” Agatha Christie, was born in Torquay on the English Riviera. Each year, the resort honors her legacy with a vibrant festival featuring talks, walks, banquets, and plays by local theater groups.

Agatha Christie’s marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan led her to accompany him on archaeological digs, during which she wrote her quintessentially British novels. From 1938 until her passing in 1976, her summers were spent refining her work at Greenway, her picturesque summer home along the River Dart, just outside Torquay.

Now owned by the National Trust, visitors can delve into the Christie mystique by exploring her collection and beautiful gardens, enjoying meals in her kitchen, and even considering staying in a self-catering apartment located at the top of the house.

3. Charles Dickens

Address: 48-49 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LX, UK

Phone: +44 20 7405 2127

Born in Portsmouth, Dickens spent a portion of his childhood near the Chatham Dockyards in Kent. Despite spending considerable time living in London, Kent remains most closely connected to the brilliant author of A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and many more. Dickens often enjoyed holidays in Broadstairs, a charming coastal town, where the house that inspired Bleak House now operates as a bed and breakfast. He completed his final 14 years of life at Gads Hill Place in Gravesend, now a private school that is available for group visits by arrangement.

• Dickens Birthplace Museum – A modest house located near the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
• The Charles Dickens Museum – The only surviving London home of Dickens, where he lived for two years while writing Nicholas Nickleby and Oliver Twist. The museum reopened in late 2012 after major renovations.

4. Jane Austen

Address: Winchester Road, Chawton, Alton GU34 1SD, UK

Phone: +44 1420 83262

Although the Georgian city of Bath, with its Roman Baths and UNESCO World Heritage designation, claims Jane Austen as a cherished resident, she was not entirely happy there. Despite being one of the most widely read authors in the English language, Austen produced little during her time in Bath. To escape, she impulsively accepted a marriage proposal, which she fortunately turned down within 24 hours.

Jane, her sister Cassandra, and her mother found happiness in Chawton Cottage, located on her brother’s Hampshire estate. Establishing residence there in 1809, she published several of her beloved novels, including Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Works like Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were penned during her time there but released posthumously.

Chawton Cottage is now known as Jane Austen’s House Museum, open to the public and located about 90 minutes south of London.

5. Famous Oxford Literary Figures

Address: 49 St Giles’, Oxford OX1 3LU, UK

Oxford has produced notable figures across numerous fields. Many illustrious names in English literature were students or academics here. JRR Tolkien spent much of his adult life in Oxford, first as a professor at Pembroke College and later as an English Literature professor at Merton College. It was at Pembroke where he crafted The Hobbit.

C.S. Lewis, who formed part of Tolkien’s writing circle, The Inklings, also held close ties to Oxford. He served as a Fellow and Tutor in English at Magdalen College, Oxford for 29 years and maintained a residence there for life, even after moving to Magdalene College, Cambridge in 1954.

Other literary giants such as Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll), Oscar Wilde, and W.H. Auden, among many others, studied or lived in Oxford. More recently, Helen Fielding, author of Bridget Jones Diary, graduated from St Anne’s College Oxford.

Experience the literary ambiance in one of Oxford’s historic pubs:

• The Eagle and Child on St. Giles was famously frequented by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
• The Lamb & Flag, dating back to 1695, was a regular haunt for Graham Greene.

6. William Shakespeare

Address: Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6BB, UK

Phone: +44 1789 331111

The most widely recognized writer globally is none other than William Shakespeare. His life, marriage to Anne Hathaway, and the authorship of his works always ignite captivating discussions.

Literary enthusiasts can immerse themselves in Shakespeare’s history by exploring:

• His birthplace
• His daughter’s residence, Hall’s Croft
• His mother’s home, Mary Arden’s House in nearby Wilmcote
• Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, arguably the most famous thatched cottage in the world.
• See a play or two at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

7. Daphne Du Maurier

Address: Fowey, UK

Daphne Du Maurier’s work often inspired acclaimed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, who adapted her novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, as well as her short story The Birds. The town of Fowey, in Cornwall, and the real Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor served as significant inspirations for her dark and atmospheric tales.

Interestingly, the film adaptations of her books have overshadowed her literary fame. In a poignant turn of events, Fowey, where she lived and created for three decades, has recently renamed its festival, formerly celebrating her work, to the Fowey Festival of Words and Music.

8. William Wordsworth

Address: Town End, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9PP, UK

Phone: +44 15394 35544

Lonely as a Cloud, popularly referred to as The Daffodils.

Dove Cottage, now owned by the Wordsworth Trust, is available for guided tours. The site includes a museum and research center housing Wordsworth’s archives, offering a deeper insight into the poet’s life.

9. The Brontës

Address: Church Street, Haworth, Keighley BD22 8DR, UK

Phone: +44 1535 642323

Charlotte (creator of Jane Eyre), Emily (author of Wuthering Heights), and Anne (writer of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) Brontë all resided and crafted their works in the Parsonage of Haworth.

This house, now functioning as a museum, reflects the reclusive yet creatively charged environment in which the Brontë sisters lived. Explore the nearby moors, which inspired many elements in their writing, including the haunting landscapes described in Emily’s novels.