An Investigation into some of the locations in her "road" novel

Do they really exist?

Click on the image to see an enlarged version
and learn where it came from!

My name is Pauline Woolley - although friends call me Polly. I've been a member of the Heyer and then the Almacks lists for some time. I've lurked - going in for a few challenges, but really just reading my daily digest and enjoying. However, it did occur to me, as we were reading Sprig Muslin, that I was in a position to contribute something more - perhaps as a little Christmas treat.

I live and work in Oxford, as a teacher of English, Film and Communication Studies to 14 - 19 year olds part of the time, and as a web designer for the rest of the time. Oxford is not THAT far from the area of Sprig Muslin, and at one time I used to travel there quite often. I thought it might be quite fun to return and explore the specific places mentioned in the novel, to see if they really existed - and share them with other Almacks and Heyer readers.

First, I must apologize that this site is being put up so late - it should really have gone up when we were reading Sprig Muslin. However, I was only able to spare the time to go there at half-term, and I haven't had time until now to put the site together - so please forgive me!

My starting point for my exploration was probably the cover of my copy of Sprig Muslin. Apart from the fact that they look a little "modern", it is one of my favourite covers. It is clearly Sir Gareth looking at Amanda, and it captures, I feel, both her mischievous (and slightly flirtatious nature, and also something of his amusement at her antics. In the background in the right there is a curricle, a timbered house and a church, and on the left there is a country pub - almost lost in greenery. It is a very English scene - but is this what the real setting of the novel is like? That is what I set out to find out.

On this web-site, I look at the area where the main part of the novel is set, and explain something about it (About the area). Then I explain my own explorations of the area at half term, with pictures of what I found! This is the Explorations section. Finally there is a brief bit about my feelings now. Did Georgette Heyer really know this area and use it, or was she simply using a gazetteer? You can read this in the Did it fit together? section. Enjoy!

However, a word of warning. These pages are very rich in images, and may take a little while to download! If time is at a premium, you can always turn the images off and just read my text. But it shouldn't be too great a problem - I've done my best to keep it small!

About the area | Exploring the area | Did it fit together?

This Regency Ring site is owned by Polly Woolley.

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