Jane Austen's former home launches emergency appeal to fix leaking roof
Report from ITV News Meridian's Chlöe Oliver
The former home of one of the UK's most famous authors is appealing for help to fix its roof.
Jane Austen lived at the house in Chawton, near Alton in Hampshire, for the final eight years of her life.
The house relies entirely on public donations to run - which is why they've launched a campaign encouraging people to sponsor a tile of the newly repair roof.
Why is this house particularly special?
It was while Jane Austen was living at the Hampshire cottage that she wrote her most famous works: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
She moved there in 1809, with her mother, her sister and a friend.
After her death in 1817, the house was sold on and was privately owned for a number of years, until it came up for sale after the end of the Second World War.
After an appeal by the Jane Austen Society, the house was bought by Mr. T.E. Carpenter who turned it into a Museum dedicated to the life and works of Jane Austen, opening to the public in 1949.
Roof repairs a "big and complex" project
Lizzie Dunsford took over as Director at the charity in April 2020 - just in time to face a catastrophic drop in visitor numbers and the threat of closure.
"We've got tiles slipping off, sprawling, and snowguards to ensure that any slipping tiles are safe for staff and visitors," she said.
The house has raised £50,000 so far, but still needs a further £200,000 to reach a target to fund what is a "big and complex" project.
Lizzie explained: "It's a big task.
"The house was first built 500 years ago and had things added to it.
"We also have bats which adds to challenges they're protected and want to make sure we look after our leathery friends in the attic."
Donations have come in from around the world, but Lizzie and the team hope they'll be able to get the project over the line to protect "one of the most significant roofs in English literature."
"It enabled her to be creative," Lizzie said.
"[The books are] gorgeous, I love them, but they are so important across the world.
"People have found comfort in them over the last year and the adaptations made since and it all came from under this roof at this house.