Why a Booktrail?
1806: Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me …
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
What you need to know before your trail
The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very opposite of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms the one between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.
Locations
Reset- England - London
- G: Threadneedle St
- H: Harley St
- I: Hanover Square
- J: Wimpole St
- K: Bruton St
- France - Paris
- L: Les Invalides
- M: Versailles - Palace of Versailles
Travel Guide
The England of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
The library at Hurtfew (some 14 miles north west of York)
It is like being in a wood, a pretty little wood, late ini the year, ad the bindings of the books, being all tan and brown and dry with age, compound that impressions. Indeed there are as many books, it seems, as the leave int he wood”
Hurtfew library
Now, there is a National trust house roughly in the same place where Hurtfew library is aid to be. Worth a visit to find out if it is…
At Hurtfew, all the walls were lined with bookshelves and all the shelves were filled with books. All the books were all, or almost all, old books; books of magic.
TV locations
With much of the book set in York, many of the TV locations are also happily set in Yorkshire.
You can now visit Hurtfew by the magic of television:
Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall Abbey is one of the most complete medieval Cistercian monasteries in Britain, with its origins dating back to 1152.
The abbey was used as the location for Mr Norrell’s extensive library at Hurtview Library – the perfect place for us to make our first acquaintance with the secretive magician.
Fountains Abbey
This World Heritage site cared for by the National Trust provided multiple locations for the adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell. The elegant exterior of the 17th century Fountains Hall doubled up as Hurtfew Abbey, the home of the reclusive Mr Norell.
A pretty stone holiday cottage situated opposite the river Skell on the estate provided the exterior for the cottage where Jonathan Strange performed his first ever spell.
Streetview Maps
E) Leeds - "Hurtfew Library" aka Kirstall Abbey
H) London - Hanover Square - Mr Norrell's Library
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Destination: England, York, London, Paris, France Author/Guide: Susanna Clarke Departure Time: 1806
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