Persuasion: Dorset, England

April 28th - May 2nd, 2025

After the high demand for its first iteration, we are returning to Dorset in 2025 to read and contemplate Jane Austen’s final novel Persuasion. Julia Argy, novelist and co-founder of Common Ground Pilgrimages, will lead the trip as faculty and the multitalented Vanessa Zoltan, also a co-founder of Common Ground, will serve as chaplain. The trip will begin in Lyme Regis, where we will have class by the Cobb, walk along the ocean, and hike through the surrounding hills. On the final day, we will travel together to Bath for high tea and a visit to the Jane Austen Centre. This trip will consist of daily class time, long walks, delicious food at local pubs, and many opportunities for quiet reflection.

Together, we will read the book through the theme of worthiness. One of the preoccupations of the novel is the quest of how to determine what makes a worthy partner: through title, family, profession or character. We will put these threads of thought into our conversations, asking questions like: Is worthiness a framework we value and want to implement in our lives both in terms of our relationships and how we spend our time? If so, how can we discern what is worthwhile? What are the elements in our lives that shape our self-worth?

What’s Included:

• Four nights in a shared or private room at the Hotel Alexandra in Lyme Regis

• All meals from tea on April 28th to lunch on May 2nd

• Transportation within England from the afternoon of April 28th to midday on May 2nd

• One-on-one chaplaincy sessions 

• Private walking tours, picnics, and museum tours

• Customized journal

Pricing/Logistics:

• We will meet in Axminster on the afternoon of April 28th and end in Bath on the afternoon of May 2nd. Specific meeting time and location will be privately offered to paid pilgrims upon registration.

• Each pilgrim is responsible for handling their own travel expenses and arrangements prior to our meeting on April 28th and after we say goodbye on May 2nd.

• The full tuition of the trip is as follows:

  • $5,250 for a Shared Room

  • $5,875 for a Private Room

Sites and highlights

• Jane Austen Centre and Tea at the Pump Room

• Golden Cap and Uplyme Hikes

• Beautiful, private dinners

• Class time at the Cobb

Our home base throughout will be the Hotel Alexandra, a stunning seaside hotel in the heart of Lyme Regis. Originally built in 1735 for the Dowager Countess Poulett, the Alexandra become a hotel in 1901, offering English peace, charm, and comfort to its guests for for over 100 years— a perfect setting for delving into this beautiful novel with fellow pilgrims.

ACTIVITY LEVEL (LEISURELY, MODERATE, OR CHALLENGING)

• We rate this trip’s activity level as moderate: We will be walking up to 8 miles each day, sometimes on hilly terrain and sometimes along cobblestone streets. The weather in the UK is notoriously variant. It might be mild and sunny, or wet and windy, sometimes all in the same day. We won’t rush our walks, but we expect to be tired at the end of each day, so appropriate footwear and raingear is encouraged.

Registration Process

We offer a three-installment payment plan for this trip (more details below).

• People who have attended another Common Ground pilgrimage will receive a 5% discount on the cost of the trip (even with a payment plan!).

• Once you register, spots are offered on a first come, first served basis.

• Within three business days of your registration, we will send you a link to complete your payment for the trip. You will then have 48 hours to fulfill payment and officially reserve your spot.

• If you cannot fulfill payment or if we do not hear back from you within 48 hours, we will offer the spot to the next registrant on the list until all the spots are full.

• At that point, we will notify any remaining registrants that they are now on our waitlist for this trip: if a spot opens up, we will offer it in order, from the earliest to most recent registrant, until it is claimed.

• If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our team at commonground@notsorryproductions.com.

PAYMENT PLAN DETAILS

Common Ground now offers payment plans that break the full tuition cost into three parts. If you register after December 1, your payment plan will be broken into two parts (deposit and February 1 payment).

If you’re interested in a payment plan, you will make this request in your registration form.

Within three business days, the Common Ground team will email you at the address you have provided with all the information needed to activate your payment plan and reserve your spot.

PAYMENT PLAN PRICING

Shared Room:

$1,250 Deposit Upon Registration

December 1, 2024: $2,000 Automatic Withdrawal

February 1, 2025: $2,000 Automatic Withdrawal

Total Cost of Pilgrimage: $5,250

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Private Room:

$1,875 Deposit Upon Registration

December 1, 2024: $2,000 Automatic Withdrawal

February 1, 2025: $2,000 Automatic Withdrawal

Total Cost of Pilgrimage: $5,875

Trip Faculty

Refund Policy:

Please be sure you can attend the event before booking. If an unforeseen circumstance does occur, we will do our best to find a replacement for you. If we are able to secure a replacement, we will refund 90% of your full tuition payment (accounting for a 10% service charge). Payment Plan deposits cannot be refunded.

For cancellations within eight weeks of the beginning of the trip, we are not able to find replacements. We strongly urge you to purchase travel insurance in the event of a personal conflict, health issue, or unexpected circumstance.