Jane Austen Author: 1775-1817 JANE AUSTEN'S HOUSE Janes's home from 1807 to 1809 was cited here in Castle Square. The house was rented from the Marquis of Lansdowne, who lived opposite in his mock-Gothic castle. The Austen's garden stretched back to the town walls, affording extensive views of the New Forest. At that time the River Test, at high tide, reached the base of the walls.