JANE Austen’s House Museum in Chawton has been presented with a cheque for £500 by retirement housebuilders McCarthy and Stone to help toward the repair and restoration needed to protect Jane Austen’s House.

The donation is part of a year-long series of events and fundraising to mark the 200th year of the author’s death.

McCarthy and Stone, which has named its new retirement living plus development on Lower Turk Street in Alton Austen Place as a tribute to the author, hope the donation will help toward urgent remedial works to the bowing front wall of the iconic house.

Museum curator Mary Guyatt said: “We’re incredibly grateful to McCarthy and Stone for its generous donation.

“We take every effort to take great care of Jane’s precious home, and we greatly appreciate the support from local businesses to help meet the costs of vital building repairs to the author’s Grade I Listed former home, and to ensure that we can continue to welcome the thousands of visitors each year.”

Kim Caldwell, regional sales and marketing director for McCarthy and Stone Southern, added: “It’s so important we celebrate this renowned author, in the 200th anniversary of her death, and protect this treasured local site for future generations to enjoy.

“We know our homeowners will really relish the opportunity living so close by, to come and visit the home of one of Britain’s most-loved authors and the place where she completed all her celebrated works.

“It’s one of the things that makes Alton such a magical and inspiring place to live, and we are honoured, having joined this fantastic community in the last year as we prepare to launch off plan sales from November, to help make sure these memories are kept alive for many more years to come.”

Austen Place is already proving popular among retirees with its location near the banks of the River Wey.

Exclusively for those aged 70 and over the development, which is currently under construction, will consist of 56 one and two-bedroom apartments, alongside landscaped gardens that will be fully maintained by expert gardeners, and convenient on-site parking.