WINCHESTER has been chosen as the location for the unveiling of the new £10 note.

The Bank of England has announced that the new note, which will feature Jane Austen, will be on show for the first time at Winchester Cathedral on July 18.

The unveiling comes at the same time when there are events in Hampshire to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the author’s death.

This event will be the first opportunity the public have to see the new notes and learn about their features ahead of them entering circulation in September. Bank of England staff will be on hand until 5pm to allow visitors to handle the new notes.

Jane Austen joins Sir Winston Churchill, Adam Smith and Matthew Boulton and James Watt in showcasing British culture on the circulating Bank of England banknotes.

It was announced by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney announced in 2013.

At the time he said: “Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes.

“Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal and she is recognised as one of the greatest writers in English literature.

“As Austen joins Adam Smith, Boulton and Watt, and in future, Churchill, our notes will celebrate a diverse range of individuals who have contributed in a wide range of fields.”

The Austen note will be issued as a £10 note printed on polymer in September 2017.

The news comes after a new £1 coin and a new £5 note have also recently been developed.

The launch location is apt as Austen was buried in the cathedral and her tomb is there to this day.

Jane Austen is one of the world’s most famous authors, and she she spent much of her life in Hampshire.

It was in the county where she found inspiration to write such classics as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility.

She wrote her famous works drawing on a large circle of friends, social gatherings and places around Hampshire that she visited to devise the characters and settings for her novels.

She lived in Chawton, and died in Winchester, aged 41.