Barton Valley is the neighborhood in which the majority of action in Sense and Sensibility takes place. Though a fictional location in Devonshire, the reader encounters quite a bit of pastoral description of its environs.
Early on, the narrator describes the area as “a pleasant, fertile spot, well wooded, and rich in pasture.” As the Dashwoods settle in, they are pleased to discover that “the whole country about them abounded in beautiful walks. The high downs...were a happy alternative when the dirt of the valleys beneath shut up their superior beauties.” These downs play an important role in the novel; many of the great houses are hemmed in by downs and Marianne and Willoughby first meet at High-church Down.
Coming from Barton Park, the narrator tells us that Honiton, a real place, is the town closest to Barton and that the area is four miles northward from Exeter. We also know that there are at least 20 people in the general neighborhood that Sir John is able to bring together for dinner and dancing on short notice. Based on events in the novel, we can anticipate that this includes the following:
- At Barton Park
- At Barton Cottage
- Mrs. Smith, an elderly widow residing at Allenham
- Depending on the time of year, her younger cousin John Willoughby who frequently stays at Allenham
- The Miss Careys
- The Gilberts
Based on a long speech from Marianne, we also know about the following attractions in the neighborhood:
- A “farm at the edge of the down,” where dwell a number of little children
- Sir John’s plantations at Barton Cross
- “The Abbeyland,” mentioned in the same breath as Sir John’s plantations, suggesting it may be an old garden
- “The old ruins of the Priory,” presumably offering everything Marianne’s Romantic heart could wish for
