Somersetshire is located in southwest England, specifically the southern county. It exists as a primarily rural area, which explains why the beginning of the fictional landscape of Persuasion details country houses set in this area of England. The novel eventually sees its characters leave the country to traipse around Bath, which is technically in the more northeast area of Somerset (aka Somersetshire). Today, this county is still relatively small in comparison to other, more bustling English counties. 

Shmoop Editorial Team. “Persuasion Setting.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008, https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/persuasion/analysis/setti....