Local area
Alton is sometimes called ‘Jane Austen’s town’ as the famous author once lived in nearby Chawton and often did her shopping in Alton. You can still visit her house, where she wrote her most famous works including Pride and Prejudice and Emma, which today has been magnificently restored into a museum dedicated to her life.
Aside from Jane Austen, Alton is also known for its mix of historic buildings and modern architecture, as well as its popular Tuesday market. Alton’s high street is well equipped with several supermarkets, local amenities and a grocery store selling locally-sourced goods. There are also a variety of restaurants, a second hand bookstore, an arts and crafts shop and vintage boutiques. The town has a modern library, a sports centre with a swimming pool, gym and several courts, and an arts museum.
Alton is easy to get to and has good road connections to London and the surrounding southern counties and coastal towns. Trains from Alton Station run a service direct to London Waterloo, as well as New Alresford, Bentley, Farnham, Aldershot, Woking, Wimbledon and Clapham Junction.