You’ll Love This Easy To Reach Village Straight Out of An Austen Novel

I’ve been a Jane Austen fan for a very long time. Easily since I was a teenager! Yet, for some inexplicable reason, I’d never been to see the house where she lived and wrote her novels. So I decided to treat myself to a lovely day out exploring in Hampshire and honestly, it was such a treat! If you’re looking for a perfect day trip out of London, or somewhere new to explore, I couldn’t recommend it enough! Here’s a little peek at what I got up to!

Hopping on a Train at Waterloo

First things first, how does one get to Chawton? Well, it’s in Hampshire, but you can get there really easily by train! I booked an All Day Return ticket on Trainline for only £26.70. Not bad as far as train fares go! My direct train took a little over an hour and the journey was very smooth! You’ll need to get a train to Alton though, which is one town over from Jane Austen’s house in Chawton. I do love a train journey and not having a car (I live in London; a car is a bit redundant to be honest!) means that there are lots of places I’ll struggle to get to. So I love finding places to explore that I can get to by train!

Walking through Alton

My first order of business once I got to Alton was to hunt down some coffee. Whenever I visit a new place, finding a local coffee shop is always the thing that gets me in the exploring mood. I don’t know why, but it just feels right! I wandered along the high street and headed to Dill, a very cute cafe with homemade baked goods and a menu that looked pretty tasty! I left with a chai latte in hand and a homemade shortbread biscuit which came in handy later on! From there it was on to Chawton!

Walking to Chawton

There’s a number of ways you can get to Chawton from Alton: you can hop in a taxi outside the train station if that’s your bag, or grab the 64 bus (also from the station). I decided to walk though. Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker. Plus, I fully believe that walking is the best way to experience a place if you’re able to. From the station to Chawton, it’s about a 40 minute walk. There was one stretch along a pretty busy road (and I had to cross a roundabout) but it all felt pretty safe! There’s a subway under one of the roads as well, which made things easier. I managed to pick a perfect sunny day so walking was actually really lovely! By the time I got into Chawton, I felt quite invigorated (do I sound like an Austen heroine yet?).

Exploring Jane Austen’s House

I got to Chawton a little after 11am, and wandered around a little bit. It’s not very big, but it was nice to take it all in before I headed over to Jane Austen’s House. I had actually booked a ticket for 12pm, but when I went in I asked if I’d be able to move my slot up. I was able to, but depending on when you go, it might be a little tricky! The ticket price includes an annual pass so you can go back as many times as you want for 12 months. I’m definitely thinking about heading back so I can explore all over again!

This cottage is where Jane Austen lived in the last eight years of her life, and where she wrote and revised her novels. You can see her writing table on display, which was kind of emotional to see, as well as other pieces in the house that belonged to Jane and her sister Cassandra. I’ve read those books so many times, but to be in the house and actually experience some of how she would have lived… well I definitely geeked out!

Exploring Chawton House and Gardens

After I finished exploring Jane Austen’s House, I walked over to Chawton House and Gardens, an estate just down the road. Jane Austen didn’t live there, but she visited the house often. Her brother Edward inherited it, after he was adopted by the Knight Family. Apparently it was this connection that brought Jane and her sister to Chawton in the first place, being offered the cottage by their brother. Either way, it was pretty incredible. The house has all these different bits to it and it was so fascinating to walk through. There’s a little nook that was apparently Jane Austen’s favorite place to sit and read! The library is also pretty incredible, with its collection of early feminist works. Apparently the family has books in their collection that date back to the 1500s, which is totally mind-boggling!

After exploring the house, I stopped at the Old Kitchen Tea Room for a bit of lunch (read: a cream tea). It definitely hit the spot, before I headed out into the garden to explore! The gardens were lovely as well! I was definitely channeling my inner Marianne Dashwood or Lizzie Bennet as I walked through the gardens and explored the Wilderness! I could definitely see how the house could have influenced the books!

A Detour to Ackender Woods

Before heading back on the train to London, I decided to make a little detour on my way back to Alton. There are lots of walking routes in the area, and I was interested in discovering one: Ackender Woods. I had seen that there might be some bluebells, which I love almost as much as I love wisteria! It’s the perfect time of year for them, so I headed along the footpath to get there. I thought I’d see some, but I wasn’t quite expecting to see the entire wooded floor absolutely covered in bluebells! Most of my walk through was just a sea of blue and it was incredible!

Back to London

I made it back to the train station with ample time to get to my train and settle in. Needless to say, I was tired and my feet were a bit tender after so much walking (my pedometer said I’d done over 20K steps!). And after a smooth journey, I was back in London. I do love a good day trip and this was a perfect one. It’s easy if you don’t have a car, and even easier if you do! If you’re a Jane Austen fan, you’ll definitely want to go on this particular adventure!