Chawton House - Alton

Nick S.

What a lovely place !
Didn’t go in the house but the gardens are delightful, huge rolling lawns with expansive areas of woodland. There is a large walled garden with a herb section, orchard and a separate flower garden. It has a relaxing and quiet feel, not completely wild but allowed to grow without excessive interference by the gardeners (hope that doesn't offend them !)
Benches appear wherever you may want to rest and appreciate the views and stumps mark the different zones as shown on the map ... picked up at the coffee and ticket kiosk. These marker stumps all have Jane Austen quotes from her letters and novels; a smile at every stop !
Coffee and cakes are served in the tearoom which is through a small but perfectly formed courtyard. Apparently, food other than cake is available for those who don't like cake (wierd, I know !).
Be prepared to take photos, this is a particularly beautiful part of Hampshire.

Kristen S.

Lovely visit! Helpful staff with insight and understanding of the family/house history. Don’t miss the library! Beautiful Gardens and delicious tea room!

Muriah U.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, add this to your must sees!
Stop at the church to see the graves of Cassandra and Jane’s mom.
Beautiful grounds, lovely house you can take your time in and explore, amazing volunteers with lots of knowledge.
Check the website before your visit- they have some lovely ticketed events throughout the year.

Debbie M.

Chawton House is a lovely Manor House set in beautiful gardens. Once owned by Jane Austen's brother Edward, it has been beautifully restored and maintained and gives a good feeling of how life would have been.
The guides were all pleasant and knowledgeable, and their enthusiasm was clear to see.
There is a lovely tea room - I had coffee and cake, of which there was a good variety.
We combined our visit with a visit to Jane Austen's House - this worked out really well for us and we had a great day.

Debra D.

This place is just wonderful; full of history. I visited because I was doing a solo tour of Jane Austen’s England. Chawton House had been owned by her brother. However, there was much more to recommend it. It is a beautiful historic home and a center for the study of women’s literature. The exhibit that I saw was on Mary Robinson and it was excellent. When I first came in, one of the docents gave me a very interesting account of the time line and how the house came to be in Edward Austen’s possession. This woman clearly loved her topic and made it so enjoyable and she was informative on other topics as well. I spent a lot more time there than I anticipated and I regret not a moment of it. I did, in fact, stay until closing time!

John S.

Lovely historic house with connections to Jane Austin. A good number of rooms open to the public lots of paintings and period furniture with comprehensive information on the history from room to room .a number of staircases leading to the different floors. and rooms. Nice cafe selling coffee tea's cake and light lunches. Inside and outside seating Large gardens around the house with walks free parking with disabled parking by the house. Other parking on the road outside the entrance. Gravel Road to the house about 300 yards toilets available at the house.

W

A beautiful Elizabethan house full of history. A must visit for its Jane Austen connections but also for the building itself, its decor (which includes William Morris), paintings, library, exhibitions and extensive grounds.

They celebrate proto-feminist women writers and highlight other successful women of the 17th-19th centuries. We bought annual tickets as we missed seeing the gardens, church and tearoom and would love to return.

Melissa P.

My husband and I visited in the morning prior to afternoon reservation at the Jane Austen house down the street. Maggie greeted us and took time to explain the history of the house and people that lived there. She also pointed out some of the interesting items in the home. It was wonderful to gain context of Jane Austen’s life and family and we highly recommend a visit. After touring the house, we walked the gardens, wooded area, church and gravesites. Overall, a lovely, non-touristy site with very friendly and informative volunteers and staff. Tip: The savory scone and croissant sandwich are best in UK (home made, don’t miss it!).