I still hope to go to England this year, maybe in September. My long time dream has been to visit Jane Austen's Cottage and Chawton House near Winchester. I am seeking information about day tours that visit Chawton and other areas in the region of Winchester with associations to Miss Austen. I wrote to the Winchester Tour Bureau and they no longer keep a list of any day tours to Chawton from Winchester. I am aware there is a regional bus that goes regularly to Alton, but I would prefer a guide with transportation. I am also aware of day tours from London that go to Alton, but would prefer to stay in the general area for a few days. The tour would not need to start in Winchester. I am willing to travel to any town or village accessible via train where I could stay and tour via guide or public transportation. Thanks
Posted by
Seattle
15 posts
There are a couple of hotels in Alton. I have not stayed there, so I have no recommendation. I think it took me about an hour to walk to Jane Austen's House Museum from the Alton rail station (including a detour to get snacks at a local supermarket). It's a pleasant walk and one that Jane and Cassandra probably walked many times.
I suggest contacting the Museum for suggestions. https://janeaustens.house/visit/find-us/
Posted by
near San Francisco
5476 posts
Laurie Beth, I normally don't try to answer questions that I really can't answer. But I used to live about 8 miles from Chawton House, so your question caught my eye. And yes, I visited the house and some Jane Austen sights in Winchester.
Like you, I found tours from London. Expensive tours! But nothing closer to Alton.
If you're not able to find a tour, and if you would consider the idea of renting a car, you could do the day yourself. Take a train (probably from Waterloo Station) to Alton or Winchester and rent a car there, so that you don't have to drive into/out of London. There is an Enterprise rental car listed in Alton and if they will "pick you up" (as they advertise in the US) at the train station, it's just a couple of miles to Chawton House. Alton is a small town, very easy to drive and parking is free near Chawton House.
From there you could drive about 20 miles to Winchester, which is bigger and you'll most likely have to pay to park. But still manageable compared to driving in London.
I know that driving in England isn't for everyone, and the option to have a guide take that off your hands is appealing. But having driven almost daily near Alton myself, I know that it's a lovely area of rolling hills and horse pastures that would make for a lovely day out.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14832 posts
If your dates are flexible, I'd consider going to Bath for the Jane Austen Festival with will run Sept 9-18.
https://www.janeaustenfestivalbath.co.uk
I went several years ago and there were various van day trips you could book that included Chawton. Although I did not do the van trip to Chawton House I was watching the information about it and the final information was only a few months out from the festival. The tours were done by the Jane Austen Centre in Bath so you might email them and see if there are plans to do that this year. The websites for both the Festival and the JA Centre are lacking in detail at present which is maddening.
I did do one presentation as well as a JA walk around Bath which was fun. The most fun was seeing all the costumed folks wandering around Bath, lol!
IF you can go, I'd try to be there on the 1st Saturday as they have a Grand Parade thru town with all the costumed folks, a few period bicycles, just great fun.
BTW, the Jane Austen Centre is a real waste of money. The walking tour was excellent but the house is not where she lived and they had nothing original of hers in the house....just kind of a walk through of exhibits of things of the period and highly enlarged pictures with costumed staff members. I did not go to their tea room.