My car free Jane Austen adventure to Alton and Chawton

2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen. As a lifelong fan of all her books and the countless TV and film adaptations, I decided that I wanted to do something special to celebrate her birthday.

So, inspired by Good Journey's car free Jane Austen adventures, my mum and I have planned an adventure for the two of us in January 2026 to Alton, a busy market town in East Hampshire and an ideal base for exploring Jane Austen country!

Our car free route:

• Bangor --> London Euston = 3 hours 15 minutes by train (Avanti West Coast)

  
  

• London Euston --> London Waterloo = 15 minutes on the tube (Northern Line)

  
  

• London Waterloo --> Alton = 1 hour 15 minutes by train (South Western Railway)

  
  

• Alton --> Chawton House = 30-40 minute walk or 12 minutes by bus (No. 38)

We plan to stay at The Swan which is located along Alton High Street, and the following are on our wish list of things to do:

1. Jane Austen's House

   
   

From 1809 until 1817, Jane Austen lived in the village of Chawton near Alton where Jane's brother owned Chawton House. Jane's brother offered Jane, her sister Cassandra and their mother a house in Chawton Village which is now known as Jane Austen's House.

This is the house where she wrote all six of her novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

There is a permanent exhibition called Jane Austen and the Art of Writing which explores objects that are believed to have inspired her writing, the physical and mental processes she used to develop her work, and showcases a full set of first editions of Jane Austen's novels.

2. Chawton House

   
   

The home of Jane Austen's brother, Chawton House, is open to visitors and they are hosting an exhibition until February 1st 2026 called Sisters of the Pen: Jane Austen, Influence, Legacy which celebrates the literary and theatrical world that shaped Jane Austen's work. The exhibition highlights the female novelists and playwrights who inspired Austen and also those who were inspired by her words.

3. Walk from Alton to Chawton

Taking inspiration from the Jane Austen Trail, we plan to walk from Alton to Chawton, a walk that Austen would have done regularly. The walk takes between 30 and 40 minutes and there are a number of suggestions of places of particular interest to explore along the way including The Swan hotel where we will be staying! Look out for the Jane Autsen Trail signs along the route.

4. Regency Garden

   
   

We are also keen to visit Alton's Regency Garden, which is situated outside the Alton Assembly Rooms and was created in memory of Jane Austen in 2024. Earlier this year, in June, they unveiled a bronze statue of the novelist which was created as part of celebrations for her 250th birthday.

If you would like more inspiration on ways to celebrate Austen's birthday, head to the Good Journey website to discover UK-wide adventures.

By Eveline Vouillemin ©