Jane Austen's House - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Chawton House is an Elizabethan manor house that once belonged to Jane Austen's brother, Edward. Visitors can enjoy the ‘Great House’ referred to in Jane Austen’s letters, relax in the peace and tranquillity of the gardens, and find inspiration in the lives and works of its women writers. The Centre, which runs study programmes in association with the nearby University of Southampton, incorporates a significant library, a collection of over 9000 books and related manuscripts.

The historic house was the home of the eighteenth-century pioneering naturalist Gilbert White; whose major work The Natural History of Selborne has never been out of print since its publication in 1789. The House is surrounded by 25 acres of majestic restored garden and parkland, which specializes in eighteenth-century plants and gardening methods inspired by Gilbert White. Its unique and diverse, interactive Museum also boasts a fantastic café that serves food throughout the day, a well-stocked

Alice Holt Forest lies at the northwestern corner of the Weald where the bounding rim of Chalk swings round from a south-north trending outcrop to the west-east alignment of the Hog’s Back anticline. It is now planted mainly with conifers. The forest is now part of the South Downs National Park, which was established on 31 March 2010, and it forms the most northerly gateway to the park.

This is one of the largest bird parks in the country, located on the Hampshire border with Surrey it is a great place to explore for a fun and informative day out. In addition to a walk around 26 acres of aviaries and beautiful landscaped gardens, visitors can admire over 800 birds and 180 species from around the world and take part in educational feeding sessions throughout the day.

A beautiful heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running 10 miles from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The railway currently operates regularly scheduled services, along with dining trains, real ale trains and numerous special events throughout the year. You can sit back, relax and travel through the heart of quintessential English countryside by steam train, looking towards stunning views of the South Downs National Park.

Frensham Common is a fine example of open Surrey heathland. It is one of the largest expanses in the Weald. This man-made beach stretches along a 13th century lake giving ample opportunity to sunbathe and swim in warm weatherIt covers roughly 1,000 acres of attractive countryside and is owned by the National Trust.