20 Attractions to Explore Near Gilbert White's House & Gardens

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.

It was in this picturesque cottage that Jane Austen’s genius flourished and where she wrote, revised, and had published all six of her treasured novels, including the timeless Pride and Prejudice. Today it is a Grade I listed building and one of the most important literary sites in the world, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. The Museum holds an important collection of objects associated with Jane Austen, including letters written by Jane and personal effects belonging to her a

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.

Hollycombe Steam in the Country, situated on the Hampshire and Sussex border, is home to Britain's largest collection of working steam, with two working steam railways. It has some of the oldest and most thrilling fairground rides of their day including the world's first white-knuckle ride, the 'Razzle Dazzle'. The collection also includes the beautiful Golden Gallopers with an original Gaviolli Fairground Organ, steam-powered Chair-o-planes and a Big Wheel.

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.

Butser Hill is a 239.7-hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Petersfield in Hampshire. Explore the slopes of Butser Hill National Nature Reserve to discover an interesting array of butterflies and moths including the Duke of Burgundy, Chalkhill Blue and Silver-Spotted Skipper. One of the good trekking destination which gives you a new experience in the middle of nature.

The Sculpture Park is an enchanting place to visit in Surrey and is suitable for all ages and tastes. It is sited within 10 acres of woodland, lakes, streams and walkways which are home to a number of wild birds and other creatures as well as the residential doves. With over 600 ever changing sculptures on exhibition from over 200 well-known and upcoming sculptors, throughout 2 miles of trail, there will always be something new to discover and a surprise around every corner.

It is the ideal place to explore, keep fit and enjoy the great outdoors With over 2,000 acres of downland and woodland. The woodland was mostly planted in the 1930s; it consists mainly of beech trees. Several Long-distance footpaths run through the park including Staunton Way, Hangers Way and the South Downs Way bridleway. On a clear day the Isle of Wight can be seen from the top of Butser Hill.

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.

A beautiful museum, set in 10 acres of Tilford, Farnham heathland, is home to 30 buildings housing displays of rural crafts and has the largest collection of countryside artifacts in the south of England. It plays host to many living history and family friendly events throughout the year. It offers extensive learning facilities for groups and schools with a fully accessible site and refreshments are available from the onsite Old Kiln Café.

This elegant country manor and tranquil garden sit so harmoniously within the landscape that one cannot exist without the other. a small neo-Georgian manor in the Hampshire vernacular style, dating, in part at least, to the 1960s when Dutton carefully rebuilt his home and its collections after they were ravaged by fire. The property is now more noted for its garden than the house.

The Devil’s Punchbowl is a unique 1,310 acre geological wonder where visitors can walk, hike or take a horseback ride on a 7.5 mile round-trip trail through a deep canyon formed by the runoff of large quantities of water from the higher San Gabriel Mountains. The Punch Bowl is a large natural amphitheatre and is the source of many stories about the area. The London to Portsmouth road skirted the rim of the site before the Hindhead Tunnel was built in 2011.

Bourne Wood is a quiet ancient woodland with mixed conifers and semi-natural broadleaf trees. The sand soil provides a good walking surface, and the many public footpaths give great access to the woodland, where you can take in the beautiful natural scenery. There is a car park and picnic area.

The Museum of Farnham is a Grade I listed Georgian town house with a beautiful walled garden. The museum was founded in 1961 to provide the Farnham community with a collection dedicated to the history of the local area. The museum has a fine collection of nineteenth and twentieth-century British work and houses a collection of objects, fine art and archive material relating to the history of Farnham.

Farnham Maltings is one of the busiest and most diverse arts centres in Surrey offering theatre, film, craft, music, festivals, family theatre and more. Based in a set of buildings formerly used as a tannery and brewery, there is a variety of spaces available for education and leisure purposes. Farnham Maltings works with artists in a variety of ways. They produce, commission and tour national theatre and support creative businesses, artists and craft-makers.

Winchester Hill consists of 150 acres of National Nature Reserve and is home to many species of plants and wildlife. From the top of the hill enjoy views across the rolling hills as far as Portsmouth, Southampton and on a clear day, the Isle of Wight. The extensive scrub is good for bird watching and there is also always the chance of seeing a Red Kite or Buzzard overhead. One of the nice trekking destination and also you can spend some good time there.

Harting Downs is a 336.3-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Midhurst in West Sussex. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and an area of 206.6 hectares. This site consists of several parallel valleys on the steep slope of the South Downs. Habitats are chalk grassland, which is being invaded by scrub, together with areas of long-established woodland Oneof the beautiful trekking areas and also you can spend some peaceful time here.

Haslemere Educational Museum was founded in 1888 by the eminent surgeon Sir Jonathan Hutchinson to display his growing collection of natural history specimens. The museum holds diverse collections relating to Geology, Natural History and Human History, as well as being a resource of local history. It has three permanent galleries, education room, two temporary exhibition rooms, library, archive, lecture hall and garden and so more.