Service Description

This tour is only available in Italian - sorry! It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen loved the English countryside and that Chawton and the nearby market town of Alton were two of the places where she was happiest. It was here that the extraordinary author of such masterpieces as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma spent the last eight years of her life, rediscovering her artistic vein before her untimely death on 18th July 1817. On this 2 and 1/2 hour tour in Italian, I will take you to the places that shaped Jane Austen's life in this beautiful part of Hampshire and walk with you along the route that Jane herself used to take when she travelled from Chawton to Alton to go shopping or to visit friends and relatives. The tour starts promptly at 11am outside Alton Railway Station and follows the Jane Austen Trail to Jane Austen's house in Chawton. The walk from the station is approximately 1.9 miles long and is a relaxed, one-hour-and-15-minute flat stroll. Along the way there are many places and buildings associated with Jane Austen, mentioned in her letters or by people close to her. Once at Jane Austen's House, the tour continues through the quaint village of Chawton, where Jane Austen spent eight happy years with her mother, her beloved sister Cassandra and their best friend Martha Lloyd. This tour is a full immersion into Jane Austen's world in Chawton and Alton and will introduce you to many of the places that shaped her personality, as well as giving you a taste of what life in an English village is like based my own experience as a Chawton resident. The walk is not strenuous but I recommend wearing comfortable shoes and suitable clothes for the unpredictable English weather. You can check the weather at www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2653293. The walk is mainly along pavements with a couple of grass and dirt sections so may not be suitable for wheelchair users. For further information on accessibility, please contact me at ciao@passionecampagnainglese.com At the end of the tour, I advise you to visit Jane Austen's House and Chawton House, the manor house inherited by Jane's brother, Edward. Both are well worth a visit. Tickets for Chawton House should be booked in advance at janeaustens.house as admission is limited and in high demand. In Chawton there is a pub, The Greyfriar, and two tea rooms, Cassandra's Cup and The Old Kitchen (inside Chawton House) where you can eat light meals and homemade cakes. Children under 8 do not pay for the tour. I look forward to a day out together in Jane Austen's footsteps!