Literature trail: Hampshire, Jane Austen country

I was first introduced to the gentle wit of Jane Austen during my A Levels over fifteen years ago, studying the social faux pas, romances and family dramas of the Bennet family. A few TV and movie adaptations later and Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books to return to for a re-read.

Imagine how happy it made me when chance (and a new job) would have it that I end up in Jane Austen's back garden? I moved to Hampshire from Sussex in 2016, on the doorstep of the novelist's home town of Alton, village of Chawton and birthplace of Steventon village.

I'd hoped to have visited Jane's house (now a museum dedicated to her) way before now but simply hadn't got round to it. Isn't it funny that when places of interest are so close by, they often get bumped for things further afield?

So whilst the Jane Austen House Museum is currently closed due to seasonal opening times, I decided I'd delayed discovering my local literary trail for long enough and took my husband and newborn (it's never too early to start learning about your national heritage) to Alton and Chawton.

My expectations of a quaint market town in Alton were unfortunately not quite met.. as with many towns in England, it appeared a little neglected and infiltrated with sometimes rather ugly retail spaces - whatever happened to caring about quality and presentation? Don't get me started.

That said, it was interesting to find several places of interest on Alton high street including her brother's bank, physician's abode and coach house, from which she'd hire a coach to take her to London.

Moving on to her house in the village of Chawton. Much more in-keeping with my ideas of Jane Austen's England, her red brick house is well-kept and easily accessible from the main road through the village. One can image Jane leaving her house through the white front door to visit friends or her local (pretty) shop - so often the everyday activities selected for her female characters - as was the life of a woman in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The village itself is equally as charming and well worth a visit if you're ever in the area. Walk around and immerse yourself in the stories and images Jane created - it's hard not to do that actually.

I'll be returning to Chawton as soon as the house opens to the public so I can discover more about Jane's life from the very four walls she called home.