Chawton House
BEST FOR
Ages 6-16
ENTRY
from £6
WHERE
Alton
What it’s like
A Jane Austen era house and gardens with self-guided tours, trails and craft days built for kids aged six to sixteen.
This is Jane Austen's brother's old house, and they've built the visit around that history rather than dumbing it down. Kids aged six to sixteen get proper things to do: an interactive online naval adventure game set in 1793, a Jane Austen guided tour, and at Halloween a craft day with potion making and broom making plus a detective puzzle trail. It suits older children who can handle a bit of reading and following clues rather than toddlers who just want to run about a garden.
You can't bring your own tour guide here, which is a slightly odd rule but it's there to protect their in-house guides, so book one through them if a guided tour matters to you. Otherwise it's self-guided, wander the ground floor rooms and the gardens at your own pace. A family ticket for one adult and three children is £18 online, or £30 for two adults and three children, which works out fairer than paying separately if you've got a few kids in tow. Gardens-only tickets exist too, at £8 for an adult and £6 for a child, if the house itself isn't the draw for you.
Last entry is 4pm and the house runs 10am to 4.30pm most of the year, dropping to 3.30pm close in January. There's a café on site, and dogs on short leads are welcome in the gardens, though only assistance animals go inside the house and tearoom. Parking is the genuine catch: there's none at the house itself unless you hold a disabled badge and have called ahead, so you're looking at the main road or the dead end car park at the bottom of the drive.
Wheelchair access is limited to the ground floor library, Great Hall, Old Kitchen and the Library Terrace Gardens, and wheelchair users visiting alone will need to arrange assistance in advance. It's an hourly train ride from London Waterloo if you're coming without a car, which makes the parking situation a bit less painful.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 6 to 16, with trails and craft days for older kids
- Last entry
- 4pm
- Parking
- Main road and dead end car park at bottom of drive
- Wheelchairs
- Accessible parking next to house
- Dogs
- Assistance dogs only in the house and tearoom
- Getting there by bus or train
- Hourly trains to Alton from London Waterloo
- No parking at the house unless you're a disabled badge holder who has called ahead
- Outside tour guides aren't permitted, book through the house if you want a guided tour
- Halloween brings a craft day and a detective trail, worth timing your visit around if you can
- An annual pass is £25 for an adult and £12 for a child if you think you'll be back
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£12.50 for an adult and £6 for a child aged six to sixteen online, or £18 for a family of one adult and three children. Gardens only is cheaper, £8 for an adult and £6 for a child.
What age is it suitable for?
The activities are aimed at six to sixteen year olds, with trails, puzzles and craft days rather than a toddler play area.
Do we need to book?
There's a booking link for tickets online, and it is worth it for the family rates.
Can we bring our own tour guide?
No, outside guides aren't allowed to lead tours here. Contact the house directly and they'll arrange one of their own guides instead.
Is there parking at the house?
Not unless you hold a disabled badge and have called ahead. Everyone else uses the main road or the dead end car park at the bottom of the drive.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Only the ground floor is accessible, covering the Library, Great Hall, Old Kitchen and the Library Terrace Gardens. Wheelchair users visiting alone will need to arrange assistance beforehand.
Can we bring the dog?
Dogs on short leads are welcome in the gardens and there are water bowls outside the tearoom. Only assistance animals are allowed inside the house and tearoom.
What time is last entry?
4pm, with the house closing at 4.30pm most of the year (3.30pm in January).
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's a café on site for food and drinks.
What do kids actually do there?
There's an online naval adventure game set in 1793, a Jane Austen guided tour, and at Halloween a craft day making potions and brooms plus a detective trail.
Is it open all year?
Yes, though it's closed on 24, 25 and 26 December, and there's a special Daffodil Day opening on 17 March.
Can we get there by train?
There are hourly trains to Alton from London Waterloo.
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