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Jane Austen's House Museum
Attractions in Alton

Seeing Alton? Begin at Jane Austen's House Museum

This is a list led by museums or galleries, 5 of its 6. We list 3 places to visit inside Alton’s built-up area and 3 within 5 km of its edge. Inside 1 km of the middle lie 2 of them. Beyond the town, the best known is Winchester Cathedral, 26 km off.

Photo: Jane Austen's House Museum, Simon Burchell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In Alton
3
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
3
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Castles & historic places
1
in or near town
Best known

Highlights of Alton

Beyond Jane Austen's House Museum, there are 4 museums and a historic house.

MuseumJane Austen's House Museumin townMuseumCurtis Museumin townMuseumMuseumThe Allen Galleryin townHistoric houseChawton House300 m outside town, to the southMuseumGliding Heritage Centre3 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumGilbert White's House4.9 km outside town, to the south

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Where each one is

Just outside town, most of the 3 sit to the south.

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The dashed line is Alton’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

Kind by kind

Museums or galleries lead the count with 5 of 6.

Museums & galleries 5 museums3 in town · 2 nearby
Castles & historic places 1 historic house0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Alton. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

Every place

The places, one by one

First the 3 in town, then the 3 within 5 km of its edge.

The 3 inside Alton come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

145 listed buildings are on Alton’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Alton →

Big names nearby

Further away

Best known of the 12 within reach is Winchester Cathedral, at 26 km.

CathedralWinchester Cathedral26 km southwestCastleWinchester Castle26 km westCathedralChichester Cathedral38 km southCastleHighclere Castle33 km northwestCastleOdiham Castle12 km northCastle · English HeritageFarnham Castle14 km northeastAbbey or priory · English HeritageWaverley Abbey16 km eastFort · English HeritageCalleva Atrebatum24 km northCastle · English HeritagePortchester Castle36 km southAbbey or prioryAbbey Ruins34 km northHistoric houseBagshot Park Mansion31 km northeastCathedralGuildford Cathedral29 km east

Places well known beyond Alton (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Planning a visit to Alton

What are the main attractions in Alton?

The best known inside Alton’s built-up area are Jane Austen's House Museum, Curtis Museum and The Allen Gallery. In all, 3 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 3 more within 5 km.

Does Alton have a museum?

5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Alton: Jane Austen's House Museum, Curtis Museum, The Allen Gallery and Gliding Heritage Centre.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Alton?

None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Farnham Castle (English Heritage), 14 km northeast.

What are the best-known days out near Alton?

Within 40 km: Winchester Cathedral (26 km), Winchester Castle (26 km), Chichester Cathedral (38 km), Highclere Castle (33 km).

Where are Alton’s historic buildings listed?

Alton has 145 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Alton when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (17)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.