Surrey & Hampshire: Awaken your senses around the haunts of Jane Austen
AN accolade such as “an area of outstanding natural beauty” is bound to put pressure on a region yet the area of Surrey Hills seems to take it in its stride.
It is home to hills that rise and fall like a wave, as far as the eye can see. Covered in vibrant, pale purple heather and deep green ferns, opening up to a patchwork of colour, the hills have an equally vibrant past. Here, the broom sweeps made history by producing “besom” (witches) brush brooms, deep in the wooded valley from the birch and heather which were sold locally.
Dotted with little neat villages with a raft of “concealed” multimillion pound mansions, you’d hardly believe it is just over an hour’s drive from London.
SEE: The Devil’s Punch Bowl’s vast valley was created, according to folklore, by the devil, who angered the god Thor who resided in the region.
He was so angry he jumped up and down on the Devil’s Jumps at Churt. In retaliation, Thor scooped up a handful of earth and threw it at him, creating a vast bowl.
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Part of the National Trust, well-laid out walks of all levels weave through the area. You can wander under a canopy of trees, down into sloping forests and past the menacing looking, yet completely docile, Highland cows.
They are clearly used to visitors and more likely to wander over for a pat, rather than shy away. From the bowl’s rim, there are vast, expansive views across the valley which is devoid of any dwellings. Jane Austen spent her last years at a glorious “cottage”, in Chawton, Hampshire.
Her works are so ingrained in British culture even today and the new £10 note features her face. Jane Austen’s House Museum (jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk) sits at a pretty junction in Chawton.
Vintage cars driven by fl at cap-wearing elderly gents don’t look out of place in this lovely village of thatched-roof, stone cottages.
Austen’s former home is utterly charming. Historic early 19th-century Regency wallpapers have been reproduced and adorn the walls of some rooms.
A large quilt, created by Jane, her sister and mother highlight how accomplished their needlework skills were.
The house itself is immaculate; with original pieces including the Reverend George Austen’s bookcase and the small oak table where Jane is reputed to have written her books, which was given to an elderly servant after Jane’s death.
A “tea cupboard” featuring silver tea caddies and ornate berry spoons offers a glimpse of how formal taking tea was back then. There’s a tiny broach with a lock of Jane’s hair and the bed where Jane and her sister slept. It’s a taster of the life of one of our favourite authors, a simple one which you can’t help to slightly envy.
● Tickets: £8 per adult; £4 per child. Follow “literally” in Jane’s footsteps and wander up to the Great House where her brother Edward lived, otherwise known as the Chawton House Library (chawtonhouse.org).
Surrey is home to hills that rise and fall like a wave, as far as the eye can see
The house is referred to in Jane’s letters, and was where she “dawdled away an hour very comfortably...”.
Who can blame her? The grounds and house are nothing short of magnificent. Inside, grand wood panelled rooms are adorned with oil portraits of female writers who lived around Jane’s time and the dining room includes the table where she dined with her family.
There are, of course, plenty of books and a reading room.
Outside, the sloped, beautifully landscaped grounds include a shrubbery walk, a walled garden and vast wild patches.
● Tickets: House & Gardens: £8 per adult/£4 per child
DO: Nearby in pretty Farnham, wander around the Castle’s Keep (01252 721194/farnhamcastle.com).
You can’t enter the castle itself (unless you’re attending a wedding), yet the keep sits on a fabulous location atop a hill overlooking the town.
The castle was built by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, in 1138 and in medieval times, it was the wealthiest diocese in England.
Various viewing platforms dotted along the thick walls offer endless views across the countryside and city, guaranteeing 360 degree surveillance of potential invaders.
Ruins of the old tower and motte are well preserved and are testament to just how seriously fortifications were taken.
● Free entry
EAT: Opposite Jane Austen’s House is the quaint Cassandra’s Cup Tearooms which does a fantastic sandwich, great tea and wicked cakes.
Sit inside under a ceiling adorned with china cups, or outside behind a little picket fence watching the comings and goings of the historic house opposite.
The innovative combinations on the menu at the Bel & The Dragon (01428 605 799/belandthedragon.co.uk) in Churt, are clearly popular with an endless stream of diners who arrive non-stop over the weekend. In the summer, take a slice from the pizza oven in the garden (or order from the main menu), and enjoy a Sipsmith Gin from the outdoor bar.
It’s the perfect alfresco lunch while the children climb over the frames dotted among the fruit trees.
Slightly more formal are the cafe-style tables just outside the dining room, on the small terrace against a backdrop of a sloping wall of wildflowers.
Dishes created by head chef Ronnie Kimbugwe are best described as “quirky” British; half lobster (£33), corn-fed chicken and summer truffle (£16), salt baked saddle of lamb (for three) with red pepper, aubergines, courgettes (£63).
House wine by master French winemaker Olivier Leflaive is refreshingly quaffable at £33 for a bottle of Burgundy. You can watch your dinner be prepared in the open kitchen and delivered to your table by exceptional staff, refreshingly dressed in jeans and white shirts.
STAY: The Bel & The Dragon has plenty of experience in hosting guests: it has been an inn since 1862 and part of the Country Inns and Restaurant stable of seven properties. You’ll find it in the thick of the Surrey Hills outside Farnham.
There’s nothing stuffy about this hideaway. In the bar are assorted large lounge chairs topped with mismatched cushions; old pine tables and lamps casting just the right amount of subtle light. Beyond the bar is the dining room with industrial overhead lamps and rustic wooden tables. You can dress up or dress down.
It doesn’t matter, all generations are happy here. Upstairs are 13 rooms; all named after Jane Austen characters. Ours, Darcy, (sadly he wasn’t there) was full of light overlooking the garden.
Rooms follow the shabby chic theme; a shelf of paperbacks; complimentary Sipsmith Sloe Gin and huge beds.
There’s a separate cottage off the car park with another five rooms.
It’s not often you find a hotel instantly makes you want to relax and not stray too far, yet if you didn’t you’d miss the quiet of the heather-covered hills and the sweeping views across the county, via the path just opposite the hotel. Doubles from £100 (two sharing), room only.
● Surrey tourism: visitsurrey.com
● Hampshire tourism: visit-hampshire.co.uk
