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Welcome to Alton Hampshire

An independent Alton website that promotes organisations, clubs and businesses in Alton, Hampshire. It also supports the charities The Lullaby Trust (safer sleep for babies) and Alzheimer's Society.
Follow Alton Hampshire on twitter @AltonHampshire and facebook.com/AltonHampshire.



Other Regional News

BBC News

Trump Braille art spells out aftermath of shooting
Blind artist Clarke Reynolds, from Portsmouth, recreates an "iconic" image of Trump in Braille dots.
Hedgerow recovery project reaches half way point
The Hampshire Hedge project intends to create a "nature recovery corridor".
Terminal revamp moves car ferry to international port
Sailing times will change and crossings will be about 15 minutes longer, taking about one hour.

UK News

BBC News

'After 471 days, Emily is finally home': British-Israeli hostage reunited wit...
Emily Damari has been named by Hamas as being among the first hostages it plans to release.
Working from home 'not proper work' - ex-Asda boss
Lord Rose says it harms productivity but expert says hybrid work can be as good as full-time in the office.
'I got £955 from a Child Trust Fund I didn't know I had'
Latonya Skye-Paterson discovers she is one of thousands of people with money to claim on turning 18.

Alton Weather

BBC Weather - Forecast for Alton, GB

Today: Light Cloud, Minimum Temperature: 0°C (31°F) Maximum Temperature: 6°C (44°F)
Maximum Temperature: 6°C (44°F), Minimum Temperature: 0°C (31°F), Wind Direction: Southerly, Wind Speed: 6mph, Visibility: Poor, Pressure: 1018mb, Humidity: 93%, UV Risk: 1, Pollution: Low, Sunrise: 07:57 GMT, Sunset: 16:33 GMT
Tuesday: Mist, Minimum Temperature: 3°C (37°F) Maximum Temperature: 6°C (43°F)
Maximum Temperature: 6°C (43°F), Minimum Temperature: 3°C (37°F), Wind Direction: South Easterly, Wind Speed: 7mph, Visibility: Poor, Pressure: 1014mb, Humidity: 94%, UV Risk: 2, Pollution: Low, Sunrise: 07:56 GMT, Sunset: 16:35 GMT

A History of Alton Hampshire


By Jane Hurst


If you come to the Curtis Museum on Crown Hill, you can take a walk through the history of Alton - starting with the local geology. Local flint was made into tools by early man who roamed the area while the Bronze and Iron Age people settled here leaving behind pottery and metal work. The Romans established a posting station in nearby Holybourne and other evidence of them has been found in Alton with a villa near Alton’s Public Gardens.

Early Anglo-Saxons buried their dead above the town over a long period and part of their cemetery has been excavated. Grave goods included swords, shields, beads and the magnificent Alton Buckle - which can be seen in the Museum.

With the coming of the Normans in 1066, Alton grew as an important market and administrative centre for the surrounding area. The town had a thriving cloth industry in the medieval period with several clothiers and a fulling mill and, being on a main route between Southampton and London, it had four inns - the White Hart, George, Swan and the Pelican (which changed its name to the Crown at the Dissolution).

The mid-1600s was the time of the English Civil War and, being between Royalist Winchester and Parliamentary Farnham, Alton was the site of two battles in 1643. The second, on 13th December, was the more serious and ended with the Royalists seeking refuge in Alton’s Church of St Lawrence.

The 1700s were a time of regeneration for the town with a paper mill and breweries being established. Local hop growing expanded and travel improved with the formation of Turnpike Trusts. Upstairs, the Museum has displays of items that would have been familiar to Jane Austen when she lived in nearby Chawton in the early 1800s.

The railway from London came to Alton in 1852 and was later extended to Winchester, Basingstoke and Fareham. At the same time, Alton grew along the valley and a second parish church, All Saints’, was built at the western end of the town.

1880 saw the opening of the Alton’s Assembly Rooms, Cottage Hospital and Mechanics’ Institute on Crown Close with the Curtis Museum now filling the latter.

Alton continues to change and grow but its history can still be found if one knows where to look. If you have any queries do contact [email protected].

High Street Alton Hampshire Market Square Alton Hampshire Assembly RoomsAlton Hampshire The Watercress Line Alton Hampshire Alton artwork kindly supplied by Pellart

About AltonHampshire.co.uk


AltonHampshire.co.uk is an independent Alton website that promotes organisations, clubs and businesses in Alton, Hampshire. It also supports the charities The Lullaby Trust (safer sleep for babies) and Alzheimer's Society.

The logos at the top of this page and the business listings above display in a random order each this page loads.

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