Chawton Park Wood
Enjoy a circular walk around this large area of woodland in Hampshire. The woods are located just to the west of the town of Alton and have miles of footpaths, tracks and bridleways to try.
You can start the walk at the south western corner of the woods where there is a public car park (postcode GU34 5ED). It's located close to Medstead and Four Marks Railway Station so you could also start from their if you prefer.
From the car park you can pick up the trails heading east towards Chawton village before following alternative trails back to form a circular walk. It's a peaceful spot and very pretty in the spring where there are lots of bluebells to see. Also keep your eyes for a variety of woodland birds as you make your way along the trails.
Postcode
GU34 5ED - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsChawton Park Wood Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Chawton Park Wood Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Chawton Park Wood OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Chawton Park Wood Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
Head into Chawton and you could visit The Greyfriar for some post walk refreshments. The historic pub dates all the way back to the 16th century and the time of the Spanish Armada. They do very good food and also have a lovely secluded garden area if the weather is fine. It's in a nice location, near the village green and directly opposite the former home of Jane Austen. You can find it on Winchester Road at postcode GU34 1SB for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The woods are ideal for dog walking so you're bound to bump into other owners with their dogs on a fine day. The Greyfriar pub mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
After exploring the woods you can enjoy a walk around the pretty village of Chawton. Here you'll find the noteworthy Chawton House where Jane Austen wrote some of her novels. The 400-year-old Elizabethan manor house houses a collection of over 9,000 volumes, together with some related manuscripts.
In Alton you can pick up the Hangers Way and continue your walking on the South Downs.
Selborne Common is also just a few miles away and has some more nice woodland trails to try.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Chawton Park Woods. Most of the wood seems to be conifers but the park is quite old with Park Pales marked on the map
Picnic Area at Chawton Park Woods. There is a car park here a short way from the A31. It provides good access to the walks in the woods. Unfortunately the picnic benches seem to have vanished!
Cycle path near Chawton Park Woods. This path has been recently upgraded to form a traffic free route between Alton and Four Marks. It's now good enough for my normal bike as well as mountain bikes.
Chawton Park Farm. A lovely spot in a quiet valley quite near Alton. There is a duck pond, sheep in a barn and lovely fields. There is now a cycle path up through the woods to Four Marks.
Chawton Manor
Chawton House. The Manor House on a rare public open day.
Chawton village. To the left of the Greyhound pub is a terrace of listed cottages of the late C18
Jane Austen's House. Jane Austen lived here with her mother and sister Cassandra.The house belonged to one of her brothers, an officer in the Royal Navy. She wrote a couple of her novels here including Mansfield Park. It was here that she took ill and travelled to Winchester where she died in her doctors house, close to the precincts of Winchester Cathedral.