High Street, Alton, GU34

A very handsome Grade II house of great character and history standing close to the heart of the town with a beautiful walled garden and off road parking.

The house is believed to date from around 1500 and during its long history was the site, from 1806 to 1811, of Austen, Gray & Vincent - the bank of Henry Austen (brother of Jane Austen). The bank's original safe survives to this day in a cupboard next to the Inglenook fireplace in the drawing room.

The house now provides a charming home of real character with large sash windows, panelled walls and Inglenook fireplaces.

The generous and light and airy accommodation is set off a spacious panelled reception hall and includes an elegant drawing room and a lovely family/dining room with an Inglenook fireplace. This in turn opens into a kitchen/breakfast area with French doors opening out to the walled rear garden. There is also a ground floor cloak/utility room and a useful basement cellar. There are three double bedrooms and a further single bedroom / study, as well as a family bathroom to the first floor.

To the rear of the house, there is a very special walled garden, together with double gates and an area for secure off road parking. This is a very appealing and rarely available house of character standing close to the heart of the town.

Outside

The gardens and grounds are a very special feature of the house. The beautiful walled garden provides a secluded setting with a variety of seating areas interconnected by a series of brick and paved pathways together with a variety of flowering plants and shrubs and a greenhouse. The garden is a real oasis. There is a small woodland garden to the rear with a mature copper beech tree and paved steps leading to a shingle driveway. Private double gates and a pedestrian side gate provide access into the Vicarage Hill car park.

Situation

The house stands in the heart of the thriving country market town of Alton. The house is of important local historical interest and is a landmark building within the High Street. The historic market town of Alton has a good range of High Street shops, Waitrose, M&S Simply Food, Aldi and Lidl. There are weekly and specialist markets, schooling for all age groups including a sixth form college and Alton School (independent school). Alton also has a sports centre, two outlying golf courses and a mainline railway station to London Waterloo. The surrounding countryside provides ample opportunity for a number of country pursuits.