A busy market town in North East Hampshire, Alton is positioned on the A31, between Farnham in Surrey and Winchester in Hampshire. It has recently become very popular for London commuters who seek a home in the country, with access to the capital by road or by its rail link to Waterloo.

The centre of the town has been constructed around the High St and market place. However, in recent years, the town's character has been largely overshadowed by the presence of the Bass brewery and Sainsbury's. There are now two industrial estates, a large sports centre, a local airfield in Lasham, two comprehensive schools and a tertiary college and the town is reportedly earmarked for substantial development.

The town and the surrounding area still retain plenty of historical interest. The door of the Church of St Lawrence in the centre of town, still contains bullet holes from the Civil War, where the royalist leader, Colonel Bolle was killed. A couple of miles away is the small village of Chawton and the home of writer Jane Austen.

Also nearby is Selborne, about which, the Rev. Gilbert White wrote a pioneering natural history, first published in 1789. You can visit the Curtis Museum or the Allen Gallery, Alton Abbey and there is also the Watercress Line Steam Railway which runs to Alresford.

The town's other attractions include a plethora of public houses, local golf courses, a town park and some lovely local walks, particularly past Windmill Hill or Holybourne Down. The town even has it's own newspaper, The Alton Herald, and radio station, Delta FM 102 to inform the growing 30-40,000 population.