Alton Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located in the county of Hampshire, and around 10 miles southeast of Basingstoke, is the town of Alton.

Geographically, Alton is situated around the source of the River Wey, and within around two miles of the hamlet of Neatham, where the Roman settlement of Vindomis once stood.

Two historic battles are associated with the town. The First Battle of Alton took place in 1001 AD. The exact site is unknown, but the outcome was a victory for the invading Vikings. The Second Battle of Alton occurred in 1643 during the English Civil War. The fighting took place mainly along High Street and Church Street, and resulted in a decisive victory for the Parliamentarians.

At the northern end of the town centre is the Church of St Lawrence. This dates back to the Norman era, albeit with significant additions from the 15th century, and a 19th century spire. The Royalists used this church as a defensive structure in the midst of the aforementioned battle in 1643. One of their commanders was Colonel Richard Boles, who is said to have died on the steps of the pulpit, but not before taking the lives of up to seven Parliamentarians in his last moments. The other prominent church seen in the walk, in its case at the very beginning, is the Church of All Saints, which dates from the 1870s. Both are Anglican.

Due to its location between London to the northeast and Winchester and Southampton to the southwest, Alton was once a key staging post during the era of the stagecoach. As such, it once had a thriving coaching inn industry, where coaches would stop to change horses, while passengers had a break for food and drink, and in some cases, a bed for the night.

In 1852, the railway arrived in Alton, courtesy of the London and South Western Railway. Whilst this effectively killed the stagecoach industry, it brought about growth to the town, which is still connected by rail to London to this day. However, following various closures in the wake of the Beeching Cuts, Alton has since become the western terminus of the Alton Line. There is a heritage railway service which runs between Alton and New Alresford, known as the Watercress Line.

In 1809 Jane Austen moved to the village of Chawton, about a mile southwest of Alton, where she spent the last eight years of her life. The house in which she lived during this time serves as a museum today.

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Filmed: 11th September 2024

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ea9ryHEUtg6cC...

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Butts Road
1:44 High Street
5:44 Market Street
7:05 Market Square
8:38 Market Street
9:58 High Street
13:18 Normandy Street
16:08 High Street
16:35 Church Street