With its steep wooded hills and hidden valleys, its picture-perfect villages and peaceful market towns, East Hampshire is one of the loveliest parts of rural England.
Country parks
- Alice Holt Forest, near Whitehill & Bordon. Family cycle trails and walks
- Queen Elizabeth Country Park, near Horndean. Mountain biking, horse riding, and walking
- Staunton Country Park, near Rowlands Castle. Ornamental farm, lake and tropical glass houses
- Butser Ancient Farm - what life was really like 2,000 years ago
Historic houses and gardens
- Jane Austen House Museum and Chawton House, where Jane Austen spent part of her prolific literary life
- Gilbert White's House in Selborne, where this famous naturalist lived and worked
- Elegant home of the late Lord Bessborough at Stansted House, near Rowlands Castle
- National Trust properties Hinton Ampner Garden, in Bramdean, Uppark near Petersfield and the Vyne near Basingstoke
- Petersfield Physic Garden, 17th century herb garden and orchard
- The Abbey of Our Lady and St John at Beech, set in tranquil grounds, provides physical and spiritual refreshment
Museums and galleries
- The Oates Museum (Gilbert White's House) commemorates Captain Lawrence Oates who died on Scott's ill-fated expedition to the South Pole
- The Curtis Museum in Alton chronicles the area's history while The Allen Gallery houses a superb collection of decorative arts.
- Bedales Olivier Theatre is an award-winning venue for musical and theatrical events
- Petersfield Museum displays the area’s rich heritage and the paintings of local artist Flora Twort and hosts the Edward Thomas Study Centre
- At Grayshott Pottery visitors are invited to take a tour of the pottery
- Rural Life Centre, the largest countryside museum collection in the south of England
Sports and leisure
- Old Thorns, near Liphook provides one of our most beautiful golf courses
- The Taro Centre (Petersfield), Alton Sports Centre and Mill Chase Leisure Centre are equipped with a wide range of leisure facilities
- Individual gliding sessions at Lasham Gliding Club
Family attractions
- Classic steam trains on The Watercress Line in Alton
- Hollycombe – Britain’s largest collection of steam attractions, near Liphook
- Birdworld and Forest Lodge, near Farnham.
- Go Ape, in Alice Holt Forest
Markets
Petersfield Market takes place in the Town Square, in the heart of the town centre. The market is held every Wednesday and Saturday between 8am and 4pm. There are 35 pitches, with stalls selling a wide variety of quality foods and goods.
For information and stall availability for these markets, please contact the market operator Bryant Bros by email on trader@petersfieldmarket.info or call 08438 869 550.
There are also regular Farmers' Markets run by Hampshire Farmers' Markets in Alton and Petersfield.
The rest of Hampshire
Find out about the wide variety of places to visit throughout Hampshire on the Visit Hampshire website.