Picturesque village 15 minutes from Surrey that beat Galápagos to be named best place in the world to visit in 2025
It might come as a surprise that a village right on our doorstep is being described as the best place in the world to visit in 2025. The New York Times is recommending one home county location over the tropical paradises of the Galápagos Islands and Thailand.
While it definitely doesn’t have the weather or sandy beaches, the village of Chawton has impressed these international critics so much that they recommend it above anywhere else in the world. So with Hampshire a bit easier, and cheaper, to get to than islands in the South Pacific, see why The New York Times picked it as the place to be.
To be specific it was not just Chawton that made the list. While the picturesque village was listed as one of the pivotal places to visit, it is the entirety of Hampshire, and other parts of South West England that take the top spot.
READ MORE: The jaw dropping Surrey mansion with a romantic history up for sale priced at £6 million
There is one reason for this, Jane Austen. This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen, one of the area's most famous residents. The author was born in Hampshire and also took inspiration from the county for her novels.
The New York Times recommends visiting Jane Austen’s House, the place she lived for the last eight years of her life. Here she wrote some of her most famous pieces of literature such as Pride and Prejudice.
Today the house is a museum dedicated to her legacy. Over the last 70 years it has been restored and restyled to make it look as close as possible to when the Austens lived there.
Inside there are a range of objects that were pivotal to Jane’s literary career. You can see a range of books, letters and even the table that she wrote at. There is also a garden outside where visitors can picnic and enjoy wildlife.
The house is putting on some special celebrations for the 250th anniversary including new exhibitions, and a number of dedicated festivals to her best loved novels. Given the specialness of the year, it is recommended that guests pre-book their entry tickets.
Children under 6 years old get in free, child tickets start at £7.25 and adult tickets start at £15. Entry tickets can be booked online automatically and become an annual pass so the home can be visited all year round.
Chawton is only 15 minutes from Farnham, but there is also a virtual tour for those that don’t want to leave Surrey. Outside of the museum there is a 4.5-mile circular walk that makes its way through the village of Farringdon as well as other parts of the countryside that inspired her.
There are other things to enjoy in the rest of Chawton including a parkland and play area, Chawton House (which belonged to Jane Austen’s brother), St Nicholas Church where the graves of Jane Austen’s mother and sister are located, as well as a statue of Jane Austen.