Walking/Exploring | Shopping | Eating Out | Information
Farringdon is a pretty village on the A32 just south of Alton in Hampshire. The village is in two geographical parts:
The first part as you enter the village is Lower Farringdon and here you will find The Pheasant pub and restaurant.
Upper Farringdon can be found at the top of the lane, which runs east from the A32 crossroads. Here there is the Church, Massey's Folly and The Rose & Crown pub and restaurant.
Farringdon is famous for
- Its links with Jane Austen, who used to walk from Chawton to visit friends at the Rectory in Farringdon.
- Massey's Folly, a very unusual building, which was built by the Reverend Massey over 30 years, and is currently used as the village hall and nursery school.
- The ancient Yew Trees in the churchyard of All Saints church, which are rumoured to be over 2000 years old and the church dates back to the 1300's.
- The naturalist Reverend Gilbert White, who was the rector of Farringdon and Selborne. There is now a museum at his house in Selborne.
Walking & Exploring
Tangley Hall is the perfect base for visiting the many local attractions such as:
- Jane Austen's house in Chawton
- The Llibrary at Chawton House,
- The Gilbert White museum in Selborne
- There are tearooms at Chawton, East Tisted and Selborne so there is always somewhere to take refreshments.
- The Watercress Line railway runs from Alton to Alresford and is a must for fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends
There are many wonderful walks around Farringdon with no need to take the car. There are walks to suit all ages - as short or as long as you like. It is always possible to spot the local wildlife of pheasant, hares, rabbits, deer and foxes. It is a favourite place for horse-riders too.
The old railway line that used to run through the Meon Valley from Alton is now a wonderful route to walk and take in the scenery. When walking south from Farringdon, the village of East Tisted is not far and still has one of the remaining Post Offices with a tea room. It is also possible to walk north from Farringdon on the old railway as part of a circular walk via Chawton, returning across the fields and Berry Hill - the route Jane Austen used to visit her friends at the rectory in Upper Farringdon.
Shopping
The nearest town to Farringdon is Alton, an old market town about 3 miles away. Here there is a monthly Farmer's market and from time to time, a French market.
The cities of Guildford and Winchester are approximately half an hour's drive and Farnham, a smaller town but with a variety of interesting shops, is only fifteen minutes away.Pubs and Restaurants
As mentioned above, there are two good pubs in Farringdon, which have restaurants and are within easy walking distance. Lunch and evening meals are available:
- The Rose & Crown in Upper Farringdon is 1 minute's walk from the house
- The Pheasant in Lower Farringdon is 10-15 minutes' walk down Shirnall Hill
Alton now has several restaurants and coffee shops to choose from, including a Pizza Express and Prezzo in the Market Square. It also boasts the most number of pubs within a square mile!
Information
Farringdon has its own website - with local news and interesting information particularly on Massey's Folly, which was highlighted on 'Restoration Village' the BBC programme shown in 2006.To find out more about Upper and Lower Farringdon, please click here.