Not having visited Alton for a number of years I was pleased
to see when I visited on Market day that the town was busy and looked to be
fairing well, with only a few empty shops. Thirty years ago a work colleague
who lived in Alton called it a “One horse town where the horse had died” he
also said it was the only place he knew where the cafes shut for lunch!
There was the aroma of brewing wafting over the town from
the Coors Brewery (once owned by Courage) with the brewery chimney viewed from
a number of town centre locations, pity that the original buildings have gone. Since
my last visit a number of good local shops in the High Street have been lost,
especially missed is the large ironmongers and hardware shop (Kingdoms I think)
but generally the High Street is good for shopping.
There are some interesting buildings in Alton, mainly
redbrick, some Georgian and one or two good Victorian buildings, especially the
Assembly Rooms and Museum group. The Curtis Museum has exhibits on local
matters and across the road is the Allen Gallery with an outstanding collection
of ceramics and pottery, much more than one would expect to find in a local
gallery – too much to take in on one visit.
Alton is at one end of The Watercress Line and nearby the
station is a new Waitrose supermarket showing that the town has now ‘made the
grade’. A return visit with the camera I
think will be worthwhile to get some considered shots when the town is not so
busy.
© Michael Sleigh 2013
