About the Lakes Region

Situated at the southern tip of Lake Winnipesaukee and incorporated in 1796, Alton has all the charm of a typical New England village. The town fronts Alton Bay with its 19.3 square miles of inland water, the largest of any town in New Hampshire. The permanent population is around 4,500 but the seasonal tourist population for the area may jump to as much as 12,000. And with tourism the major industry there’s always plenty of activity, largely centered around the many lakes and mountains as well as our beautiful coastline. New Hampshire is home to the famous Winston Cup Races, Motorcycle Week, and the Loudon Classic-the oldest motorcycle race in the country. We also offer great skiing and snowmobiling in winter, boating regattas and fishing derbies on the “big Lake” and the beautiful motor ship Mount Washington to cruise her on. At every turn from our old farmhouse in Alton there is something lovely to see and we enjoy some of the cleanest air and water in the country, a low crime rate, and smaller government (no sales or income taxes either!). It was quite by chance that we found ourselves relocating here in 1979 and I was particularly taken with the area’s resemblance to my previous home in the English Lake District. Visitors from England find themselves right at home!

We enjoy four very distinct and beautiful seasons, from early spring when the sap flows and smoke curls up from the little “sugar shacks” throughout the countryside to the heart of winter when the deep mantle of snow provides a winter blanket across the mountains and valleys. Even the “big lake” freezes solid in many places providing additional winter sports like ice fishing, skating and “fly-ins” with small aircraft landing at Alton Bay. No where in the world will you find the brilliant colors of Autumn that you find here. With Autumn comes the promise of a full pantry in many a New England farmhouse kitchen, my own included, the sweet smell of wood smoke in the air, and a feeling of accomplishment and comfort when, like all good New Englanders, we can survey a healthy woodpile and know that if the power goes out this winter we can still keep warm by the woodstove! Summers here are pleasant with low humidity. There are beautiful beaches in N.H. and Maine, the best seafood around, and we’re not far from Vermont or Canada!

Much like the English Lake District this region has for centuries drawn artists, poets and musicians of all sorts who’ve made this their home and inspiration for their work and who continue to do so. Having spent more than twenty-three years here we find the local people warm and friendly and while you may not see your neighbors very often, they’re there when you need them and always look out for our old house for us when we’re away. I’ve had the good fortune to live in two of the most beautiful places on either side of the Atlantic. There are certainly tradeoffs for living here. No, you can’t just get in the car and be at a shopping mall in five minutes, and there aren’t any skyscrapers or graffiti. You will find a lifestyle that has all but disappeared from the American scene, a little piece of history in an ever- changing and increasingly more frightening world. In addition, you will find a wealth of natural beauty that makes living here seem like one endless vacation.