Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a market town in Hampshire. It has been around since the Domesday Book, but was developed as a 'new town', one of several constructed in the 1950s to accommodate overspill population from London. Throughout the 1970s and 80s it was often considered a joke 'dull' town with nothing to offer and had very little to entertain any visitors unless they were into trainspotting or roundabouts. Itis alleged that Basingstoke has the highest number of roundabouts per head population of any UK town, but it's probably no longer true!
21st-century redevelopment of the town centre has seen the growth of a huge shopping area, lots of restaurants and new cinemas and theatre. Basingstoke, it seems, has grown up!
Understand
Local information
- Basingstoke Council website
Get in
By train
- 🌍 Basingstoke station. The station is at the edge of the town centre and is only a minute's walk from the shops. On the main line from London to Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth. It is also on the Bournemouth to Birmingham and Manchester line via Reading. The fastest trains take around forty minutes to get to Basingstoke from London Waterloo station.
Train times can be found on the National Rail Planner or by calling 0845-748-4950 from anywhere in the UK.
By car
Alternatively the town is conveniently situated for the M3 motorway (US English: freeway) also from London to Southampton and is about one hours drive from both. The A33 links the town with Reading and the M4. The A303 (which terminates at Junction 8 of the M3) links Basingstoke with the West Country.
Get around
By foot
Basingstoke has a decently-sized town centre including a shopping centre, cinema and variety of pubs and restaurants all walking distance from the train or bus station. Furthermore, there is a leisure park on the western side of town including an ice rink and cinema that's also walking distance, albeit crossing a few busy main roads.
By bus
Basingstoke is well served by buses. The central bus station is situated in the town center and most buses stop at the station. The buses are regular and serve most outlying areas of the town. Indeed the buses are efficient and the bus stops clearly marked
By car
Basingstoke is easy to drive around and the town center does not suffer from much congestion (except for at peak times). There is ample parking in both 'Top of Town' and Festival Place and the town's ring road (called 'Ringway') makes it easy to access any part of Basingstoke without much trouble.
The Park and Ride facility is served by three Centre Shuttle buses, see National Park and Ride Directory
See
- 🌍 Milestones Museum, Leisure Park, Churchill Way West, ☏ +44 1256 477766. Tu-F 10AM-5PM, Sa Su 11AM-5PM, M closed. A living history museum, with reconstructed street scenes and buildings from the Victorian era. £3.50-6.50.
- 🌍 Steventon, Steventon Manor, Steventon, Hampshire RG25 3BE (7 miles (11 km) south west of Basingstoke). The birthplace of Jane Austen. It is possible to visit the parish church where Jane's father was rector, but the house where she lived has been demolished.
- 🌍 Wote Street Willy, Wote Street, town centre. The largest statue of a penis on public display in Britain. The image of a mother and child is carved into the side of the sculpture, and its phallic appearance was apparently overlooked by planners until its erection.
- L'Arc Sculpture, Alençon Link, town centre. Marvel at the similarities between this sculpture and the Iran-Iraq war monument in Baghdad.
- 🌍 Viables Roundabout. Home to Britain's shortest piece of gauge railway track.
- 🌍 Crockford Lane Roundabout (The Chineham Wave). Displays a ribbon of around 100 red steel human silhouettes.
Surrounding countryside
- 🌍 Basing House, Redbridge Lane, Old Basing (1 mile east of Basingstoke), ☏ +44 1256 467294. Apr-Sep: W-Su 2PM-6PM. Once a major Tudor palace and castle rivalling Hampton Court, Basing House was destroyed in a civil war siege. Now an attractive set of ruins, with an explanatory exhibition. Car parking is very difficult in Old Basing village; instead follow the signs to Basing House car park and get the bonus of a very attractive walk along the crystal clear River Loddon to the house. Alternatively bus line 8 runs once an hour from Basingstoke bus station stopping outside Basing House main entrance. £1-2.
- 🌍 The Vyne, Vyne Road, Sherborne St John, RG24 9HL (6 miles north of Basingstoke), ☏ +44 1256 883858, thevyne@nationaltrust.org.uk. a 16th-century country house, built for Lord Sandys, King Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain. It retains its Tudor chapel, with stained glass. The classical portico on the north front was added in 1654 by Inigo Jones's pupil John Webb.
Do
- Conference South Football at The Camrose, Western Way.
- Basingstoke Blues Club, 20 Churchill Way, RG21 7QU. Listen to live quality blues bands once a month.
Eat
The Basingstoke area has many restaurants of different types and costs and it clearly isn't possible to list them all here.
- 🌍 The Millstone Pub, Bartons Lane, Lychpit, RG24 8AE (adjacent to Basing House car park), ☏ +44 1256 331153. This pub, by the delightful River Loddon, used to be a fantastic authentic rustic pub. It has now been 'renovated' so lost some of its character. It does bar food, and has a good range of real ales. A good place to eat before or after visiting Basing House (see 'See'). £6-10.
- Station Kebabs, Railway Station. Kebab van. Burger sauce available.
Drink
- Michael Meredith's House.
Sleep
- 🌍 The Red Lion Hotel, Red Lion Ln, RG21 7LX, ☏ +44 1256 328525.
- The Basingstoke Hotel, Old Common Rd, Black Dam, ☏ +44 1256 460460.
- Holiday Inn, Grove Rd., ☏ +44 871 942 9004.
- Apollo Hotel, Aldermarston Roundabout, ☏ +44 1256 796700.
- Audley's Wood Hotel, Alton Road (follow the A339 Southbound), ☏ +44 845 072 7405.
- 🌍 Tylney Hall, Ridge Lane, Hook RG27 9AZ (north of Hook off M3), ☏ +44 1256 745532. Grand Victorian pile with extensive gardens by Gertrude Jekyll. Often booked for weddings. B&B double £160.
Connect
Basingstoke's area code (for landline numbers) is 01256 when dialed from within the UK or +44 1256 from outside the UK.
Go next
- Farnborough, birthplace of flying in the United Kingdom.
- Winchester, a nearby ancient cathedral city with lots to see.
| Routes through Basingstoke |
| Southampton ← Winchester ← | SW E | → Fleet → London |
| Salisbury ← Stockbridge ← | SW E | → Camberley → London |
| Reading ← | N S | → END |
| Exeter ← Andover ← | W E | → merges with |