Basingstoke
Basingstoke shown within Hampshire
Population	80,477 Unparished area 2006[1] 152,573 Borough (Census, 2001)
OS grid reference	SU637523
District	Basingstoke and Deane
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Basingstoke
Postcode district	RG21, RG22, RG23, RG24
Dialling code	01256
Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central
European Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Basingstoke
Website: http://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/
List of places: UK • England • Hampshire

Coordinates: 51°16′00″N 1°05′15″W / 51.2667, -1.0876

Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, England. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a Civil parish. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government See also Basingstoke and Deane local elections Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Reading postcode area, is a group of postal districts centered on Reading and Basingstoke in Southern England. The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Hampshire Constabulary is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue service for the area of Hampshire, on the south Coast of England The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the authority responsible for providing NHS Ambulance services in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, South East England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Basingstoke is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of settlements in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is The River Loddon is a River in the English counties of Berkshire and Hampshire. It is 48 miles (77 km) southwest of London, 30 miles (48 km) north of Southampton and 16 miles (25 km) southwest of Reading. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between In 2006 it had an estimated population of 80,477. It is part of the borough of Basingstoke and Deane and part of the parliamentary constituency of Basingstoke. See also Basingstoke and Deane local elections A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty Basingstoke is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Often mistaken for a new town, Basingstoke is an old market town expanded in the 1960s as part of a tripartite agreement between London County Council, Hampshire County Council and Basingstoke Borough Council. A new town, planned community or planned city is a City, Town, or Community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets London County Council (LCC was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889-1965 existence and the first London-wide general municipal Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain It was developed rapidly, along with Andover and Tadley, to accommodate part of the London 'overspill' as perceived under the Greater London Plan, 1944. Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is situated on the River Anton some 18 Tadley is a Town and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. London overspill is the term given to the communities created - largely consisting of Council houses - as a result of the policy of moving residents out of Greater London The Greater London Plan of 1944 often referred to as the Abercrombie Plan, was a plan for the development and improvement of London commissioned by the Ministry ^[2]

Basingstoke market was mentioned in the Domesday Book and Basingstoke remained a small market town until the 1950s. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey It still has a regular market, but is now bigger than Hampshire County Council's definition of a market town. ^[3]

Basingstoke is prosperous, with an above-average standard of living and low unemployment. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. ^[4] It is an economic centre, and the location of the UK headquarters of Sun Life Financial of Canada, The Automobile Association, GAME and Motorola. Sun Life Financial Inc (,) is a leading financial services organization in Canada known primarily as a Life insurance company History On June 29, 1905 a group of motoring enthusiasts met at the Trocadero restaurant in the West End of London. The GAME Group plc ( (usually known by its High street trading name GAME) is a UK -based Video games retail company Motorola Inc ( is an American, multinational Fortune 100, Telecommunications company based in Schaumburg Illinois. Other industries include drug manufacture, IT, communications, insurance and electronics. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support

Geography and administration

Basingstoke is at 51°16′0″N, 01°05′15″W, grid reference SU637523. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude Situated in a valley through the North Downs, it is a major interchange between Reading, Newbury, Andover, Winchester, and Alton, and lies on the natural trade route between the southwest of England and London. The North Downs are a ridge of Chalk hills in south east England that stretch for 120 miles (190 km from Farnham in Surrey to the White Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Newbury is a Civil parish and the principal Town in the west of the County of Berkshire in England. Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is situated on the River Anton some 18 Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre Alton is a small market town in Hampshire, England, to the southwest of Farnham. A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Politics

The Basingstoke parliamentary constituency was formed under the 1885 Act and is currently served by Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Mrs Maria Miller, who was elected in the 2005 general election. Basingstoke is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict c 23 was a piece of British Electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Maria Frances Lewis Miller (born March 26, 1964, Wolverhampton) is a British politician and has been the Conservative Member Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general ^[5]

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which has its offices in the town, is a Conservative-led council, having 31 Conservative, 14 Liberal Democrat, 11 Labour and three Independent councillors (at August 2007). See also Basingstoke and Deane local elections Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by Royal charter to Local government Districts in England, Wales and Northern The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the ^[6] Basingstoke is part of a two-tier local government structure and returns county councillors to Hampshire County Council. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain When the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth attained unitary authority status in 1998, Basingstoke became Hampshire's largest settlement. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which ^[7][8]

Physical geography/geology

The precise size and shape of Basingstoke today are difficult to identify, as it has no single official boundary that encompasses all the areas contiguous to its development. The unparished area of the town represents its bulk, but several areas that might be considered part of the town are separate parishes, namely Chineham, Rooksdown, and Lychpit. Chineham (pronounced chinnum) is a Civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. Rooksdown is a Civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. Lychpit is now the name of a modern housing development adjacent to Old Basing near Basingstoke, Hampshire. The unparished area includes Worting, which was previously a separate village and parish,^[9] extending beyond Roman Road and Old Kempshott Lane, which might otherwise be considered the town’s ‘natural’ western extremity. The ward boundaries within the parliamentary constituency are not (as of August 2007) coterminous with the parish boundaries.

Basingstoke is situated on a bed of cretaceous upper chalk with small areas of clayey and loamy soil, inset with combined clay and flint patches. The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of The Chalk Formations of Europe are thick deposits of Chalk, a soft porous white Limestone, deposited in a marine environment during the upper Cretaceous In Geology, Clay-with-Flints was the name given by W Whitaker in 1861 to a peculiar deposit of stiff red brown or yellow Clay containing unworn whole Loam and alluvium recent and pleistocene sediments line the bed of the river Loddon. Loam is Soil composed of Sand, Silt, and Clay in relatively even concentration (about 40-40-20% concentration respectively considered Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against" is Soil or Sediments deposited by a river or other running The Holocene is a Geological epoch which began approximately 10000 years ago (about 8000 BC The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period A narrow line of tertiary Reading beds run diagonally from the northwest to the southeast along a line from Sherborne St John through Popley, Daneshill and the north part of Basing. The chuprichondira geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non- avian Dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately The Lambeth Group, also known as the Reading Beds and the Woolwich Beds, is a geological formation comprising a complex of vertically and laterally varying gravels Sherborne St John is a Village and Civil parish near Basingstoke in the English county of Hampshire. Old Basing is a Village and civil parish in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. To the north of this line, encompassing the areas of Chineham and Pyotts Hill, is London clay. The London Clay is a Marine geological formation of Ypresian (Lower Eocene Epoch c ^[10]

Divisions and suburbs

Main Article on Basingstoke wards (Wikipedia)

Basingstoke's expansion has absorbed much surrounding farmland and scattered housing, transforming it into housing estates or local districts. Wards 1 Brighton Hill 2 Brookvale 3 Buckskin 4 Chineham 5 Eastrop 6 Grove 7 Hatch Warren 8 Kempshott 9 A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development Many of these new estates are designed as almost self-contained communities, such as Lychpit, Chineham, Popley, Winklebury, Oakridge, Kempshott, Brighton Hill, South Ham, Black Dam and Hatch Warren. Lychpit is now the name of a modern housing development adjacent to Old Basing near Basingstoke, Hampshire. Chineham (pronounced chinnum) is a Civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. Winklebury is a large Suburb located two Miles north-west of central Basingstoke in the UK. Oakridge is a village in Hampshire, England, and is located in the north of Basingstoke within the ringroad Kempshott is an area and housing estate in Basingstoke located to the west of Pack Lane and north of Winchester Road Brighton Hill is a district of Basingstoke, England, that was formed around 1970 as part of the Town Centre Development Plan South Ham is an area in the western part of Basingstoke. It takes its name from what was once the major farm in the area South Ham farm which was demolished in the early Hatch Warren is a Housing estate to the west of Basingstoke in Hampshire. The M3 acts as a buffer zone to the south of the town, and the South Western Main Line constrains the western expansion, with a green belt to the north and north-east, making Basingstoke shaped almost like a kite. The M3 motorway is a Motorway in Hampshire and Surrey, England. The South Western Main Line is a Railway line from London Waterloo to Weymouth on the Dorset coast in the south of England. A green belt or greenbelt is a policy or land use designation used in Land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped wild or agricultural land As a result, the villages of Cliddesden, Dummer, Sherborne St John and Oakley, although being very close to the town limits, are considered distinct entities. Cliddesden is a parish in Hampshire, England located 3 Miles south of Basingstoke, close to the M3 motorway. For the town in New Hampshire, see Dummer New Hampshire; for the Governor of Massachusetts see William Dummer; for the private school see Governor Oakley is a large village and Parish situated 8 km (5 miles west of the large town Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. Popley, Hatch Warren and Beggarwood are seeing rapid growth in housing. ^[11][12]

Nearby towns: Hook, Tadley, Whitchurch,

Nearby villages: Aldermaston, Baughurst, Bramley, Kingsclere, Oakley, Old Basing, Overton, Ramsdell, Silchester. Hook is a large village within the Hart district of northern Hampshire, England. Tadley is a Town and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Whitchurch is a town in Hampshire, England. It is on the River Test, 20 km from Newbury Berkshire, 19 km from Winchester, 12 km from Aldermaston is an award-winning Rural Village and Civil parish in Berkshire, South East England, with a population Baughurst is a parish in Hampshire, England located just west of the town of Tadley, and 6 Miles north of Basingstoke. Bramley is a Village and parish in Hampshire, UK. In the 2001 census it had a Population of 3348 Kingsclere is a large Village and Civil parish in the county of Hampshire, England Oakley is a large village and Parish situated 8 km (5 miles west of the large town Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. Old Basing is a Village and civil parish in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. Overton is a village and parish in Hampshire, England located west of the town of Basingstoke, and east of Andover Ramsdell is a small village and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Silchester is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire.

History

Early Settlements

The remains of the 16th-century Chapel of the Holy Trinity at the Holy Ghost Chapel

The hillfort at Winklebury (2 miles (3 km) west of the town centre), known locally as Winklebury Camp or Winklebury Ring^[13] dates from the Iron age and there are remains of several other earthworks around Basingstoke including a long barrow near Down Grange. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Winklebury is a large Suburb located two Miles north-west of central Basingstoke in the UK. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period ^[14] Nearby, to the west, Roman Road and Kempshott Lane mark the course of a Roman road that ran from Winchester to Silchester. Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman Army (in the 2nd century c Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre Silchester is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Further to the east, another Roman road ran from Chichester through the outlaying villages of Upton Grey and Mapledurwell. Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, England. It has a long history as a settlement its Roman past and its subsequent importance Upton Gley is a village in Hampshire, England. Geographic Location Upton Grey is located near to Basingstoke to the North-West The Harrow Way is an ancient route that runs to the south of the town. The Harrow Way (also spelled as Harroway) forms the western part of the Old Way, an Ancient trackway in the south of England dating from the Neolithic Ancient trackway can refer to any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity

Etymology

The name Basingstoke (A. D 990; Embasinga stocæ,^[15] Domesday; Basingestoches) is believed to have been derived from the town's position as the outlying, western settlement of Basa's people, the Basingas. Events By Place Africa Construction of the Al-Hakim Mosque begins in Cairo. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey The Basingas were an Anglo-Saxon tribe who settled in the Loddon Valley in approximately 700. ^[16][a] Basing, now Old Basing, a village a few miles to the east, is thought to have the same etymology, but is considered by some to be the older settlement. Old Basing is a Village and civil parish in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. ^[17]

Market Town

St. Michael's Church

Basingstoke is recorded as being a market site in the Domesday Book, and has held a regular Wednesday market since 1214. St Michael's Church is the Anglican parish church in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey ^[18] During the Civil War, and the siege of Basing House between 1643 and 1645, the town played host to large numbers of Parliamentarians. The First English Civil War (1642–1646 was the first of three wars known as the English Civil War (or "Wars" Basing House, Hampshire, was a major English Tudor Palace and Castle that once rivalled Hampton Court Palace in its size " Roundheads " was the Nickname given to the Puritan supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. During this time, St. Michael's Church was damaged whilst being used as an explosive store^[19] and lead was stripped from the roof of the Chapel of the Holy Trinity^[20] leading to its eventual ruin. St Michael's Church is the Anglican parish church in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Cromwell is believed to have stayed in the town towards the end of the siege and wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons addressed from Basingstoke. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a legislative body The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords ^[21]

The cloth industry appears to have been important in the development of the town until the 17th century along with malting. Malting is a process applied to Cereal grains in which the grains are made to Germinate by soaking in water and are then quickly halted from germinating further ^[22]

Brewing became important during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the oldest and most successful was May's Brewery, established by Thomas and William May in 1750 in Brook Street. A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of Beer, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of beer's history

Victorian History

The London and South Western Railway arrived in 1839 from London, and within a year it was connected to Winchester and Southampton. The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR was a Railway company in England from 1838 to 1922 Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common in 1848 a rival company built a branch from Reading, and in 1854 a line was built to Salisbury. Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the ^[23] In the 19th century Basingstoke began to move into industrial manufacture, Wallis and Haslam (later Wallis & Steevens),^[24] began producing agricultural equipment including threshing machines in the 1850s, moving into the production of stationary steam engines in the 1860s and then traction engines in the 1870s. Wallis & Steevens of Basingstoke, Hampshire, England produced Agricultural equipment, Traction engines and steam and The thrashing machine, or in modern spelling threshing machine (or simply thresher) was a Machine first invented by Scottish Mechanical A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid. A traction engine is a self-propelled Steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location

Two traders who opened their first shops within a year of each other in the town, went on to become household names nationally: Thomas Burberry in 1856 and Alfred Milward in 1857. Burberry ( is a British luxury fashion house manufacturing Clothing and fashion accessories. ^[25] Burberry became famous after he invented Gabardine and Milward founded the Milwards chain of shoe shops, which could be found on almost every high street until the 1980s. Gabardine is a tough tightly woven fabric used to make Suits Overcoats Trousers and other garments ^[26]

London Street includes a variety of architecture from the 17th to the 20th century

Ordinary citizens were said to be shocked^[27] by the emotive, evangelical tactics of the Salvation Army when they arrived in the town in 1880, but the reaction from those employed by the breweries or within the Licence trade quickly grew more openly hostile. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel The Salvation Army is a Christian charity and church that is internally organised like a military service. REDIRECT Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence Violent clashes became a regular occurrence^[b] culminating on Sunday 27 March 1881 with troops being called upon to break up the conflict after the Mayor had read the Riot Act. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The Riot Act (1 Geo 1 c 5 of 1714 was an act introduced by the Parliament of Great Britain authorising local authorities to declare any group of The riot and its causes led to questions in Parliament and a period of notoriety for the town. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories ^[28]

In 1898 John Isaac Thornycroft began production of steam-powered lorries in the town and Thornycroft’s quickly grew to become the town’s largest employer. Sir John Isaac Thornycroft (1843&ndash1928 was the founder of the Thornycroft shipbuilding company. A traction engine is a self-propelled Steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location For the shipbuilder see John I Thornycroft & Company, for other uses see Thornycroft (disambiguation Thornycroft was a United ^[29]

Recent History

Basingstoke was among the towns and cities targeted during the Second World War, and suffered bomb damage including St Michael's Church. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including After the war, it had a population of 25,000.

As part of the London Overspill plan, Basingstoke was rapidly developed in the late 1960s as an 'expanded town', along with places such as Ashford and Swindon. The town of Ashford lies on the River Great Stour, M20 motorway, South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways in the borough of Ashford Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles Basingstoke town centre was completely rebuilt. At this time many buildings of historic interest (including a bomb-damaged methodist church) were replaced by a large red brick shopping centre and concrete multi-storey car park. A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors Concrete is a construction material composed of Cement (commonly Portland cement) as well as other cementitious materials such as Fly ash and Slag Many office blocks and large estates were built, including a ring road.

The shopping centre, following money issues, was built in phases. The first phase was completed by the 1970s and was later coverred in the 1980s, and was known as The Walks. The second phase was completed by the early 1980s, and became The Malls. The third phase was abandoned and the site was later used to build The Anvil concert hall. The Anvil is a Theatre and performing arts centre in the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire, UK.

The new shopping centre Festival Place

In 2003 Basingstoke was voted ninth in the Crap Towns survey, a humorous, but unscientific guide to the worst places to live in Britain though was not in the top ten of the 2004 survey. Crap Towns The 50 Worst Places To Live In The UK and Crap Towns II The Nation Decides are a series of Humorous, but completely Unscientific Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding

Later that year, the Basingstoke Gazette launched its "Basingstoke – A Place to be Proud of" campaign, aimed at changing people’s perception of the town. The Basingstoke Gazette is a local Newspaper for Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. ^[30] The campaign is ongoing (As of August 2007) and marked by the presentation of annual awards to individuals, organisations or businesses nominated by the public for commendable local achievement. August 2007 is the eighth month of that year It began on a Wednesday and 31 days later ended on a Friday. ^[31]

The central part of the shopping centre was rebuilt in 2002 and reopened as Festival Place. Festival Place is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England which opened in Tuesday 22nd October 2002 This has bought a dramatic improvement to shoppers opinions of the town centre, but it is unclear if it has softened the towns overall image. ^[32]

Further work to improve the image of the town continues with the latest Central Basingstoke Vision project coordinated by the Borough Council. ^[33]

Demographics

The borough of Basingstoke was merged with other local districts in 1974 to form the borough of Basingstoke and Deane. See also Basingstoke and Deane local elections Since then most census data has been for the larger area: before 1974, census information was published for the town as a separate entity.

Figures published for the most recent UK census in 2001 for the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane, give a population of 152,573 and a population density of 2. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 41 persons per hectare. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, ^[35] The number of women at 50. 48% slightly exceeded that of men. ^[36] 96. 56% of the population were white, 1. 22% Asian or Asian British, 1. 02% mixed race, 0. 58% Black or Black British and 0. 61% Chinese or other ethnic group. With regard to religion, 74. 02% of the population were Christian, 16. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth 98% had no religion and 7. 22% did not respond. Other religions in total accounting for less than 2%. Amongst other findings were that 74. 33% felt they were in good health, 50. 98% were economically active full time employees (over 10% higher than the National Average) and 48. 73% were buying their property with a mortgage or loan (almost 10% higher than the national average). ^[35] Amongst the working population, 64. 2% travelled less than 10km to work. ^[37] The biggest percentage of employees, 17. 67% worked in real estate, renting and business activities. ^[38]

Facilities

View of The Malls from Basingstoke Train Station

Festival Place, a new shopping centre, opened in autumn 2002, adding a huge boost to the town centre,^[39] transforming the former The Walks Shopping Centre and the New Market Square. Festival Place is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England which opened in Tuesday 22nd October 2002 See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Aside from a wide range of shops, there is also a range of cafés and restaurants as well as a large multiple-screen Vue cinema (formerly Ster Century until their takeover in 2005). Vue is a cinema company in Ireland and the UK. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC International Cinemas bought Warner Village Ster Century was a cinema company in Ireland and the UK. There was one Ster Century cinema in Dublin, Ireland, and 6 in the UK Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[40]

Central Basingstoke has two further shopping areas: The Malls and the Top of Town. The Malls Basingstoke is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England built between 1978 and 1981 The Malls area has declined since the opening of Festival Place and the closure of its Allders department store, though it is still home to several major retailers. Allders is an independent Department store in Croydon, Surrey, England. The leasehold was purchased in 2004 by the St Modwen development group in partnership with the Kuwait property investment company Salhia Real Estate, with provision for redevelopment^[41] and a 55,000 square metre Primark store opened on the previous Allders site, in the Malls shopping centre, in March 2008. The store, which employs 204 people, is in the top 25 largest Primark stores in the country. ^[42]

View from Basingstoke railway station forecourt; the chrome yellow buildings of Crown Heights stand on the site of older office buildings that have been demolished to build apartments. The former IBM offices in the background are now being converted into flats. International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology

The Top of Town is the historic heart of Basingstoke, housing the town's Willis Museum^[43] in the former Town Hall building and the Haymarket Theatre in the former Corn exchange. A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a City or Town 's administration and usually houses the city or There are also several locally run shops, as well as the post office, and the market place. For the UK's mail delivery service See Royal Mail Post Office Ltd (Swyddfa'r Post Cyf A marketplace is the space actual or metaphorical in which a Market operates

The town's nightlife is split between the new Festival Square, and the traditional hostelries at the Top of Town, with a few local community pubs outside the central area. NightLife with Tony Delroy is a popular late night talkback show across ABC Local Radio, Broadcasting from the 702 ABC Sydney studios in Ultimo The town has four nightclubs, two in the town itself, one on the east side and one 2 miles (3 km) out to the west.

In Portchester Square is the Basingstoke Sports Centre^[44] which has a subterranean swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. A sauna (ˈsɔːnə or as Finnish) is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary Jacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool Bathtubs History Around 1900 seven brothers named Jacuzzi (pronounced yah-KUH-tzih immigrated Above ground there is a gym, aerobics studios, squash courts and main hall. There is also a playden for young children. Basingstoke town centre is also home to a modern concert hall, The Anvil. The Anvil is a Theatre and performing arts centre in the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire, UK. ^[45]

Sports and Leisure

Outside the town centre, there is a leisure park featuring the Aquadrome swimming pool, which opened in May 2002. ^[46] The park also includes an ice rink, Bowling Alley, Bingo club and a ten screen cinema, as well as a restaurant and fast food outlets. For the fictional character called Megaplex see Megaplex (Transformers. The leisure park is home to the Milestones Museum which contains a network of streets and buildings based on the history of Hampshire. Milestones Museum is a museum located in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain

Basingstoke has its own football team, Basingstoke Town Football Club who (as of August 2007) play in the Blue Square Conference South. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Basingstoke Town Football Club are an English association football team based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, playing in the August 2007 is the eighth month of that year It began on a Wednesday and 31 days later ended on a Friday. Conference South (currently billed as Blue Square South for sponsorship reasons is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking The Basingstoke Rugby Football Club play in Rugby Football Union's Powergen South West League 1, and the Basingstoke Bison ice hockey team play in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Basingstoke Rugby Football Club is a Rugby Union club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, in southern England. Club Roster 08/09 Players as of October 2, 2008 Honoured members Basingstoke have only retired the number of one player that being Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The Elite Ice Hockey League (also known for sponsorship reasons as the Bmibaby Elite League) is a Professional Ice hockey league in the United Basingstoke also has a swimming team, known as the Basingstoke Bluefins. The diversity of sporting activity in the area is illustrated by organisations such as Basingstoke Demons Floorball Club and Basingstoke Bulls Korfball Club. The home ground of Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club, Mays Bounty was until 2000 used once a season by Hampshire County Cricket Club. Players such as Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar as well as Ashes winners Michael Vaughan, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard have graced the ground^[47][48][49] It was also where celebrated commentator and playwright John Arlott watched his first match. Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969 is a former Australian international Cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the Michael Paul Vaughan OBE (born 29 October 1974 in Eccles, Salford, England is a Cricketer for Yorkshire and England. Stephen James Harmison MBE (born 23 October 1978 Ashington, Northumberland) is an England Cricketer and a leading Test match Matthew James Hoggard MBE (born 31 December 1976 Leeds, Yorkshire) is an English Cricketer The 6' 2" Hoggard is a right arm fast-medium Leslie Thomas John Arlott ( February 25, 1914 &ndash December 14, 1991) was a freelance author whose main subjects were sport and wine a poet ^[50] But in August 2008 County Cricket will return to May’s Bounty. [1].

Eastrop Park, with Fanum House in the background

Education

Basingstoke has two large further education colleges: a sixth form college, Queen Mary's College (QMC); and Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT). Fanum House is the headquarters of The Automobile Association in Basingstoke in the English county of Hampshire. Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 Queen Mary's College (often initialised as QMC) is a Sixth form college in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. The Basingstoke College of Technology ( BCoT) is a College in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. There are also many large secondary schools in the area. Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes Whilst not having its own university-level institution, a small campus of the University of Winchester is located in the town. The University of Winchester is a University in Winchester, Hampshire, England. Basingstoke is within 30 miles (48 km) of six universities, namely Thames Valley University (TVU), the University of Winchester, the University of Reading, the University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University and Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College in Farnham. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Thames Valley University ( TVU) is a British university based on campuses in Slough, Reading and Ealing, all in the The University of Winchester is a University in Winchester, Hampshire, England. The University of Reading is a University in the English town of Reading Berkshire The University of Southampton is a university situated in the city of Southampton, on the south coast of England. Southampton Solent University is a University of 17000 students based in Southampton, United Kingdom. The Surrey Institute of Art & Design University College was an art college in the United Kingdom. Farnham is a Town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley.

Media

Basingstoke has its own radio station: Kestrel FM. 2-Ten FM, broadcast from Reading also provides local radio coverage. 2Ten FM (Originally styled 2-Ten FM) is an Independent Local Radio station serving Berkshire and North Hampshire with studios in Reading Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between The town also has good coverage from digital radio; the BBC, Independent National and Now Reading multiplexes can be received in the town,^[51] and the outskirts can receive London and South Hampshire stations as well. Digital radio describes Radio technologies which carry Information as a Digital signal, by means of a Digital modulation method For multiplexing in electronics and signal processing see Multiplexer. ^[52][53]

There are three local newspapers: the Basingstoke Gazette, Basingstoke Observer and the Basingstoke Independent. The Basingstoke Gazette is a local Newspaper for Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. The Basingstoke Observer is a local Newspaper for the Basingstoke and surrounding areas of north Hampshire, England. The town is also covered by the Hampshire Chronicle. The Hampshire Chronicle is a local Broadsheet Newspaper that is circulated all over the Hampshire area

Transport

Basingstoke railway station, as seen from Alençon Link

Basingstoke is at Junction 6 of the M3 Motorway, which skirts the town's southern edge, linking the town to London and to Southampton and the south-west. History The station was opened by the London and South Western Railway as a temporary terminus when its line to Southampton reached Basingstoke from London The M3 motorway is a Motorway in Hampshire and Surrey, England. The central area of the town is encircled by a ring road constructed in the 1960s named The Ringway and bisected from east to west by the A3010, Churchill Way. Major roads radiate from the Ringway like spokes from a hub. The A33 runs northeast to Reading and the M4 Motorway. The A33 is a major Road in England. The road formerly ran from Reading to Southampton, but now consists of three disjoint sections The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. The A30 runs east to Hook and southwest to Winchester. The A30 is an old Trunk road (main road which runs from central London to Land's End, the westernmost point of the mainland of southern Great Britain ( though The A339 runs southeast to Alton and northwest to Newbury. Basingstoke has a reputation for having a large density of roundabouts.

The South Western Main Line railway runs east and west through the centre of the town and Basingstoke railway station linking it to the South West of England, London Waterloo (the fastest train Basingstoke to London takes 45 minutes), Winchester, Southampton and Bournemouth, and via the Eastleigh to Fareham Line and West Coastway Line to Portsmouth and Brighton. The South Western Main Line is a Railway line from London Waterloo to Weymouth on the Dorset coast in the south of England. The Railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world History The station was opened by the London and South Western Railway as a temporary terminus when its line to Southampton reached Basingstoke from London South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to History The Eastleigh-Fareham line was built by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR and opened in 1841 West Coastway Line is the name of a railway line in England, along the south coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, to the west of Brighton The West of England Main Line to Salisbury and Exeter diverges at Worting Junction, to the west. The West of England Main Line is a British railway line running from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids. Similar Junctions Weaver Junction Raynes Park Junction Hitchin Junction - proposed The Basingstoke Branch^[54] runs north-east to Reading, providing services to Oxford, Birmingham, the north of England and Scotland. Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. The town was also the terminus of the defunct Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway. The Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway was a Railway in Hampshire, UK, opened on Saturday 1 June, 1901, with no formal ceremony

Most bus services in the town operate from Basingstoke Bus Station. The majority are provided by the Stagecoach Group through their Stagecoach in Hampshire sub-division. Stagecoach Group plc ( is a leading international transport group operating Bus, Train, Tram, express coach and Ferry operations Stagecoach in Hampshire is an operating sub-division of Stagecoach South, part of the Stagecoach Group and is the trading name of Hampshire Bus Company Ltd Countrywide Travel^[55] and Newbury Buses also operate over individual routes and cango operate a service linking villages between Basingstoke and Alton. cango is a Demand responsive transport Bus operator in Hampshire, UK, owned by Hampshire County Council. A Park and Ride service provided by Courtney Coaches^[56] links Basingstoke leisure park with Basing View, via Basingstoke Railway Station. Park and ride (or incentive parking) facilities are Public transport stations that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into This service uses distinctive purple Optare Solo buses, and provides a daytime service at roughly 10-minute intervals throughout the week. The Optare Solo is a low floor Midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997 Currently (2007), a complimentary peak time service is also provided by MEPC Coaches^[57] between Chineham Business Park and the railway station. National Express offers direct coach services to London and Southampton from the bus station. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail

Separate provision for cyclists from other road traffic was not part of the remit of the 1960s town redevelopment, and until recently provision for cyclists was very poor. ^[58] A Basingstoke Area Cycling Strategy was developed in 1999^[59] and subsequently an extensive cycle network has been developed^[60] mainly utilising on-road routes or off-road routes that run parallel with and directly alongside roads. Basingstoke was linked to Reading on the National Cycle Network route 23 in May 2003 and the route was extened south to Alton and Alresford in April 2006. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom. A Basingstoke Bicycle Users Group meets quarterly to discuss local cycling issues. ^[61]

The closest international airport to Basingstoke is Southampton, about 25 miles (40 km) away. An international airport is an Airport typically equipped with Customs and Immigration facilities to handle international flights to and from other Southampton Airport is the 20th largest Airport in the UK, located in Eastleigh near Southampton. Blackbushe (9 miles (14 km)) and Farnborough (11 miles (18 km)) have Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Ordinary Licences, allowing for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. Blackbushe Airport, in the Civil parish of Yateley in the north-east corner of the English county of Hampshire, comprises an airfield Other General Aviation (GA) airfields in the area are at Popham,^[62] (7 miles (11 km)) and Lasham (5 miles (8 km)). General aviation (abbr GA) is one of two categories of Civil aviation. Lasham Airfield is located 6 miles south-south-east of Basingstoke in Hampshire, England, near the village of Lasham. Prior Permission Required (PPR) sites are near Brimpton^[63] and Hook. Brimpton is a small Village of 200 residents and Civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. Lasham is particularly well known for its gliding school.

Though there are no navigable waterways within the immediate area, plans to reconnect the town with the surviving section of the Basingstoke Canal have been mooted several times in the past and this remains a long term aim of the Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society. The Basingstoke Canal is a British Canal, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation. ^[64] The Basingstoke Canal Heritage Footpath follows the canal route for 2 miles (3 km) from Festival Place to Basing House. Festival Place is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England which opened in Tuesday 22nd October 2002 Basing House, Hampshire, was a major English Tudor Palace and Castle that once rivalled Hampton Court Palace in its size

Nearest Places

Destinations from BASINGSTOKE
Newbury	Reading	London, Wokingham, Yateley
Andover	N W E S	Fleet, Farnborough, Aldershot
Southampton, Winchester	Portsmouth, New Alresford	Farnham, Alton

Cultural references

In the 1887 Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera Ruddigore, the word "Basingstoke" is used as a code word by Sir Despard Murgatroyd to soothe his new wife, Mad Margaret, when she seems in danger of relapsing into madness. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Yateley is a Suburban Town and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Fleet is a town in the county of Hampshire, UK, located 37 miles (60 km southwest of London. Aldershot is a town in the English County of Hampshire, located on heathland about 60 km (37 miles southwest of London. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which New Alresford or simply Alresford (pronounced Allsford) is a small Town and Civil parish in Hampshire, England. Farnham is a Town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. Alton is a small market town in Hampshire, England, to the southwest of Farnham. Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W Comic opera, or light opera, denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature usually with a happy ending Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse, is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W Margaret suggests this course of action herself:

Well, then, when I am lying awake at night, and the pale moonlight streams through the latticed casement, strange fancies crowd upon my poor mad brain, and I sometimes think that if we could hit upon some word for you to use whenever I am about to relapse—some word that teems with hidden meaning—like "Basingstoke"—it might recall me to my saner self.

First published in 1895, Thomas Hardy referred to Basingstoke as "Stoke Barehills" in Jude the Obscure – Part Fifth, Chapter 5

"There is in Upper Wessex an old town of nine or ten thousand souls; the town may be called Stoke-Barehills. Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw Jude the Obscure is the last of Thomas Hardy 's Novels begun as a magazine serial and first published in book form in 1895. West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation. It stands with its gaunt, unattractive, ancient church, and its new red brick suburb".

"The most familiar object in Stoke-Barehills nowadays is its cemetery, standing among some picturesque mediaeval ruins beside the railway; the modern chapels, modern tombs, and modern shrubs having a look of intrusiveness amid the crumbling and ivy-covered decay of the ancient walls. "

Carl Barât, co-founder of The Libertines rock band, was born in Basingstoke and responded to a request for a description of the town with the succinct question "Have you seen The Office?". Carl Ashley Raphael Barât (born June 6, 1978) is an English musician The Libertines were an English Indie rock band Formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Pete Doherty (vocals/rhythm guitar and Carl Barât (vocals/lead This article is about the original version of The Office For the US version see The Office (US TV series, and for a comparison of the various versions from around the ^[65]

In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, just after Ford Prefect has explained to Arthur Dent that they hitched a lift on a spaceship Arthur replies: "Are you trying to tell me that we just stuck out our thumbs and some green bug-eyed monster stuck his head out and said, Hi fellas, hop right in. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ( 1979, ISBN 0-330-25864-8 is the title of the first of five books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 &ndash 11 May 2001 was an English author comic Radio dramatist I can take you as far as the Basingstoke roundabout?". ^[66]

Filmography

The 1998 film Get Real was filmed at various locations around the town. Get Real is a 1998 British film directed by Simon Shore, based on the play What's Wrong With Angry? by screenwriter ^[67]

The British sitcom Blessed referred to Basingstoke in an episode that aired during the last quarter of 2005. Blessed was a BBC television Sitcom written by Ben Elton and starring Ardal O'Hanlon as Gary a record producer who is struggling When the main character met an upper-class couple who had named their children "India" and "Ireland" to reflect their supposed mystical natures, he ironically replied that he had named his own children "Basingstoke" and "Milton Keynes". India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Milton Keynes ( ˌmɪltənˈkiːnz often abbreviated to MK, is a large town

Basingstoke’s North Hampshire Hospital was one of two hospitals used for the filming of Channel 4's hit comedy Green Wing. The North Hampshire Hospital, formerly Basingstoke District Hospital, is a 400 bed National Health Service (NHS Hospital in Basingstoke Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Green Wing is an award-winning British television Comedy set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital Trust. ^[68]

Twinned towns

Basingstoke is twinned with^[69]

• Alençon, France, since 1968
• Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium, since 1979
• Euskirchen, Germany, since 1986

See also

• Category:Basingstoke: listing of Basingstoke-themed articles
• List of famous residents of Basingstoke
• Basingstoke Canal

Notes

References

External links

• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
• Local info on Basingstoke from Hampshire County Council
• Local news (from the Basingstoke Gazette)
• Basingstoke Roundabout
• The Willis Museum The museum of Basingstoke History