80-470: Hatch Warren is a district and ward of Basingstoke in Hampshire , England. The population of the appropriate ward called Hatch Warren and Beggarwood was 9,284 at the 2011 Census. It is situated west of the town centre and neighbouring housing estates include Kempshott and Brighton Hill . It is primarily served by Brighton Hill Community School (a secondary school ), one Primary school , St Marks and
160-511: A junior school , Hatch Warren. It lies within the Hatch Warren & Beggarwood ward of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. Hatch Warren shares a Newsletter, the Rabbiter, with Beggarwood and Kempshott Park, and has a small retail park, which includes a Sainsbury's supermarket and petrol station, as well as Argos, Lidl , American Golf , Pets at Home , Dreams and B&M . It also has
240-429: A long barrow near Down Grange. The site of Winklebury camp was home to Fort Hill Community School (this school has shutdown). Nearby, to the west, Roman Road marks the course of a Roman road that ran from Winchester to Silchester . Further to the east, another Roman road ran from Chichester through the outlying villages of Upton Grey and Mapledurwell . The Harrow Way is an Iron-age ancient route that runs to
320-491: A ring road . The shopping centre was built in phases. The first phase was completed by the 1970s and was later covered 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 central part of the shopping centre was rebuilt in 2002 and reopened as Festival Place . This has brought
400-438: A Roman roadway that ran from northeast to southwest, from Silchester towards Salisbury (Sorbiodunum), and by another Roman road that linked Silchester (Calleva Atrebatum) in the north with Winchester (Venta Belgarum) to the south. These cross-cutting highways, along with the good agricultural land hereabouts, account for the many "Roman" villas in the area, mostly put up by Romanized native nobility ( Roman villa ). Even more ancient
480-544: A buffer zone to the south of the town, and the South West Main Line constrains the western expansion, with a green belt to the north and north-east. The villages of Cliddesden , Dummer , Sherborne St John and Oakley , although being very close to the town limits, are distinct parishes. Popley, Hatch Warren and Beggarwood saw rapid growth in housing in the mid to late 2000s. The population of Basingstoke increased from around 2,500 in 1801 to over 52,000 in 1971;
560-738: A call centre in Cheadle, Stockport and manages its patrol force of roadside mechanics from an operations centre in Oldbury near Birmingham. Additionally, a number of marketing, finance and digital functions operate from a London office, firstly at 90 Long Acre in Covent Garden, and from 2021 at the Blue Fin Building near the River Thames. The AA Driving School, which includes the AA and BSM driving school brands,
640-471: A consortium led by Tower Brook Capital Partners and Warburg Pincus completed the acquisition of AA Limited (formerly known as AA PLC). The Automobile Association was founded in 1905 by William John Bosworth, to help motorists avoid police speed traps , in response to the Motor Car Act 1903 which introduced new penalties for breaking the speed limit , for reckless driving with fines, endorsements and
720-506: A dramatic improvement to shoppers' opinions of the town centre. Situated in a valley through the Hampshire Downs at an average elevation of 88 metres (289 ft) Basingstoke 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 area had been something of an interchange even in ancient times. It had been cut by
800-487: A line was built to Salisbury by the London and South Western. In the 19th century Basingstoke began to move into industrial manufacture, Wallis and Haslam (later Wallis & Steevens ), 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. Two traders who opened their first shops within
880-662: A network of streets and buildings based on the history of Hampshire . Basingstoke has a football club, Basingstoke Town F.C. , the Basingstoke Rugby Football Club and the Basingstoke Bison ice hockey team. Basingstoke also has a swimming team, known as the Basingstoke Bluefins and an American Flag Football Team known as the Basingstoke Zombie Horde. Further sporting organisations in
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#1733105203721960-486: A pub named The Portsmouth Arms. The pub was due to open in 1996, but was destroyed by arson; the Portsmouth Arms did however open a year later. There is a Community Centre in Hatch Warren, It is used by a Youth Club, After-school activity Group as well as the local Scouting group. 51°14′N 1°7′W / 51.233°N 1.117°W / 51.233; -1.117 This Hampshire location article
1040-656: A reasoned conversation with Mr Prosser." In July 2013, the company launched AA Cars , linking buyers and sellers of used cars. The service is a partnership with Vcars, rebranding its partner's existing online service and providing a check of the car's history. At the time of rebranding, over 110,000 cars were available for purchase via 2,000 registered dealers. The AA became listed on the London Stock Exchange as AA plc in June 2014, through an initial public offering in which Acromas sold all its shares. In September 2015,
1120-528: A regular market, but is now larger than Hampshire County Council's definition of a market town. Basingstoke became an important economic centre during the second half of the 20th century and houses the locations of the UK headquarters of Motorola , The Automobile Association , De La Rue , Sun Life Financial , ST Ericsson , GAME , Barracuda Networks , Eli Lilly and Company , FCB Halesway part of FCB , BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions (the leasing arm of BNP Paribas in
1200-466: A service that will deliver a broken-down vehicle, its driver and passengers, luggage and trailer to anywhere in Britain. In 1998, as a result of enquiries by James Birkin, an AA member it emerged that members had the right to stand for the executive committee. It also emerged during correspondence that there was no record of any member of the AA ever having stood for election. At that time, the committee had
1280-464: A suitable venue, the team practice in nearby Whitchurch . Basingstoke is also the home of Rising Phoenix Cheer, a successful competitive Allstar Cheerleading programme for athletes from age 5 upwards, training at Aldworth school. Basingstoke has a wide diversity for musical groups ranging from brass bands to symphony orchestras . The Basingstoke Concert Band is a traditional wind band which has now been in existence for more than 35 years. The band
1360-462: A village 2 miles (3 km) to the east, is thought to have the same etymology, and was the original Anglo-Saxon settlement of the people – Basingas – led by a tribal chief called Basa . Basing remained the main settlement until changes in the local church moved the religious base from St Marys Church, Basing, to the church in Basingstoke. A Neolithic campsite of around 3000 BC beside a spring on
1440-456: 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 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. John May, a member of the brewery family, was several times mayor of the town. A benefactor to
1520-524: Is Festival Place , which opened in October 2002. Festival Place gave a huge boost to the town centre, transforming and replacing what was the former The Walks Shopping Centre and the New Market Square. Aside from a wide range of shops, there is also a range of cafés and restaurants as well as a large multiscreen Vue cinema (formerly Ster Century from Festival Place's opening until their takeover in 2005;
1600-769: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Basingstoke Basingstoke ( / ˈ b eɪ z ɪ ŋ s t oʊ k / BAY -zing-stohk ) is a town in Hampshire , situated in south-central England across a valley at the source of the River Loddon on the western edge of the North Downs . It is the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status . It is located 30 miles (48 km) north-east of Southampton , 48 miles (77 km) south-west of London , 27 miles (43 km) west of Guildford , 22 miles (35 km) south of Reading and 20 miles (32 km) north-east of
1680-481: Is a British motoring association . Founded in 1905, it provides vehicle insurance , driving lessons , breakdown cover , loans, motoring advice, road maps and other services. The association demutualised in 1999, to become a private limited company , and from 2014 a public limited company (PLC). In 2002 the AA Motoring Trust was created to continue its public interest and road safety activities. In 2021,
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#17331052037211760-459: Is a nature reserve; there is water in the canal and the canal towpath can be walked. A permissive footpath at the western entrance to the tunnel allows walkers to access public footpaths to get to the eastern entrance of the tunnel. The limit of navigation is about 500m east of the Greywell Tunnel. The renovated sections of the canal can then be navigated east towards West Byfleet where it joins
1840-659: Is based in offices in Cardiff. The AA's publishing arm, branded as RatedTrips.com, is based in separate offices in Basingstoke. The AA Foundation for Road Safety Research was created by the AA in 1986. In 2002, the AA Motoring Trust charity was created to continue the AA's public interest and road safety activities; its responsibilities were transferred to the IAM Motoring Trust, under the Institute of Advanced Motorists , at
1920-427: Is provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian , with BBC London and ITV London also received in the town. Basingstoke is served by two regional radio stations. Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire & North Hampshire , serving North Hampshire and parts of Surrey and Sussex , and Heart South , previously broadcast from Reading . BBC Radio Berkshire is available in the town. The town has coverage from digital radio ;
2000-473: Is still in use and is called "May's Bounty". Ordinary citizens were said to be shocked 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 licensed trade quickly grew more openly hostile. Violent clashes became a regular occurrence. On Sunday 27 March 1881 troops were called upon to break up
2080-401: Is the "Gold Star" for properties deemed to stand out. The AA award a "Pennant rating" to campsites and caravan parks on a five-point scale. A percentage score is also awarded to enable comparison of parks with the same rating. AA inspectors award AA rosettes on a zero to five system. About one in ten restaurants have been awarded one or more rosettes. As of 2020, around 2,000 restaurants in
2160-560: The BBC , Independent National and Now Reading multiplexes can be received in the town, and the outskirts can receive London and South Hampshire stations as well. The BBC national stations and DAB coverage is enhanced by a small relay just south of the town centre. The local radio Station is HHCR - Basingstoke's Community Radio, an internet-based broadcaster opened on 3 June 2019 by Cllr Diane Taylor Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane. The Holy Ghost School (subsequently Queen Mary's School for Boys )
2240-516: The Chief Justice , Lord Alverston , ruled that where a patrolman signals to a speeding driver to slow down and thereby avoid a speed trap, then they would have committed the offence of 'obstructing an officer in the course of his duty' under the Prevention of Crimes Amendment Act 1885 . The organisation then introduced a coded warning system, used until the 1960s, whereby an AA patrolman would salute
2320-511: The North Hampshire Hospital . The hospital only caters for midwifery students. Basingstoke is situated close to junctions 6, 7 and 8 of the M3 motorway , which skirts the town's south-eastern edge, linking the town to London, and to Southampton and the south-west. The central area of the town is encircled by The Ringway, a ring road constructed in the 1960s, and is bisected east to west by
2400-481: The Stagecoach Group through their Stagecoach in Hampshire sub-division. Basingstoke Community Transport and Communities First Wessex run some smaller routes. A peak-time service is provided by Thames Valley Buses between Chineham Business Park and the railway station. National Express offers direct coach services to London and Southampton from the bus station. Separating cyclists from other road traffic
2480-661: The Wey Navigation , which itself can be navigated to the River Thames at Weybridge . Aims to reconnect Basingstoke with the surviving sections of the Basingstoke Canal have been beset with difficulties, and actual restoration of a canal link is impossible. The Basingstoke Canal Society aspire to re-establish the route of the lost section of the canal as closely as possible with a footpath and cycleway. The Automobile Association AA Limited , trading as The AA ,
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2560-422: The ceremonial county , but when the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth attained unitary authority status in 1998, Basingstoke became the largest settlement in the county administered by the county council. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is the lower-tier local authority for the town, and has its offices in the town centre. Elections to the council take place in 3 out of every 4 years. Under
2640-408: The county town and former capital Winchester . According to the 2016 population estimate, the town had a population of 113,776. It is part of the borough of Basingstoke and Deane and part of the parliamentary constituency of Basingstoke . Basingstoke is an old market town expanded in the mid-1960s, as a result of an agreement between London County Council and Hampshire County Council . It
2720-611: The town twinning scheme, the local council have twinned Basingstoke with Alençon in France, Braine-l'Alleud in Belgium, and Euskirchen in Germany. The Top of Town is the historic heart of Basingstoke, housing the Willis Museum in the former Town Hall building (rebuilt 1832) as well as several locally run shops and the market place . Basingstoke is home to two theatrical organisations:
2800-517: The 18th and 19th centuries, and the oldest and most successful brewery was May's Brewery, established by Thomas and William May in 1750 in Brook Street. The London and South Western Railway arrived in 1839 from London, and within a year it was extended to Winchester and Southampton . In 1848 a rival company, sponsored by the Great Western Railway built a branch from Reading . In 1854
2880-439: The 1960s. After the war, the AA led protests against petrol rationing , which was repealed in 1950. 1949 saw the launch of a night-time breakdown and recovery service, initially in London only, then extended nationwide. The AA Insurance brokerage service was started in 1967. The organisation campaigned for the compulsory wearing of seat belts , and for the introduction of unleaded petrol. Seat belt legislation became law in
2960-793: The A3010 (Churchill Way). The A33 runs north-east to Reading and the M4 motorway , and south-west to Winchester. The A30 runs east to Hook and west to Salisbury. The A303 to Wiltshire and the West Country begins a few miles south-west of Basingstoke, sharing the first few miles with the A30. On the M3, there is a flyover, which passes over the slip road to A303, near Junction 8. The A339 runs south-east to Alton and north-west to Newbury. The South West Main Line runs east and west through
3040-677: The AA acquired the garage-booking service Motoriety. In that year, the AA had around 3,000 patrol staff. Bob Mackenzie was Executive Chairman from June 2014, having led the buy out from Acromas, until August 2017 when he was removed for "gross misconduct". He was replaced by Simon Breakwell as Acting Chief Executive, and John Leach as Chairman. In July 2015, the AA added more than 500 Volkswagen Transporter vans to their patrol fleet. More vans were ordered in February 2017. The organisation had operated in Ireland from 1910. The AA Ireland business
3120-522: The AA in July 2004 to two private equity firms, CVC and Permira , which in July 2007 merged the AA with Saga under Acromas Holdings . In 2006, CVC and Permira were accused by Labour MP Gwyn Prosser in the House of Commons of "greed" and "blatant asset stripping " of the AA "to borrow £500m on the basis of the AA's assets in order to pay themselves a dividend." The AA responded that they were "happy to have
3200-567: The Haymarket, which is situated in the former Corn Exchange , and The Anvil , which is near the railway station. The Willis Museum was founded and directed by Alderman George W. Willis, a local clocksmith, who served as Mayor of Basingstoke in 1923–24. Willis established the museum in 1931 with much public support, and built its holdings up into a major collection on local history, with a particularly extensive collection of prehistoric implements and of antique clocks and watches. His association with
3280-475: The London Overspill plan, along with places such as Ashford and Swindon , Basingstoke was rapidly developed in the late 1960s as an 'expanded town', in similar fashion to Milton Keynes . As the population increased, the town produced more figures of national importance, such as the art critic Waldemar Januszczak and the actress Elizabeth Hurley . Many office blocks and large estates were built, as well as
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3360-587: The UK) and Sony Professional Solutions. It is also the location of the European headquarters of the TaylorMade Golf Company. Other industries include IT , telecommunications, insurance and electronics. The name Basingstoke (A.D 990; Embasinga stocæ, Domesday ; Basingestoches) is believed to have been derived from the town's position as the outlying, western settlement of Basa's people. Basing, now Old Basing ,
3440-512: The United Kingdom on 1 January 1983 with the Transport Act 1981 . The AA has lobbied successive governments over what they describe as 'unfair motoring taxes'. In February 1972, the AA relocated from its central London offices to Basingstoke . In the following year it began broadcasting AA Roadwatch traffic reports on commercial radio stations. AA Relay was also introduced in 1973,
3520-511: The area include Basingstoke & Mid Hants Athletic Club, Basingstoke Demons Floorball Club, Basingstoke Volleyball Club, Basingstoke Bulls Korfball Club and Lasham Gliding Society . The home ground of Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club, Mays Bounty, was until 2000 used once a season by Hampshire County Cricket Club . As of 2011, Basingstoke has a roller derby league and team, the Basingstoke Bullets. Due to difficulty finding
3600-824: The bed of the river Loddon. 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 . To the north of this line, encompassing the areas of Chineham and Pyotts Hill, is London clay , which has in the past allowed excavation for high quality brick and tile manufacture. Basingstoke's expansion has absorbed much surrounding farmland and scattered housing, transforming it into housing estates or local districts. Many of these new estates are designed as almost self-contained communities, such as Lychpit, Chineham, Popley, Winklebury , Oakridge , Kempshott , Brighton Hill , Viables , South Ham , Black Dam, Buckskin and South Ham Extension and Hatch Warren . The M3 acts as
3680-448: The centre of the town and Basingstoke railway station , linking Basingstoke to London Waterloo , Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth. The West of England line links Basingstoke to Salisbury and to Exeter. The Reading–Basingstoke line runs north-east to Reading and is part of an important through route for longer distance services to Birmingham and the North. The town was
3760-571: The conflict after the Mayor had read the Riot Act . The riot and its causes led to questions in Parliament and a period of notoriety for the town. The town was described as 'Barbarous Basingstoke' by one London newspaper in 1882 but by March 1882 the disturbances were dying down. In 1898 John Isaac Thornycroft began production of steam-powered lorries in the town and Thornycroft 's quickly grew to become
3840-425: The driver of a passing car which showed a visible AA Badge unless there was a speed trap nearby, on the understanding that their officers could not be prosecuted for failing to salute. The AA Handbook stated that "It cannot be too strongly emphasised that when a patrol fails to salute, the member should stop and ask the reason why, as it is certain that the patrol has something of importance to communicate." In 1910,
3920-473: The early 1930s. By 1926, the organisation had installed 6,500 direction signs, and 15,000 village signs, most of which were removed during the Second World War . In 1908, the organisation published its first AA Members' Special Handbook containing a list of nationwide agents and repairers. In 1910, in a legal test case ( Betts vs. Stevens ) involving an AA patrolman and a potentially speeding motorist,
4000-480: The end of 2006. The AA awards ratings according to a system based on quality standards, agreed by the AA and the various tourist authorities in the United Kingdom. Properties are awarded a star rating, from one to five stars. In addition, each hotel receives a "Merit % Score" to enable comparison of hotels with similar star ratings. Hotels that are deemed to stand out may also receive a "Red Star" "AA Inspectors' Choice" award. A similar award for guest accommodation
4080-422: The executive committee of behaving like a "self-perpetuating oligarchy." The meeting repeatedly criticised chairman Sir Brian Shaw for having said that members who were unhappy with this arrangement could "vote with their feet". The association demutualised in July 1999 to become a private limited company, which was bought later the same year by Centrica (owners of British Gas and Scottish Gas). Centrica sold
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#17331052037214160-527: The expanding museum continued for forty years. The museum's central location today is where, once upon a time, Jane Austen and her sister used to go to dances, and a statue of Jane Austen was installed outside the museum in 2017, on the 200th anniversary of her death. Although ostensibly set in Hertford, Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice , written in 1797, is thought to have been based on her view of Basingstoke society two centuries ago. The major shopping area
4240-581: The leisure park are an ice rink, a bowling alley, an indoor sky-diving centre with ski and surf machines, a Bingo club and a ten-screen Odeon (formerly Vue prior to the takeover of the Ster Century cinema in Festival Place, and before that, Warner-Village) cinema , as well as a restaurant and fast food outlets. The leisure park is home to the Milestones Museum , a living history museum which contains
4320-541: The most significant growth occurring during the latter half of the 20th century. The borough of Basingstoke was merged with other local districts in 1974 to form the borough of Basingstoke and Deane , and census data from that point covers the whole borough. Figures published for the UK census in 2011 for the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane give a population of 167,799 and a population density of 2.7 persons per hectare—only about half
4400-400: The national average). Amongst the working population, 64.2 per cent travelled less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to work. The biggest percentage of employees, 17.67 per cent, worked in real estate, renting and business activities. Basingstoke is part of a two-tier local government structure and returns county councillors to Hampshire County Council . It is the third largest settlement in
4480-449: The national figure. The number of women slightly exceeded that of men, and a slight increase in the percentage of residents over 65 was also noted. Among other findings in 2001 were that 74.33 per cent felt they were in good health, 50.98 per cent were economically active full-time employees (over 10 per cent higher than the national average) and 48.73 per cent were buying their property with a mortgage or loan (almost 10 per cent higher than
4560-534: The organisation introduced AA Routes and in 1912, began inspecting hotels and restaurants, issuing AA Star Classification to those deemed to be of sufficient quality and introduced pre-purchase and post-accident repair checks in the 1920s. In 1920 members were issued with keys to wooden roadside telephone boxes which could be used to call the organisation for assistance (the boxes had been erected from 1912 as shelters for watchmen or patrolmen). There were almost 1,000 boxes in their heyday, and they remained in use until
4640-421: The possibility of jail for speeding and other driving offences. The act also required drivers to hold a driving licence (which was obtained without a test on payment of five shillings at a post office) and to display a registration plate on their vehicle. By 1906, the AA had erected thousands of roadside danger and warning signs, and managed road signage until responsibility was passed to local authorities in
4720-661: The pre-existing Vue in the Leisure Park was sold to Odeon ). The Malls is a shopping area linked by a gateway entrance to the rail station. It had declined since the opening of Festival Place and the closure of its Allders department store. 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 The redevelopment of The Malls started in late 2010. A clear roof canopy
4800-460: The redevelopment of Basing View. A John Lewis at home store which was part of the same redevelopment closed down in 2021. 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. The town has four nightclubs, two in the town itself, one on the east side and one 2 miles (3.2 km) out to
4880-519: The right to veto those standing and had in fact always appointed new members. Birkin stood for the committee in 1998, having first issued a press release reported in the London Evening Standard highly critical of way the system operated. He was duly rejected by the committee as a candidate they wished to be permitted to stand. Criticism followed at the annual general meeting in May 1998, describing
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#17331052037214960-575: The route goes around the ruins of Basing House and then through and around the eastern edge of Old Basing. It followed another loop to go over small streams near the Hatch public house (a lot of this section was built over when constructing the M3) and headed across fields on an embankment towards Mapledurwell . The section of the canal from Up Nately to the western entrance of the Greywell Tunnel still exists and
5040-493: The route was extended south to Alton and Alresford in April 2006. The Basingstoke Canal started at a canal basin, roughly where the cinema in Festival Place is located. From there the canal ran alongside the River Loddon following the line of Eastrop Way. The old canal route passes under the perimeter ring road and then follows a long loop partly on an embankment to pass over small streams and water meadows towards Old Basing , where
5120-601: The south of the town. The first recorded historical event in the area was the defeat of King Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred the Great at Old Basing by the Danes in 871. Basingstoke is recorded as a weekly market site in the Domesday Book , in 1086, and has held a regular Wednesday market since 1214. During the Civil War , and the siege of Basing House between 1643 and 1645,
5200-413: The terminus of the defunct Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway . Current rail services from Basingstoke are operated by South Western Railway , CrossCountry and Great Western Railway . The Reading-Basingstoke Line runs parallel to Chineham Business Park, Vyne Park, the suburb of Chineham and Taylors Farm. Most bus services in the town operate from Basingstoke bus station. The majority are provided by
5280-461: The town and its churches, because of the great fires of 1601 and 1656. Cromwell is thought to have stayed here towards the end of the siege of Basing House, and wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons addressed from Basingstoke. The cloth industry appears to have been important in the development of the town until the 17th century along with malting . Brewing became important during
5360-542: The town are separate parishes, namely Chineham , Rooksdown , and parts of Old Basing and Lychpit . The unparished area includes Worting which was previously a separate village and parish, extending beyond Roman Road and Old Kempshott Lane, which might otherwise be considered the town's 'natural' western extremity. 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. Loam and alluvium recent and pleistocene sediments line
5440-551: The town on larger campuses. Basingstoke has two large further education colleges: a sixth form college , Queen Mary's College (QMC) and Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT). The University of Winchester had a campus in Basingstoke (Chute House Campus) which closed in July 2011; it had offered full-time and part-time university courses in subjects including childhood studies, various management pathways, community development and creative industries. Bournemouth University 's health and social care students can work on placement at
5520-553: The town played host to large numbers of Parliamentarians . During this time, St. Michael's Church was damaged whilst being used as an explosive store and lead was stripped from the roof of the Chapel of the Holy Ghost, Basingstoke leading to its eventual ruin. It had been incorporated in 1524, but was effectively out of use after the Civil War. The 17th century saw serious damage to much of
5600-543: The town's largest employer. Basingstoke suffered very little bomb damage during the Second World War . A stick of German bombs did fall in the Church Square area on 16 August 1940. The same day bombs destroyed part of a row of houses in Burgess Road. Six people were killed in the raid. Overall, 13 civilians died from enemy action during the war in the town. After the war, the town had a population of 25,000. As part of
5680-440: The town, he paid for the building of a drill hall in Sarum Hill for the use of the Hampshire Volunteers (later used as a cinema and then a furniture shop) and a wing for the Cottage Hospital in Hackwood Road. The drill hall was opened in 1885 and also used for concerts and exhibitions. He also bought a piece of open space that was about to be sold for housing and let it at a low rent to the Basingstoke Cricket Club. This cricket ground
5760-462: The west of the town is the earliest known human settlement here, but the Willis Museum has flint implements and axes from nearby fields that date back to Palæolithic times. The hillfort at Winklebury ( 2 miles (3 km) west of the town centre), known locally as Winklebury Camp or Winklebury Ring dates from the Iron Age and there are remains of several other earthworks around Basingstoke, including
5840-527: The west. The Basingstoke Sports Centre is located in Portchester Square. The sports centre has a subterranean swimming pool, sauna , jacuzzi and steam room. Above ground there is a gym, aerobics studios, squash courts and main hall. There is also an Ofsted-registered crèche. Outside the town centre there is a leisure park featuring the Aquadrome swimming pool, which opened in May 2002. Also located at
5920-475: Was a state funded grammar school operating in Basingstoke for four centuries, from 1556 until 1970, producing nationally recognised alumni such as Revd. Gilbert White (1720–1793), a pioneer naturalist, and the famed cricket commentator, John Arlott (1914–1991). In modern times education in Basingstoke has been co-ordinated by Hampshire County Council . Each neighbourhood in the town has at least one primary school, while secondary schools are distributed around
6000-603: Was developed rapidly after the Second World War, along with various other towns in the United Kingdom, in order to accommodate part of the London 'overspill' as perceived under the Greater London Plan in 1944. Basingstoke market was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and it remained a small market town until the early 1960s. At the start of the Second World War , the population was little more than 13,000. It still has
6080-510: Was installed to protect the Malls from bad weather while still allowing natural light and air in. The Malls has been repaved and new street furniture installed. The redevelopment was completed in the last quarter of 2011. The redevelopment work was carried out by Wates Group using a variety of subcontractors. A large Waitrose store is located near the station. It was built in November 2015 as part of
6160-560: Was not part of the remit of the 1960s town redevelopment and, in 1996, the perception of provision for cyclists was very poor. Following the Basingstoke Area Cycling Strategy in 1999 an extensive cycle network was developed, 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;
6240-756: Was sold to Carlyle Cardinal Ireland Fund and Carlyle Global Financial Services Partners in June 2016. The company stated that it had 3.3 million paying members in the first half of 2017. The company accepted a takeover offer from a consortium of TowerBrook Capital Partners and Warburg Pincus in November 2020. The sale was completed in March 2021 with the company delisted from the London Stock Exchange. The AA operates several different divisions and brands, including: The AA has streamlined its property estate over time, with its main headquarters remaining at Fanum House , Basingstoke. The business also maintains
6320-623: Was started in 1977 by Lawrie Shaw when Brighton Hill Community School opened, where he was the first headteacher. Shaw formed the band as an evening class for amateur wind players and it was then known as the Brighton Hill Centre Band. There are two local newspapers – the Basingstoke Gazette , and the Basingstoke Observer . The town is also covered by the broadsheet newspaper Hampshire Chronicle . Local TV coverage
6400-467: Was the Harrow Way, a Neolithic trackway, possibly associated with the ancient tin trade, that crossed all of southern England from west to east, from Cornwall to Kent, passing right through Andover and Basingstoke. Basingstoke has no single boundary that encompasses all the areas contiguous to its development. The unparished area of the town represents its bulk, but several areas popularly considered part of
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