123-471: The Willis Museum is a local history museum in the Market Place, Basingstoke , Hampshire , England. The building, which was formerly known as Basingstoke Town Hall, is a Grade II listed building . Since the 14th century a Mote Hall was situated in Market Place, just to the east of Lloyds Bank . The present building, which was designed in the neoclassical style by Lewis Wyatt , was completed in 1835. It
246-577: A calcareous grassland habitat, important for wild flowers and insects. A large area of the downs is now protected from further agricultural damage by the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The River Test has a growing number of otters as, increasingly, does the Itchen, although other areas of the county have quite low numbers. There are wild boar kept for meat in the New Forest , which
369-429: 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
492-491: 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
615-438: 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
738-544: 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;
861-622: A central geographical feature. Various place-names identify locations as Jutish, including Bishopstoke ( Ytingstoc ), the River Itchen ( Ytene ) and the Meon Valley ( Ytedene ). There in fact appear to be at least two Jutish folklands in Hampshire: one established along the River Itchen and one along the River Meon . Evidence of an early Germanic settlement has been found at Clausentum , dated to
984-506: 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
1107-487: 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
1230-662: 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
1353-412: A population of 1,547,000. Cities and towns by population size: (2001 census) The table below shows the population change up to the 2011 census, contrasting the previous census. It also shows the proportion of residents in each district reliant upon lowest income and/or joblessness benefits, the national average proportion of which was 4.5 per cent (August 2012). The most populous district of Hampshire
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#17328591711881476-571: A reference from the late 11th century. ) shares the same root as the River Erne , suggesting the name refers to the Iverni . Hillforts largely declined in importance in the second half of the second century BCE, with many being abandoned. Probably around that period the first recorded invasion of Britain took place, as southern Britain was largely conquered by warrior-elites from Belgic tribes of northeastern Gaul, but whether those two events were linked to
1599-528: 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
1722-518: A restructure of the wider Hampshire Cultural Trust service. The museum is home to the Sainsbury Gallery, which hosts temporary exhibitions. The gallery was added to the museum in 2008 with funding by the Linbury Trust, founded by Lord Sainsbury . Previous exhibitions in the Sainsbury Gallery have included: Situated outside the museum is a statue of Jane Austen . The life-sized bronze figure
1845-724: A series of castles and forts was constructed along the coast of the Solent to defend the harbours at Southampton and Portsmouth. These include the Roman Portchester Castle which overlooks Portsmouth Harbour , and a series of forts built by Henry VIII including Hurst Castle , situated on a sand spit at the mouth of the Solent, Calshot Castle on another spit at the mouth of Southampton Water, and Netley Castle . Southampton and Portsmouth remained important harbours when rivals, such as Poole and Bristol , declined, as they are amongst
1968-464: 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
2091-462: 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
2214-707: A well documented practice of deliberately settling Germanic tribes to strengthen Roman defences. Portus Adurni was a Roman fort situated at the north end of Portsmouth Harbour . It was part of the Saxon Shore , and is the best-preserved Roman fort north of the Alps. Around an eighth of the fort has been excavated. A Norman keep was added in the Middle Ages , now known as Portchester Castle . The Romans withdrew from Britain in 410. Two major Roman roads, Ermin Way and Port Way , cross
2337-456: 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
2460-524: 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;
2583-565: Is New Forest District . At the 2011 census, about 89 per cent of residents were white British, falling to 85.87 per cent in Southampton. The significant ethnic minorities were Asian at 2.6 per cent and mixed race at 1.4 per cent; 10 per cent of residents were born outside the UK. 59.7 per cent stated their religion as Christian and 29.5 per cent as not religious. Significant minority religions were Islam (1.46 per cent) and Hinduism (0.73 per cent). The Church of England Diocese of Winchester
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#17328591711882706-511: Is a ceremonial county in South East England . It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, Dorset to the west, and Wiltshire to the north-west. The city of Southampton is the largest settlement. The county has an area of 3,769 km (1,455 sq mi) and a population of 1,844,245, making it
2829-459: 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
2952-663: 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
3075-494: Is known for its ponies and herds of fallow deer , red deer , roe deer , and sika deer as well as a small number of muntjac deer . The deer had been hunted for some 900 years until 1997. An unwelcome relative newcomer is the mink population, descended from animals that escaped or were deliberately released from fur farms since the 1950s, which cause havoc amongst native wildlife. Farlington Marshes , 125 ha (310 acres) of flower-rich grazing marsh and saline lagoon at
3198-556: Is not recorded, but evidence of burning is seen in Winchester dated to around that period. For most of the next three centuries southern Britain enjoyed relative peace. During the later part of the Roman period most towns built defensive walls; a pottery industry based in the New Forest exported items widely across southern Britain. A fortification near Southampton was called Clausentum , part of
3321-427: 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 ;
3444-473: 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
3567-572: The 5th-most populous in England. The South Hampshire built-up area in the south-east of the county has a population of 855,569 and contains the cities of Southampton (269,781) and Portsmouth (208,100). In the north-east, the Farnborough / Aldershot conurbation extends into Berkshire and Surrey and has a population of 252,937. The next-largest settlements are Basingstoke (113,776), Andover (50,887), and Winchester (45,184). The centre and south-west of
3690-579: The Army , Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force respectively. The county also includes several market towns : Alresford , Alton , Andover , Bishop's Waltham , Lymington , New Milton , Petersfield , Ringwood , Romsey and Whitchurch . At the 2001 census the ceremonial county recorded a population of 1,644,249, of which 1,240,103 were in the administrative county, 217,445 were in the unitary authority of Southampton, and 186,701 were in Portsmouth. The population of
3813-560: 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 )
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3936-662: The Battle of Alton in 1643, where the commander of the Royalist forces was killed in the pulpit of the parish church, and the Siege of Portsmouth in 1642. By the mid-19th century, with the county's population at 219,210 (double that at the beginning of the century) in more than 86,000 dwellings, agriculture was the principal industry (10 per cent of the county was still forest) with cereals, peas, hops, honey, sheep and hogs important. Due to Hampshire's long association with pigs and boars, natives of
4059-456: The Domesday Book of 1086 which are in present-day Hampshire and part of Sussex. From the 12th century, the ports grew in importance, fuelled by trade with the continent, wool and cloth manufacture in the county, and the fishing industry, and a shipbuilding industry was established. By 1523 at the latest, the population of Southampton had outstripped that of Winchester. Over several centuries,
4182-711: The English Channel and the Solent , facing the Isle of Wight . It is the largest county in South East England and remains the third largest shire county in the United Kingdom despite losing more land than any other English county in all contemporary boundary changes. At its greatest size in 1890, Hampshire was the fifth-largest county in England. It now has an overall area of 3,700 km (1,400 sq mi), and measures about 86 km (53 mi) east–west and 76 km (47 mi) north–south. Hampshire's geology falls into two categories. The north and centre are
4305-459: The European mainland resulting from the wool and cloth, fishing, and shipbuilding industries. This meant by the 16th century, Southampton had become more populous than Winchester. In 20th century conflicts, including World War One and Two , Hampshire played a crucial military role due to its ports. The Saxon settlement at Southampton was known as Hamtun , while the surrounding area or scīr
4428-536: The Hamble , Meon , Beaulieu and Lymington rivers. The Hampshire Avon , which links Stonehenge to the sea, passes through Fordingbridge and Ringwood and then forms the modern border between Hampshire and Dorset. The northern branch of the River Wey has its source near Alton and flows east past Bentley . The River Loddon rises at West Ham Farm and flows north through Basingstoke. Hampshire's downland supports
4551-612: The Hampshire Downs , to south-east, where it is part of the South Downs . The county's major rivers rise in these hills; the Loddon and Wey drain north, into the Thames , and the Itchen and Test flow south into Southampton Water , a large estuary. In the south-east are Portsmouth Harbour , Langstone Harbour , and the western edge of Chichester Harbour , three large rias . The south-west contains
4674-446: The Isle of Wight has at times been part of Hampshire, it has been administratively independent for over a century, obtaining a county council of its own in 1890. The Isle of Wight became a full ceremonial county in 1974. Apart from a shared police force , no formal administrative links now exist between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, though many organisations still combine Hampshire and
4797-449: The Lambeth , Thames and Bracklesham Groups . In the south, along the coast is the " Hampshire Basin ", an area of relatively non-resistant Eocene and Oligocene clays and gravels which are protected from sea erosion by the Isle of Purbeck , Dorset , and the Isle of Wight . These low, flat lands support heathland and woodland habitats , a large area of which forms part of
4920-437: The New Forest , which includes pasture, heath , and forest and is of the largest expanses of ancient woodland remaining in England. Settled about 14,000 years ago, Hampshire's recorded history dates to Roman Britain , when its chief town was Venta Belgarum (now Winchester). The county was recorded in Domesday Book as divided into 44 hundreds . From the 12th century, the ports settlements grew due to increasing trade with
5043-471: The New Forest . The New Forest has a mosaic of heathland, grassland , coniferous and deciduous woodland habitats that host diverse wildlife . The forest is protected as a national park , limiting development and agricultural use to protect the landscape and wildlife. Large areas of the New Forest are open common lands kept as a grassland plagioclimax by grazing animals, including domesticated cattle, pigs and horses, and several wild deer species. Erosion of
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5166-511: 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
5289-449: The Saxon Shore forts, traditionally seen as either defences against maritime raids by Germanic tribes, or as a settlement area of Germanic tribes, which receives support from archaeological finds. Artefacts of a Germanic style have been found in burials, while there is also evidence of the presence of early Saxon settlement in southern England and the northern coasts of Gaul around Boulogne-sur-Mer and Bayeux . This, in turn, could mirror
5412-481: 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
5535-602: The University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University (formerly Southampton Institute), Portsmouth to the University of Portsmouth , and Winchester to the University of Winchester (formerly known as University College Winchester; King Alfred's College). The northeast of the county houses the Blackwater Valley conurbation, which includes the towns of Farnborough , Aldershot , Blackwater and Yateley and borders both Berkshire and Surrey. Hampshire lies outside
5658-708: 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. Hampshire Hampshire ( / ˈ h æ m p ʃ ər / , /- ʃ ɪər / ; abbreviated to Hants. )
5781-422: 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
5904-408: 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
6027-419: The green belt area of restricted development around London, but has good railway and motorway links to the capital, and in common with the rest of the south-east has seen the growth of dormitory towns since the 1960s. Basingstoke , in the northern part of the county, has grown from a country town into a business and financial centre. Aldershot, Portsmouth, and Farnborough have strong military associations with
6150-490: The quarters ). The building initially had an open arcade around the lower level, which served as a corn exchange and market, but when a new corn exchange was built, just to the north, it was enclosed and repurposed as office space. The rest of the building operated as a town hall and magistrates' court. Dances were sometimes held in the room upstairs. In 1922 the council bought a large house called Goldings at 5 London Road to serve as its municipal offices, but continued to use
6273-611: 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:
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#17328591711886396-517: 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
6519-793: 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
6642-645: The English People in the early eighth century: Those who came over were of the three most powerful nations of Germany—Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended the people of Kent, and of the Isle of Wight, and those also in the province of the West Saxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated opposite to the Isle of Wight. They initially settled Hampshire under Visigothic authority sometime after 476 AD, forming several distinct folklands organized around
6765-567: 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
6888-399: The Isle of Wight. In the 1970s, local government reorganisation led to a reduction in Hampshire's size; in 1974, the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch were transferred to Dorset . Hampshire is bordered by Dorset to the west, Wiltshire to the north-west, Berkshire to the north, Surrey to the north-east, and West Sussex to the east. The southern boundary is the coastline of
7011-475: 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
7134-625: The New Forest was the site of several group B finishing schools for agents operated by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) between 1941 and 1945. (One of the trainers was Kim Philby who was later found to be part of a spy ring passing information to the Soviets.) In 2005, a special exhibition was established at the Estate, with a video showing photographs from that era as well as voice recordings of former SOE trainers and agents. Although
7257-410: The UK average at 9.8 to 12 °C (49.6 to 53.6 °F), average rainfall at 640–1,060 mm (25–42 in) per year, and holds higher than average sunshine totals of around 1,750 hours of sunshine per year. For the complete list of settlements see List of places in Hampshire and List of settlements in Hampshire by population . Hampshire's county town is Winchester, a historic city that
7380-587: 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 ,
7503-636: The Vikings and stabilised the region in the 9th century. A scholar as well as a soldier, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , a powerful tool in the development of the English identity, was commissioned in his reign. King Alfred proclaimed himself "King of England" in 886 AD; but Athelstan of Wessex did not officially control the whole of England until 927 AD. By the Norman conquest, London had overtaken Winchester as
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#17328591711887626-462: The Willis Museum receives grant funding from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council . Displays covers local history, including remains of an ancient human known as "Basingstoke Man" and what is rumoured to be the world’s oldest wedding cake. In 2014, the museum faced criticism after some medieval coins, donated by a local treasure hunter, were removed from display. In January 2018 the museum faced criticism after specialist job roles were cut as part of
7749-522: The administrative county grew 5.6 per cent from the 1991 census and Southampton grew 6.2 per cent (Portsmouth remained unchanged), compared with 2.6 per cent for England and Wales as a whole. Eastleigh and Winchester grew fastest at 9 per cent each. Southampton and Portsmouth are the main settlements within the South Hampshire conurbation, which is home to about half of the ceremonial county's population. The larger South Hampshire metropolitan area has
7872-415: The administrative region of "Hampshire" seems to appear - the name is attested as Hamwic and "Hamtunscir" in 755 AD - and suggests that control over the Solent was the motivating factor for establishment of the settlement. Wessex, with its capital at Winchester, gradually expanded westwards into Brythonic Dorset and Somerset . A statue in Winchester celebrates the powerful King Alfred , who repulsed
7995-449: 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
8118-424: The area is required to achieve these objectives, which has been opposed by environmental groups. Natural England identifies a number of national character areas that lie wholly or partially in Hampshire: the Hampshire Downs , New Forest , South Hampshire Lowlands , South Coast Plain , South Downs , Low Weald and Thames Basin Heaths Hampshire contains all its green belt in the New Forest district, in
8241-425: The army training ranges on Salisbury Plain and the Isle of Purbeck . Supermarine , the designers of the Spitfire and other military aircraft, were based in Southampton, which led to severe bombing of the city in World War II . Aldershot remains one of the British Army 's main permanent camps. Farnborough is a major centre for the aviation industry. During World War II, the Beaulieu estate of Lord Montagu in
8364-471: The assembly rooms nearby. The statue was unveiled at a public ceremony attended by civic figures as well as Austen fans (or " Janeites ") in Regency costume. Jane Austen spent the first 25 years of her life in nearby Steventon , where her father was vicar. Roud claimed that the statue represents Austen as a "daughter and a sister" as she walked through the town. Basingstoke Basingstoke ( / ˈ b eɪ z ɪ ŋ s t oʊ k / BAY -zing-stohk )
8487-824: 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
8610-400: 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
8733-425: The clays to the south. The hills dip steeply forming a scarp onto the Thames valley to the north, and dip gently to the south. The highest village in Hampshire at about 240 m (790 ft) above sea level is Ashmansworth , located between Andover and Newbury . The Itchen and Test are trout rivers that flow from the chalk through wooded valleys into Southampton Water. Other important watercourses are
8856-571: 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
8979-441: The county are rural. For local government purposes Hampshire comprises a non-metropolitan county , with eleven districts, and two unitary authority areas: Portsmouth and Southampton. The county historically contained the towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch , which are now part of Dorset, and the Isle of Wight. Undulating hills characterise much of the county. A belt of chalk crosses the county from north-west, where it forms
9102-717: The county have been known as Hampshire hogs since the 18th century. In the eastern part of the county the principal port was Portsmouth (with its naval base, population 95,000), while several ports (including Southampton, with its steam docks, population 47,000) in the western part were significant. In 1868, the number of people employed in manufacture exceeded those in agriculture, engaged in silk, paper, sugar and lace industries, ship building and salt works. Coastal towns engaged in fishing and exporting agricultural produce. Several places were popular for seasonal sea bathing. The ports employed large numbers of workers, both land-based and seagoing; Titanic , lost on her maiden voyage in 1912,
9225-521: The county's downlands : a gently folded succession of sedimentary rocks dating from the Cretaceous and Palaeogene periods. The lower (early) Cretaceous rocks are sandstones and mudstones whilst those of the upper (late) Cretaceous are the various formations that comprise the Chalk Group . Overlying these rocks in some areas are less consolidated Palaeogene clays , sands , gravels and silts of
9348-606: The county, and the South Downs National Park embraces parts of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex; they are each overseen by a national park authority . Hampshire has a milder climate than most areas of the British Isles , being in the far south with the climate stabilising effect of the sea, but protected against the more extreme weather of the Atlantic coast. Hampshire has a higher average annual temperature than
9471-734: The decline of hillforts is unknown. By the time of the Roman conquest the oppidum at Venta Belgarum , modern-day Winchester, was the de facto regional administrative centre; Winchester was, however, of secondary importance to the Roman-style town of Calleva Atrebatum , modern Silchester , built further north by a dominant Belgic polity known as the Atrebates in the 50s BCE. Julius Caesar invaded south-eastern England briefly in 55 and again in 54 BCE, but he never reached Hampshire. Notable sites from this period include Hengistbury Head (now in Dorset), which
9594-449: The early and middle Iron Age ; many of them are still visible in the landscape today and can be visited, notably Danebury Rings , the subject of a major study by archaeologist Barry Cunliffe . By that period the people of Britain predominantly spoke a Celtic language , and their culture shared much in common with the Celts described by classical writers. The town of Bitterne ( Byterne in
9717-530: The east coast of North America during the 17th century, and many inhabitants of Hampshire settled there, naming the land New Hampshire in honour of their original homeland. The region is believed to have been continuously occupied since the end of the last Ice Age about 12,000 BCE. At that time sea levels were lower and Britain was still attached by a land bridge to the European continent and predominantly covered with deciduous woodland. The first inhabitants were Mesolithic hunter-gatherers . The majority of
9840-527: 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
9963-573: The few locations that combine shelter with deep water. Mayflower and Speedwell set sail for America from Southampton in 1620. During the English Civil War (1642–1651) there were several skirmishes in Hampshire between the Royalist and Parliamentarian forces. Principal engagements were the Siege of Basing House between 1643 and 1645, and the Battle of Cheriton in 1644; both were significant Parliamentarian victories. Other clashes included
10086-464: The fifth century and likely the Visigothic center of power in the area, either independently or in conjunction with powerful Romano-British trading ports. Nevertheless, Visigothic authority waned after 517 A.D and the settlements were gradually encroached upon by South Saxons . The West Saxons moved south in the late seventh century and incorporated Hampshire into their kingdom. Around this period,
10209-474: The largest city in England and after the Norman Conquest, King William I made London his capital. While the centre of political power moved away from Hampshire, Winchester remained an important city; the proximity of the New Forest to Winchester made it a prized royal hunting forest; King William Rufus was killed while hunting there in 1100. There were 44 hundreds , covering 483 named places, recorded in
10332-581: 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
10455-541: 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
10578-400: 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
10701-449: 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
10824-464: The north end of Langstone Harbour , is a nature reserve and an internationally important overwintering site for wildfowl. In a valley on the downs is Selborne ; the countryside surrounding the village was the location of Gilbert White 's pioneering observations on natural history . Hampshire's county flower is the Dog Rose . Hampshire contains two national parks ; the New Forest is wholly within
10947-704: The north of the county connecting Calleva Atrebatum with Corinium Dobunnorum , modern Cirencester , and Old Sarum respectively. Other roads connected Venta Belgarum with Old Sarum, Wickham and Clausentum. A road presumed to diverge from the Chichester to Silchester Way at Wickham connected Noviomagus Reginorum , modern Chichester , with Clausentum. Records are sparse for the next 300 years, but later chroniclers speak of an influx of Jutes – an amalgam of Cimbri , Teutons , Gutones and Charudes called Eudoses , Eotenas , Iutae or Euthiones in other sources - and recorded by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of
11070-484: The northwest corner of the county, bordering Berkshire, and there are some 20 other hills exceeding 200 m (660 ft). Butser Hill , at 271 m (889 ft), where the A3 crosses the South Downs , is probably the best known. In the north and centre of the county the substrate is the rocks of the Chalk Group , which form the Hampshire Downs and the South Downs . These are high hills with steep slopes where they border
11193-678: The old (now demolished) Mechanics' Institute building in New Road. It was founded by the local clockmaker, George W. Willis, as the Basingstoke Museum in 1931. Renamed after the founder in 1956, the Willis Museum was expanded to cover the town and surrounding area's history, from the Upper Cretaceous Age through to the development experienced during the 1960s and 1970s. It moved to the Town Hall in 1984. As well as funding from visitor donations,
11316-526: The population would have been concentrated around the river valleys. Over several thousand years the climate became progressively warmer and sea levels rose; the English Channel, which started out as a river, was a major inlet by 8000 BCE, although Britain was still connected to Europe by a land bridge across the North Sea until 6500 BCE. Notable sites from this period include Bouldnor Cliff . Agriculture
11439-661: 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
11562-460: 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
11685-575: 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
11808-493: 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
11931-546: 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,
12054-551: The southwest of the county, from the boundary with Dorset along the coastline to Lymington and northwards to Ringwood . Its boundary is contiguous with the New Forest National Park . The Hampshire portion was first created in 1958. Its function is to control expansion in the South East Dorset conurbation and outlying towns and villages. The highest point in Hampshire is Pilot Hill at 286 m (938 ft), in
12177-413: 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
12300-508: 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
12423-542: 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
12546-474: The town hall as its meeting place until the council was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974. The larger Basingstoke District Council (renamed Basingstoke and Deane in 1978) built itself a new headquarters incorporating a council chamber in the grounds of Goldings with the new building being completed in 1976, after which the town hall became redundant. The museum was originally housed in
12669-598: 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
12792-553: 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
12915-601: 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
13038-738: 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
13161-671: The weak rock and sea level change flooding the low land has carved several large estuaries and rias , notably the 16 km (9.9 mi) long Southampton Water and the large convoluted Portsmouth Harbour . The Isle of Wight lies off the coast of Hampshire where the non-resistant rock has been eroded away, forming the Solent . A 2014 study found that Hampshire shares significant reserves of shale oil with other neighbouring counties, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil , which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in
13284-462: 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
13407-573: 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
13530-569: Was a major port. The Romans invaded Britain again in 43 CE and Hampshire was incorporated into the Roman province of Britannia very quickly. It is generally believed their political leaders allowed themselves to be incorporated peacefully. Venta became the capital of the administrative polity of the Belgae, which included most of Hampshire and Wiltshire and reached as far as Bath. Whether the people of Hampshire played any role in Boudicca's rebellion of 60–61
13653-475: 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
13776-642: Was being practised in southern Britain by 4000 BCE and with it a neolithic culture. Some deforestation took place at that time, although during the Bronze Age , beginning in 2200 BCE, it became more widespread and systematic. Hampshire has few monuments to show from those early periods, although nearby Stonehenge was built in several phases at some time between 3100 and 2200 BCE. In the very late Bronze Age fortified hilltop settlements known as hillforts began to appear in large numbers in many parts of Britain including Hampshire, and they became more and more important in
13899-505: Was called Hamtunscīr . The old name was recorded in the Domesday book as Hantescire , and it is from this spelling that the modern abbreviation "Hants" derives. From 1889 until 1959, the administrative county was named the County of Southampton . It has also been called Southamptonshire . Hampshire was a departure point for several groups of colonists who left England to settle on
14022-466: Was created by sculptor Adam Roud as part of a series of events marking the 200th anniversary of the writer's death. It is considered to be the first of Austen in the world. The events were credited with boosting the previously falling number of visitors to the museum, though it is unknown for how long or successfully this effect will last. The location was chosen as it is speculated to be the same square Austen would have visited to go shopping or to dance at
14145-567: Was crewed largely by residents of Southampton. On 16 October 1908, Samuel Franklin Cody made the first powered flight of 400 yd (370 m) in the United Kingdom at Farnborough , then home to the Army Balloon Factory. Hampshire played a crucial role in both World Wars due to the large Royal Navy naval base at Portsmouth, the army camp at Aldershot , and the military Netley Hospital on Southampton Water, as well as its proximity to
14268-603: 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
14391-592: Was founded in 676AD and covers about two thirds of Hampshire and extends into Dorset. Smaller parts of Hampshire are covered by the dioceses of Portsmouth , Guildford and Oxford . The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth covers Hampshire as well as the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands . With the exceptions of the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, Hampshire is governed by Hampshire County Council based at Castle Hill in Winchester, with eleven non-metropolitan districts beneath it and, for
14514-510: 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
14637-560: 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;
14760-530: Was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex and of England until the Norman conquest of England . The port cities of Southampton and Portsmouth were split off as independent unitary authorities in 1997, although they are still included in Hampshire for ceremonial purposes. Fareham , Gosport and Havant have grown into a conurbation that stretches along the coast between the two main cities. The three cities are all university cities, Southampton being home to
14883-623: 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
15006-467: 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
15129-464: Was topped by a modest clock tower, which in 1887 was replaced by a far larger Jubilee Memorial clock tower. The latter was demolished 'as an allegedly unsafe structure' in 1961, but the clock movement survived (and is presently on display in the museum): made for the old Mote Hall by John Atkins of Lichfield in 1760, it had been reused in the new town hall in 1832, and then reused again in 1887 (with an additional train provided by J. W. Benson to chime
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