A Short History of Basingstoke

Often mistaken for a new town, Basingstoke is an old market town expanded in the 1960’s as a result of a tripartite agreement between London County Council and Hampshire County Council. It was developed rapidly, 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 is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The parish church of St Michael already existed and the town had a market and 3 mills. In 1214 market day was fixed by royal charter to take place on a Wednesday and has been so ever since.

During the English Civil War 1642-1648, Basing House was besieged for several years until, in 1645, Oliver Cromwell himself turned up to finalize the matter.

The Basingstoke Canal opened in 1796 and carried all kinds of goods and even passengers to London. Basingstoke is a town where many roads meet and it became an important town for the coaching trade with its heyday in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries.

Writer Thomas Hardy put Basingstoke literally onto his map of Wessex and romantic fiction novelist Jane Austen, whose father was rector at nearby Steventon, danced at Assemblies held in the town.

Find out more through the following links:

• Basingstoke Heritage Society
• Destination Basingstoke
• 30 Things You May Not Know About Basingstoke
• Visit Hampshire
• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Airkix is the home of indoor skydiving and is where those dreams of flight become a reality. Get ready to be suspended in a column of air which totally reproduces the feeling of freefall. Super safe, super fun and super cool!

Ascot is one of the leading and most beautiful racecourses in the country, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races. Ascot today stages twenty-six days of racing over the course of the year, comprising eighteen Flat meetings held between May and October. It also stages important jump racing throughout the winter months.

The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle, and where Royal Ascot is the centrepiece of Ascot's year and dates back to 1711. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw, the highlight being the Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run over the course in July.

Unearth the amazing stories of Basing House, the nationally important historical ruins of the largest private house in Tudor England which suffered at the hands of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War. Take a stroll around the recreated Jacobean garden and unearth more fascinating stories about the house in the garden museum. Free car parking. We also now allow dogs on leads on site.

Open March to October.

Basingstoke Bowlplex boasts 26 lanes of fully computerised ten-pin bowling, a late licensed bar and grill and all the best in arcade action in Video World. Whether it’s a family outing, a day or night out with friends or an office or team building event, there's so much to enjoy at Bowlplex.

Donnington Castle is a ruined medieval castle, situated in the small village of Donnington, just north of Newbury. It was founded by Sir Richard Abberbury the Elder in 1386 and was bought by Thomas Chaucer before the castle was taken under royal control during the Tudor period. During the First English Civil War the castle was held by the royalist Sir John Boys and withstood an 18-month siege; after the garrison eventually surrendered, Parliament voted to demolish Donnington Castle in 1646.

Only the gatehouse survives. Today the site is under the care of English Heritage.

The impressive motte and shell keep of Farnham Castle, founded in 1138 by Bishop Henry of Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror.

Long a residence of the wealthy bishops of Winchester, the accommodation in the keep was updated in the 1520’s. The keep was abandoned after Civil War service, but much-altered parts of the medieval bishops' residence remain in private hands. English Heritage has guardianship of the Keep but Farnham Castle now manages the visitors to the Keep.

Gilbert White & The Oates Collections celebrates the lives of three explorers of the natural world. The historic house was the home of the eighteenth century pioneering naturalist Gilbert White; whose major work The Natural History of Selborne has never been out of print since its publication in 1789. The House is surrounded by 25 acres of majestic restored garden and parkland, which specialises in eighteenth century plants and gardening methods inspired by Gilbert White.

The Museum is also home to the Oates Collections where visitors can discover the stories of the nineteenth century explorer Frank Oates, who travelled extensively around Africa and Central America and the heroic Captain Lawrence Oates.  The Collection commemorates the life of Lawrence Oates, who travelled with Scott to the South Pole on the epic yet ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition of 1912.

This unique and diverse Museum also boasts an award winning Tea Parlour, which serves light lunches, homemade cakes and cream teas. A well-stocked and unusual gift shop and outdoor plant sales.

Jane Austen spent the last eight years of her life in this unpretentious cottage from 1809 until 1817. It was in this house that Jane’s genius flourished and where she was free to write. In this house Jane revised the three manuscripts she had written previously, but which had remained unpublished, wrote three more novels and started one more, which was destined to remain unfinished before illness overtook her. Jane left the cottage for the last time in May 1817 to take lodgings near her physician in Winchester. She died only a few months later on 18^th July and was buried in Winchester Cathedral.

The Museum today reflects the comfortable family home that the Austen women created while telling the story of their lives and Jane’s work. More information...

Animal lovers will adore Marwell Wildlife, formerly known as Marwell Zoological Park, a 140-acre zoo and registered charity situated near Winchester. It is home to over 1,200 animals of 235 different species. A visit to Marwell Zoo is a chance to get close to the wonders of the natural world – and play a big part in helping to save them. From ring-tailed coatis to majestic giraffes, endangered tigers to frilled lizards, curious meerkats to pygmy hippos – the park is home to an incredible range of exotic and endangered species, in beautiful, landscaped surroundings.

Just by visiting Marwell Wildlife, you’ll be making a big contribution to the various projects to conserve species and habitats, both here in Hampshire and around the world.

Netley Abbey is a ruined late medieval monastery. The abbey was founded in 1239 as a house for Roman Catholic monks of the austere Cistercian order. Despite being a royal abbey, Netley was never rich, produced no influential scholars nor churchmen, and its nearly 300-year history was quiet. The monks were best known to their neighbours for the generous hospitality they offered to travellers on land and sea.

In 1536, Netley Abbey was closed by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the building was converted into a mansion by William Paulet, a wealthy Tudor politician. The abbey was used as a country house until the beginning of the 18^th century, after which it was abandoned and partially demolished for building materials.  The extensive remains consist of the church, cloister buildings, abbot's house, and fragments of the post-Dissolution mansion. Netley Abbey is one of the best preserved medieval Cistercian monasteries in southern England, cared for by English Heritage.

Odiham Castle (also known locally as King John's Castle) is a ruined castle located within a tranquil site adjacent to the Basingstoke Canal and is one of only three fortresses built by King John during his reign. The site was possibly chosen by King John because he had visited the area in 1204 and it lay halfway between Windsor and Winchester. The flint ruins are those of the only octagonal Keep in Britain, and currently being restored under the Heritage Lottery Fund and Hampshire County Council.

This site has witnessed and been part of many historical events, from the signing of the Magna Carta, a French siege to the ownership of the de Montforts, a revolt and even the imprisonment of a Scottish King.

Nestled in the village of Burghclere an unexpected treasure lies hidden – a series of epic paintings by one of the most important twentieth century artists – Stanley Spencer. The austere exterior of the Chapel belies the powerful content which cannot fail to take your breath away. The paintings depict Spencer’s own experiences as a medical orderly at the Beaufort Hospital in Bristol and then in Salonika. As the National Trust’s only property dedicated to the First World War and the only property in the country marking the ‘Forgotten War’ it is a particularly apposite place to visit in these centenary war anniversary years.

There is an exhibition area to contextualise Spencer, how the chapel came into being and the paintings as well as a new garden of reflection.

Sandham Memorial Chapel is open from March 28^th – October 31^st on  Wednesdays to Sundays 11-4pm. Entry is by pre-booked ticket only, call 0844 249 1895 or book online via the Chapel’s website.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, less than 1 hour’s drive from Basingstoke. One of the most famous sites in the world and one of the wonders of the medieval world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks aligned on the movements of the sun. It is in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds. Archaeologists believe it was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC.

Stonehenge now has a transformed visitor experience, with a new world-class visitor centre, housing museum-quality permanent and special exhibitions, plus a spacious shop and café.

The Vyne is a 16^th century country house outside Sherborne St John, Basingstoke, and was built for Lord Sandys, King Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain. The house retains its Tudor chapel, with stained glass. The classical portico on the north front was added in 1654 by Inigo Jones's pupil John Webb. In the mid-18^th century The Vyne belonged to Horace Walpole's close friend John Chaloner Chute, who designed the Palladian staircase. The Vyne was bequeathed by its final Chute owner, Sir Charles Chute, to the National Trust in 1958.

Each year a number of concerts, plays and family events are run. The grounds contain large woodland and a wetlands nesting site which is populated by swans and Common Redshanks. There are a number of woodland, wetland and parkland walking trails.

Thorpe Park is a theme park with a temporary hotel in between the towns of Chertsey and Staines. After demolition of the Thorpe Park Estate in the 1930’s, the site became a gravel pit. Thorpe Park was built in 1979 on the gravel pit which was partially flooded, creating a water-based theme for the park. This essentially allows guests to view the park as an island.

The park is mainly geared towards a young adult/teenage audience due to the vast majority of signature attractions being roller coasters and thrill rides.

Waverley Abbey was the first Cistercian abbey in England. It was founded in 1128 by William Giffard, Bishop of Winchester. Located in Farnham, the abbey is situated on a floodplain, surrounded by current and previous channels of the River Wey. It was damaged on more than one occasion by severe flooding, resulting in rebuilding in the 13^th century. Despite being the first Cistercian abbey in England, and being motherhouse to several other abbeys, Waverley was "slenderly endowed" and its monks are recorded as having endured poverty and famine.

The abbey was closed in 1536 as part of King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. Subsequently largely demolished, its stone was reused in local buildings, including Waverley Abbey House, which was built in 1723 in the northern portion of the former abbey precinct.

Waverley Abbey House, the ruins of the abbey and the surrounding land are all part of a conservation area. The house is a Grade II* Listed building and the ruins a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The ruins of the abbey are currently managed by English Heritage and open to the public.

West Green House is an 18^th century country house at West Green in Hartley Wintney, and was built by General Henry Hawley, who led the cavalry charge at the Battle of Culloden. The house is listed Grade II*. It is well known for its gardens and for its summer season of opera.

Winchester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and it is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe. Dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint Swithun, it is the seat of the Bishop of Winchester and centre of the Diocese of Winchester. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building. The cathedral was founded in 642 on a site immediately to the north of the present one. This building became known as the Old Minster and was demolished in 1093, immediately after the consecration of its successor.

Nowadays the cathedral draws many tourists as a result of its association with Jane Austen, who died in Winchester in 1817.