Basingstoke

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Basingstoke

Statistics

Population:

152,573 (Borough, 2001)

Ordnance Survey

OS grid reference:

SU637523

Administration

Borough:

Basingstoke and Deane

Other

Services

Hampshire Constabulary

Fire and rescue:

{{{Fire}}}

Ambulance:

South Central

Post office and telephone

Post town:

BASINGSTOKE

Postal district:

RG21/22

Dialling code:

01256

Politics

Basingstoke railway station, as seen from Alençon Link.

View from Basingstoke railway station forecourt; the chrome yellow buildings stand on the site of older office buildings that have been demolished to build apartments.

Basingstoke is a large town and third largest settlement in the county of Hampshire in the South East England region of the UK (after the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth). It is situated 77 km (48 miles) southwest of London and 48 km (30 miles) north of Southampton.

1 Development
2 Politics
3 History of the town
4 Facilities
5 Geographical Location
6 References to Basingstoke
7 Twinned towns
8 Famous people
9 See also
10 References
11 External links

[edit] Development

Often mistaken as a new town, Basingstoke market was mentioned in the Domesday Book and it remained a market town until the 1950s when it was very rapidly developed to accommodate what was then called the London 'overspill'. Basingstoke is a prosperous town with an above-average standard of living and low unemployment. It is a financial centre, and the location of the UK headquarters of Sun Life Financial of Canada (not to be confused with AXA Sun Life) and a major base and former headquarters of the Automobile Association. Other industries include drug manufacture, IT, Communications, insurance and electronics.

Basingstoke's expansion has absorbed many smaller villages in its wake, becoming housing estates or local districts. Many of these new estates are designed as almost self-contained communities, such as Chineham, Popley, Winklebury, Oakridge, Kempshott, Brighton Hill, South Ham, Black Dam and Hatch Warren. The M3 acts as a buffer zone to the south of the town, and the South Western Main Line constrains the western expansion, with a green belt to the north and north-east, making Basingstoke almost triangular in shape. As a result, the villages of Cliddesden, Dummer, Sherborne and Oakley, although being very close to the town limits, are considered distinct entities. Hatch Warren and Beggarwood are seeing rapid growth in housing, while the open space of the Manydown Estate to the west of the town is under threat.

[edit] Politics

The Basingstoke parliamentary constituency is served by Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Mrs Maria Miller, who was elected in 2005 when the previous MP, Andrew Hunter, stepped down. The western area of the Borough of Basingstoke & Deane is represented by Sir George Young, MP for North West Hampshire. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which has its offices in the town, is a well-balanced council, having 30 Conservative, 15 Liberal Democrat, 12 Labour and three Independent councillors. The Conservative group forms the administration despite being one seat short of a majority. Basingstoke is part of a Two-Tier Local Government structure and returns county councillors to Hampshire. When the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth attained unitary authority status in 1998, Basingstoke consequently became Hampshire's largest town.

[edit] History of the town

Basingstoke has a long history of settlement. The Winklebury hillfort (two miles west of the town centre) dates from the Iron age and there are remains of several other earthworks around Basingstoke including Down Grange. Nearby a roman road from Winchester to Silchester, which has acted as a natural boundary to town expansion. To the east of the area another roman road runs from Chichester through the outlaying villages Upton Grey and Mapledurwell. The Harrow Way is also part of an older ancient route and still runs to the south of the town.

Basingstoke has held a Charter Market since before 1203, and is recorded as being a market site in the Domesday Book. The ruins of the Tudor palace of Basing House can be found two miles east of the town centre, in Old Basing. Population growth has been rapid since its designation as a London overspill town (often confused with new town status) in 1961: in 1951 there were only 16,000 inhabitants. Today it is famous for having a large number of roundabouts.

The name Basingstoke (Domesday; Basingestoches) is believed to have been derived from the town's location, the western settlement of the people of Baze. Basing, a village a few miles to the east, is normally considered to have the same etymology, but is believed to be the older settlement.

In the 18th century, it prospered as a major brewing centre, after the brothers Thomas and William May set up the May Brewery around 1755. When the Salvation Army arrived in Basingstoke preaching abstinence in 1881, the people were severely worried about the effect this would have on the brewing industry and local jobs. There were even armed clashes in Church Square. The May family were mayors and prominent benefactors of the town well into the 20th century, with May Place in the town centre being named for them.^[1]

In the late-1960s, Basingstoke town centre was completely rebuilt. At this time many buildings of historic interest were replaced by a large concrete shopping centre. The brutalism of the town's architecture, and its perceived status as a new town and haven for accountants and those with other occupations considered "boring", have led to Basingstoke becoming a comedic archetype for the soullessness of many modern British towns. It remains to be seen whether the opening of the new Festival Place shopping centre will do anything to soften this image and part the town with its "Boringstoke", "Basingjoke" and "Basingrad" nicknames. The most recent nickname is the somewhat sarcastic "Amazingstoke". Due the large number of high-rise office towers in its central business district, the nickname 'Dallas, Hampshire' has also been applied to Basingstoke.

The Basingstoke Gazette has recently launched the "A Place to be Proud of" campaign to raise the community awareness in the town - though with each new "community estate" being fairly self-sufficient, it is often easier to consider Basingstoke as a city-structure with separate community districts.

Basingstoke railway station is the junction between the South Western Main Line railway, built by the London and South Western Railway, and the Reading to Basingstoke line, built by the Great Western Railway.

[edit] Facilities

A new shopping centre - Festival Place - opened in autumn 2002, adding a huge boost to the town centre, transforming the former The Walks Shopping Centre and the New Market Square . Aside from a wide range of shops, including department stores Bhs, Debenhams and Marks and Spencer, there is also a range of cafés and restaurants as well as a large multi-screen Vue cinema (formerly Ster Century until their takeover in 2005).

Basingstoke has two further shopping areas: The Malls and Top of Town. The Malls, which contains the remnants of the 1960s shopping district, houses big names such as WHSmith, Boots, and Sainsburys, and there are now plans for regeneration of this area following the dominance of Festival Place. Plans were recently announced for The Malls these include a hotel complex which would be part of a new group of buildings above the The Malls. The Top of Town is the historic heart of Basingstoke, housing the town's Willis Museum and the Haymarket Theatre. (The Haymarket is facing an uncertain future as its funding is under review, and would be a great loss to the town and regional theatre if it were to close.) There are also several locally run shops, as well as the post office, and market square.

The town's nightlife is split fairly evenly 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 4 nightclubs, 2 in the town itself, one on the east side and one 2 miles out to the west.

In Portchester Square is the Basingstoke Sports Centre which 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 a playden for young children. Basingstoke town centre is also home to a modern concert hall: The Anvil, which is renowned for its accoustics.

[edit] Sports and Leisure

Outside of the town centre there is a leisure park featuring the Aquadrome swimming pool, an ice rink, Bowling Alley, and an Odeon cinema (formerly Vue). The leisure park is home to the Milestones Museum which contains a network of streets and buildings based on the history of Hampshire.

Basingstoke has its own football team, Basingstoke Town F.C. who currently play in the Nationwide Conference South. The rugby club play in Rugby Football Union's National 3 South League, and the Basingstoke Bison ice hockey team play in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Basingstoke also has a swimming team, known as the Basingstoke Bluefins. The diversity of sporting activity in the area is illustrated by organisations such as Basingstoke Demons Floorball Club and Basingstoke Bulls Korfball Club. The home ground of Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club, Mays Bounty was until 2000 used once a season by Hampshire County Cricket Club. Cricket legends such as Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar as well as Ashes winners Michael Vaughan, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard have graced the ground. It was also where legendary commentator and playwright John Arlott watched his first match. The borough is also a centre of the horse racing industry, with two racing stables and several studs. Newbury racecourse is just outside the northern boundary of the Borough.

[edit] Education

Basingstoke has two large further education colleges: a sixth form college, Queen Mary's College (QMC) and Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT). There are many large secondary schools in the area that are included in the list of schools in Hampshire. A small campus of the University of Winchester is located in the town. Basingstoke is within 48 km (30 miles) of five universties, namely the University of Winchester, the University of Reading, the University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University and Surrey Institute of Art & Design University College, Farnham. It is one of the largest towns in the UK not to have its own university.

[edit] Media

Basingstoke recently gained its own radio station: Kestrel FM. 2-Ten FM, broadcast from Reading also provides local radio coverage. The town also has good coverage from digital radio; 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.

There are two local newspapers: the Basingstoke Gazette and the Basingstoke Observer, and the town is also covered by the Hampshire Chronicle.

Pirate radio appears to have found a foothold in parts of Basingstoke, with 2 recent weekend broadcasts having been quickly halted by Ofcom.

[edit] Military

21 Sas(V) is partly based in Basingstoke

[edit] Geographical Location

Basingstoke is situated in the north of Hampshire, in the district of Basingstoke and Deane. It is 77km (48 miles) west-southwest of London. It has excellent road and rail links, making it popular with commuters: London Waterloo can be accessed in roughly 45 minutes by train, and there is easy access to the M3 and M4 motorways. Basingstoke has very good bus services, both local town services and more medium-distance stage routes to Andover, Newbury and Winchester.

Position: grid reference SU637523

Nearby towns and cities: Alton, Andover, Hook, Newbury, Overton, Reading, Tadley, Whitchurch, Winchester

Nearby villages: Aldermaston, Baughurst, Bramley, Kingsclere, Oakley, Old Basing, Silchester.

[edit] References to Basingstoke

In the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Ruddigore, the word Basingstoke is a sort of soothing charm which Sir Despard Murgatroyd intones to Mad Margaret when she seems in danger of getting agitated. Although she says the word is "teeming with hidden meaning", the joke lies in the town's utter unremarkability. It has been suggested that Gilbert had in mind the mental asylum at Park Prewett, northwest of the town centre, although this was not built until 1912, some 25 years after the opera was written.

Basingstoke also gets a mention in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "How did we get here?" he (Arthur) asked, shivering slightly. "We hitched a lift," said Ford. "Excuse me?" said Arthur. "Are you trying to tell me that we just stuck out our thumbs and some green bug-eyed monster stuck his head out and said, Hi fellas, hop right in. I can take you as far as the Basingstoke roundabout?".

Vauxhall promoted their Vectra car by demonstrating how well it handles Basingstoke's fictitious Mitchell's Bush roundabout, which had only 2 exits.

Even Shakespeare pokes mild fun at Basingstoke, with a line in "Henry IV" (part 2). From act 2 scene 1:

Lord Chief-Justice: "I have heard better news."

Falstaffe: "What's the news, my good Lord?"

Ch-Just: "Where lay the King last night?"

Gower: "At Basingstoke, my Lord"

Fal: "I hope, my Lord, all's well: what is the news, my Lord?"

In the hugely popular British sitcom "Only Fools And Horses", the character Rodney Trotter attended art college in Basingstoke before being thrown out after three weeks for smoking marijuana.

Blessed, another British sitcom, also made reference to Basingstoke in an episode which aired during the last quarter of 2005. When the main charater meets a posh couple that have named their two children "India" and "Ireland" to reflect their supposed mystical nature, he ironically replies the he has named his own two children Basingstoke and Milton Keynes.

Although not referenced, Channel 4's hit comedy Green Wing filmed scenes at Basingstoke hospital.

Thomas Hardy refers to Basingstoke as "Stoke Barehills" in Jude the Obscure - Part Fifth, Chapter 5

"There is in Upper Wessex an old town of nine or ten thousand souls; the town may be called Stoke-Barehills. It stands with its gaunt, unattractive, ancient church, and its new red brick suburb, amid the open, chalk-soiled cornlands, near the middle of an imaginary triangle which has for its three corners the towns of Aldbrickham and Wintoncester, and the important military station of Quartershot. The great western highway from London passes through it, near a point where the road branches into two, merely to unite again some twenty miles further westward. Out of this bifurcation and reunion there used to arise among wheeled travellers, before railway days, endless questions of choice between the respective ways. But the question is now as dead as the scot-and-lot freeholder, the road waggoner, and the mail coachman who disputed it; and probably not a single inhabitant of Stoke-Barehills is now even aware that the two roads which part in his town ever meet again; for nobody now drives up and down the great western highway daily.

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

The movie 'Get Real' is set in Basingstoke.