Welcome To the e-travelguide to Hotels, guest houses and attractions in Basingstoke

Make the most of your time in Basingstoke, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links above to plan your visit.

The early settlement of Basingstoke is indicated by a number of archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic period and the Bronze and Iron Ages. The largest site is Winklebury Camp, an Iron Age hill fort with complex defences dating from the fourth to the first century B.C. The Roman occupation of Basingstoke is demonstrated by the site of a villa on the north bank of the River Loddon, and several other places where pottery and coins have been found. Many of the archaeological finds have been deposited at the Willis Museum.

The manufacture of woollen goods was carried on in Basingstoke from an early date, and is mentioned by Daniel Defoe in his writings on his tour of Britain. In the eighteenth century Basing stoke was an important staging post on the turnpike road from London to Andover, and the coming of the railway in 1840 brought even more trade to the town. In 1961 Basingstoke was designated a London overspill area, and the population rose from 26,000 to 60,000 by 1973. The appearance of the town has undergone drastic alteration, with major demolition operations sweeping away old-fashioned buildings and an entirely new town centre being built with pedestrian precincts and multi-storey car parks. The Basingstoke Canal was created to link London to Basingstoke, when built it had the world's longest canal tunnel, which is now a home for Britain's largest bat colony. Basingstoke's Festival Place shopping centre is the eighth largest in Britain

Contact:   0118 971 4700