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Basingstoke is a southeast English town of heritage and rich cultural connections.

You’ll find historic settlements that date back to the Neolithic and Bronze age scattered about the town, as well as significant links to Jane Austen. Basingstoke’s parks and gardens are the ideal place to retreat after a day of shopping or musing about its museums.

From the town, you can journey into the rest of Hampshire by heading down to the coast and looking across the English Channel or driving through the green fields of the North Wessex Downs.

Basingstoke is a thriving centre for commerce and entertainment in north Hampshire. With a superb selection of attractions and activities on offer, Basingstoke is a great place to visit, whether for business or pleasure.

Things to do in Basingstoke

While Basingstoke has bright, sparkling new centre filled with shops, restaurants and bars, there are still plenty of historic attractions well worth a visit. Basingstoke can trace its history back to settlements in the Neolithic period and the Bronze and Iron Ages. You can get a glimpse of the town's fascinating past at the nearby Wrinklebury Camp. The remains of this hill fort from the fourth to the first century B.C. show a series of complex and impressive defences. Many of the archaeological finds from the area are shown in the Willis Museum. You can visit the site of what was once the largest private house in the country, Basing House. Here you can walk through the Jacobean gardens fringed by Tudor walls before enjoying performances and recreations of life in bygone days.

Basingstoke: Discover more

There are plenty of treats and attractions in the area surrounding Basingstoke. You could follow the historic Basingstoke Canal Tow Path, which stretches 33 miles up the canal from Penny Bridge to its junction with the River Wey at Woodham. It's a beautiful route with wonderful natural highlights, plus a few country pubs along the way! Another scenic spot worth a visit is Wellington Country Park, with picnic areas, nature trails, a miniature railway, fishing and refreshment facilities.