Basingstoke Localmore than Greggs and Turkish Barbers.

Explore Basingstoke

Places worth knowing.

The useful, interesting and occasionally overlooked bits. No need to pretend every retail park is a destination.

21 places
The Great Barn at Basing Grange, seen through the entrance gate to Basing House
history · Old Basing

Basing House

One of the area’s major historic sites and a useful reminder that Basingstoke existed before retail parks.

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Basingstoke Aquadrome's water slides and entrance at the Leisure Park
activity · Leisure Park

Basingstoke Aquadrome

Basingstoke's main public swimming complex, with lane and casual swimming, family sessions, a lagoon pool and flumes.

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Basingstoke Bison Ice Hockey banner on the outside of Planet Ice
sport · Leisure Park

Basingstoke Bison Ice Hockey

Watch the Bison play at Planet Ice: a loud, fast-paced local sports night at Basingstoke Leisure Park.

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sport · Winklebury

Basingstoke Town FC

Support Basingstoke's local football club at Winklebury Football Complex and make an afternoon of a home match.

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Bierkeller frontage on Winchester Street, with the Labyrinth Nightclub sign above
food drink · Top of the Town

Bierkeller Basingstoke

A Bavarian-themed beer hall on the ground floor of Labyrinth: steins, music and bench dancing in Top of the Town.

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Black Dam Ponds in Basingstoke
hidden gem · Black Dam

Black Dam Ponds

A quieter patch of water and greenery close to some of Basingstoke’s busier roads.

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Chennai Express restaurant shopfront on Wote Street, Basingstoke
food drink · Town Centre

Chennai Express

South Indian cooking on Wote Street: dosas, biryani and street-food dishes offer a change from the usual town-centre curry-house choices.

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The classical stone archway and lodges at the entrance to Crabtree Plantation
green space · Black Dam

Crabtree Plantation

Woodland and open space on the eastern side of town that feels surprisingly removed from Basingstoke.

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Eastrop Park in Basingstoke
green space · Eastrop

Eastrop Park

A central green space with lakes, riverside paths and easy access from the town centre.

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food drink · Festival Place

El Bigote

Independent Mexican food in Festival Square, from tacos and birria to burritos, quesadillas and Mexican drinks.

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Exterior of Festival Place shopping centre in Basingstoke
activity · Town Centre

Festival Place

Basingstoke's main shopping and leisure centre. Not exactly a hidden gem, but pretending locals don't use it would be ridiculous.

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Han's Buffet frontage on the upper level of Festival Place, with the Han's sign between the restaurant windows
food drink · Festival Place

Han's Buffet

A large world-food buffet in Festival Place where restraint is technically available but not really the point.

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Hollywood Bowl's frontage at Basingstoke Leisure Park
activity · Leisure Park

Hollywood Bowl Basingstoke

Twenty-six bowling lanes, arcades, pool and a bar at the Leisure Park. Not subtle, but very useful when Hampshire remembers it has weather.

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Information board and children's play area at Basing Lime Pits
walk · Old Basing

Lime Pits

Landscaped former workings between Basingstoke and Old Basing, with hills, paths and enough space for a decent wander.

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Recreated historic street inside Milestones Museum in Basingstoke
history · Leisure Park

Milestones Museum

An immersive indoor museum of Hampshire life, with recreated streets, vintage vehicles, shops and plenty of local-history nostalgia.

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The River Loddon at Old Basing
walk · Old Basing

Old Basing Riverside Walk

A relaxed riverside route around Old Basing with a much more rural feel than its distance from town suggests.

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Oliver's Traditional Fish & Chips and its car park on London Road, Old Basing
food drink · Old Basing

Oliver's Fish & Chips

An Old Basing fish and chip shop with both a takeaway counter and a sit-down restaurant, plus its own car park.

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The Anvil concert hall in Basingstoke
arts & culture · Town Centre

The Anvil

Basingstoke's proper concert hall: live music, comedy, orchestras and touring shows in one of the town's genuinely good cultural venues.

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The Haymarket theatre in Basingstoke
arts & culture · Top of the Town

The Haymarket

The Anvil's smaller, older sibling in Top of the Town — theatre, comedy and live performance without the big concert-hall feel.

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War Memorial Park in Basingstoke
green space · Town Centre

War Memorial Park

A large central park that is useful for much more than simply walking through on the way into town.

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The Willis Museum in Basingstoke Market Place
history · Top of the Town

Willis Museum & Sainsbury Gallery

A free museum and gallery in Basingstoke's historic Market Place, covering local history alongside a changing programme of exhibitions.

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More ways to explore

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