01People
Elizabeth Hurley grew up here
Before the film premieres and fashion campaigns, Elizabeth Hurley grew up in Basingstoke. She has spoken about her teenage punk years in the town.
Local trivia
Basingstoke has some stories.
Fashion history, film sets, famous names and a video game about getting out of town. Here are eight Basingstoke connections you might not know about.
02People
Jane Austen was born nearby
Jane Austen was born in Steventon, a village near Basingstoke, in 1775. She spent the first 25 years of her life there and drafted the novel that became Pride and Prejudice at Steventon Rectory.
03People
Ruth Ellis spent part of her childhood here
Ruth Ellis attended school in the Basingstoke area. In 1955 she became the last woman executed in the UK. She received a conditional royal pardon in 2026.
04Local firsts
Burberry began in Basingstoke
Thomas Burberry opened his first shop in Basingstoke in 1856, when he was 21. The brand started here long before the famous trench coat and check.
05On screen & in games
Rodney's art college gets a mention
In the Only Fools and Horses special A Royal Flush, Rodney Trotter says he went to art college in Basingstoke. Even fictional alumni count as a claim to fame, surely.
06On screen & in games
There's a game called Basingstoke
Puppygames released Basingstoke in 2018. In this survival game, the town is overrun by monsters and the objective is to escape. An updated version, Welcome to Basingstoke, arrived on PS5 in 2025.
07On screen & in games
Basing View stood in for New York
Fanum House in Basing View was turned into a slice of New York for filming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The borough council lists it among the area's screen locations.
08On screen & in games
Citadel filmed at the Hanging Gardens
Amazon's Citadel used the Grade II listed Plant building, better known locally as the Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke, as a filming location.
Keep exploring
Keep exploring
There is more to the town than the bits that made it onto this page.