Advantages: Pleasant to live, lots to do
Disadvantages: too many roundabouts!

...I live in Basingstoke. Well, someone has to!! I am not a native, but have lived here for the last 18 years. It is a large town, which is mostly known for being the butt of comedian's jokes. It even merited a little derogatory comment on that classic TV show "Only Fools and Horses"! In terms of derision it is probably second only to Milton Keynes. It is to towns what Skoda is to cars!! So, if it is so bad why do so many people choose to live here? Well, the answer is that it is really quite a good place to live. I came here almost by default eighteen years ago when I was expecting my third child. We had a rented house in Camberley and desperately wanted to buy. After trudging round the estate agents it became very clear that all we could afford was a one-bedroom house. With three children this was an absolute no-no. It was suggested... Read review

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Advantages: excellent food
Disadvantages: see review

...Ciao baby is a new restaurant to me and I’m still not sure whether it’s a chain of restaurants or just the one in Basingstoke’s festival hall. We recently paid a very short visit to Basingstoke, where I have to confess I saw one of the best shopping mall’s I have ever seen. It was bright, well laid out, and accessible. A surprise meal had been organised by friends, and I was pleasantly surprised to find we were eating Italian – at Ciao baby! Having spent time in Italy this year, it brought back a few fond memories. Entry to the restaurant is via, glass doors on a ground level setting, it is a family restaurant and there were young children there. Inside on your way to the table you pass some almost irresistible looking cakes, covered in chocolate and set with fresh strawberries. The restaurant is mainly white, giving the feel... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic customer services
Disadvantages: They're wrong!

...This is going to sound kinda pathetic, but I had to go to Brookwood from Basingstoke. I asked the ticket man, the man on the platform and the man on the train. They all said that this train was goung to stop everywhere including Brookwood. Being a bit of a sceptic, I also looked up at the TV screen and it said the train was going to stop at Brookwood. So, I got on the train. The train stopped everywhere, Hook, Wichfield, Fleet and Farnborough. Then I gathered my bags awaiting our braking-run into Brookwood. Gosh! What a surprise, Brookwood at 70 mph is a blur, but it didn't help me. Obviously, I did not get off the train. When I got to Woking, the SWT customer services personnel were brilliant, apart from treating me like a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. They told me that my ticket was OK, but I should have asked somebody whether... Read review

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Advantages: Good beer, excellent food
Disadvantages: none

...Freefolk Priors, WHITCHURCH, RG28 7NJ Tel: 01256 892254 Email: watershipdowninn@btinternet.com You will find the Watership Down Inn on the B3400 between Basingstoke and Whitchurch. It is just up a little lane but it is well signposted! The pub is named after the book 'Watership Down' by Richard Adams. The book is based on the area Watership Down, and you can actually see where the pub is on the map in the front of the book. It is in a lovely setting and overlooks the river Test, This is one of the best pubs I've been to, it is a proper old fashioned English pub with a fine selection of ales, including Archers Best, Brakspear bitter, Ringwood and Bateman XB. It is a free house and sometimes has guest ales. They have a wide range of food and the vegetarian menu is particularly good, I would recommend the chips because no-one makes... Read review

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Advantages: Good clean room
Disadvantages: Lack of customer service

...Hello and welcome. Thought that I would write about my experience at the Premier Travel Inn at Basingstoke. A week before I officially left my current job, I organised a leaving do with the people I work with in Basingstoke. Basingstoke!!! I hear you cry, well yes. I live just outside Croydon and travel 70 odd miles to Basingstoke about 3 or 4 days of the week. This was one of the reasons as to why I got a new job as the travelling was seriously getting me down. I thought to myself as the last train that I can get to Clapham Junction from Basingstoke is at 1036, there is very little chance of me leaving early on this occasion to get home, besides I am probably going to be in the kind of state that not many people would want to lay beside me, on this occasion this included the other half, as she suggested I stay down and travel back... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: in the process of redevelopment so it might be good one day......
Disadvantages: well its just so ugly!

...Everyone has heard the phrase "like a rainy day in Basingstoke", but if you havent been there you really won't understand quite how apt this is. I lived in Basingstoke my entire life, and I am one of the unfortunate thousands who know what a rainy day in this blessed town is really like! ******Entertainment****** There really is quite a lot you can do with yourself in Basingstoke. The main place to go is the leisure park, situated next to the towns Fire Station. This is quite a good observation point, as the fire men are often working out topless with the doors open. If you like that kind of thing of course!!! In the Leisure Park, you can find: a 24 lane 10 pin bowling alley complete with bar, small eating area and games room; an ice rink, home to the Wella Bison Ice Hokey team, and if you remember the Robbie Williams video for "She... Read review

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Advantages: Lovely suite, good food, attentive staff
Disadvantages: Traffic noise

...Well we had been invited to out nephew’s wedding in Dorset and I also had to take advantage of my Christmas present from Dave, which was feeding tigers by hand at Paradise Park, Broxbourne. We also decided that we could go to Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures while we were down there. I am full time carer to my mother who has Vascular Dementia so we don’t get away very often as mom has to go into a respite care home, so when we do we like a bit of luxury. We are members of the Paramount Leisure Breaks Club and have visited a few of the hotels in the group so I looked on their website first to see if any of their hotels were ‘central’ enough for us. I found the Basingstoke Country Hotel in Basingstoke (I bet you’d never have guessed that would you?) and we thought it looked ideal for us. The facilities looked good... Read review

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Advantages: Leaves hair feeling soft and gentle
Disadvantages: None

...Culver Co (UK) Ltd., Basingstoke, Hants., RG24 8WH... Read review

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Advantages: It's free, it's peaceful, large car park and close to a pub.
Disadvantages: Not enough to do, toilets not always open, no seats.

...is easily identified by the large ornate front gates. All main bus routes from the town centre pass here on a regular basis but to be honest I don't think it's really worth spending travel fare on. *** What Is It? **** The fully enclosed walled garden is situated in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The land used to part of the historical Down Grange Estate in 1800 and originally served as a kitchen garden to The Down Grange House. As you approach through the entrance gates, it resembles something from “Narnia”, this is truly a delightful ‘secret’ garden that you least expect to find, just off Pack Lane. Today Basingstoke and Deane council own operate and maintain the Walled Garden as a public garden and wildlife area. Original features however still remain such as the yew hedges, croquet lawn and beautiful gothic style gates. It contains... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: great food, good prices, pleasant staff.
Disadvantages: not good for the waistline

...My family and I are all hoping to relocate. Basically we have had enough of living near Heathrow and its new influx of residents so we have decided to look for property in Hampshire. 253For the past few months we have spent most of our weekends viewing property around Basingstoke, Andover, Chineham and Southampton etc. The kids have been very good but there is only so much house viewing they can take in before they get really fed up and bored. Usually on the way home, my eldest would say, “mum let’s go to McDonald’s”. There was one situated ‘conveniently’ on the M3 near Fleet. I am not a fan of McDonalds and find the place awful along with the food. I will do anything to stop my kids from going inside a Mac’s. However, on this occasion my son asked if he could have a pub dinner. I was relieved to hear he didn’t want his fix... Read review

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