Basingstoke
Basingstoke is situated in the north of Hampshire, in the district of Basingstoke and Deane. It is an affluent town with a population of approximately 160,000 inhabitants (including nearby villages). Hampshire itself has a population of over 1.5 million and nestles on the picturesque south coast of England. Best known by many holiday-makers for its sleepy seaside towns, Hampshire also boasts a long and rich maritime tradition with Portsmouth's historic docks playing host to ships of naval battles past and present. For those of a rambling persuasion, the county offers not only the tranquility of the New Forest within its bounds, but also part of the stunning South Downs, inspiration for poets and artists alike. Both the Downs and the New Forest are National Park areas and, as such, are havens for plant- and wild-life with a variety of habitats for each.
Basingstoke is surrounded by an open countryside yet is a town large enough to have good shopping, entertainment and sports facilities. The town continues to prosper and is recognised as one of the South East's major commercial centres located approximately 45 miles south west of Central London, 30 miles east of Southampton and 16 miles south of Reading.
The documented history of Basingstoke begins with the Domesday Book, which lists the area as a royal manor until the reign of John. The kings of England held Basingstoke as a demesne manor. The Domesday Book also records a market in the eleventh century and mentions an important pre-Conquest church. Three mills were listed, of which two are recalled in the names of the Kingsmill and Houndsmill areas of Basingstoke.
Basingstoke has been the place of residence for more than one famous name over time from artists to writers to musicians - novelist Jane Austen was born and raised nearby, the model and actress Liz Hurley was born in the town, one-time poet laureate Thomas Warton grew up locally, and more sinisterly Basingstoke was also home to the last woman to be hanged in this country, Ruth Ellis.