Quick Car Hire Basingstoke

Basingstoke town guide

The town of Basingstoke lies within the County of Hampshire. There are good road links from here to London and the South Coast towns via the M3 Motorway. The M4 corridor is easily accessed via Reading. There is also a fast and frequent rail service to London Waterloo. There are also rail links to many other parts of the UK via 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.

In 1961 Basingstoke was designated a London overspill area, and the population rose from 26,000 to 60,000 by 1973. The appearance of the town has undergone drastic alteration, with major demolition operations sweeping away old-fashioned buildings and an entirely new town centre being built with pedestrian precincts and multi-storey car parks.

The Basingstoke Canal is generally regarded as being one of the most beautiful in the United Kingdom. Claimed to be the perfect antidote to modern living, giving the opportunity to relax among the lilies, the kingfishers and endless dragonflies.

Whilst in Basingstoke, don't miss the opportunity to visit Milestones an open air museum inside a massive modern building. With many buildings based upon those found in Hampshire from the Victorian era to the 1930s it is a delight. Here you will find important collections of Tasker and Thornycroft agricultural and commercial vehicles together with the Automobile Association (AA) collection.

With a rental car you can also visit nearby Winchester , see King Arthur's Round Table, or visit Stratfield Saye House, the home of the Duke of Wellington since 1817.