With a population of just over 80,000, Basingstoke is a town that resides in the North East of Hampshire which saw its growth in the nineteen sixties primarily as an old market town. Basingstoke has expanded rather rapidly due to the necessity for commercial towns following World War II, where communities had to be created because of the shortage of housing seen in this time frame.

Regardless of the new housing structures built, there is countryside that surrounds the area and Basingstoke is known as a very prosperous town. There is evidently a high living standard amongst the community as unemployment is considerably low in Basingstoke. Due to the continual development of the town, there are now several areas where visitors can spend their time.

For leisure activities visitors can go to Basingstoke's Leisure Park, situated in the town centre. Families can enjoy the wide range of facilities available such as ice skating, bowling and swimming. The swimming pool Aquadrome, is regarded as one of the best in England. It also has a multiplex cinema, Odeon, where you can watch all the latest films released in this fun and exciting environment.

When it comes to shopping, nothing can beat Festival Place, which is based in the city centre and has a variety of over 165 top end retailers including H&M, Oasis, TK Maxx, Zara any many more. It is actually the primary shopping centre in Hampshire with a car park facility for up to 3000 cars. Festival Place is not only a shopping centre. It has a multiplex cinema, a library and a Sports Centre. It also has a spectacular nightlife where you can find night clubs, cafes and many bars.

For Theatre performances, The Haymarket has a wide variety of shows & is the largest Theatre in Basingstoke. It has currently been taken over by new management, The Anvil Trust. The Haymarket has gone under severe refurbishment and re-opened to the general public in 2007. New spaces have been created, for instance the introduction of ?The Exchange? which is a performance area built near the bar located at the lower part of the theatre. From drama to dance, The Haymarket Theatre has it all.

Basingstoke has many things to offer visitors, one of them being Eastrop Park, the Greenflag winner of 2008. Only a short walk from the Festival Place, it has a diverse range of activities for all ages including a tree trail, child play area, a swimming pool and miniature golf. Eastrop Park also has a wildlife area where platforms have been created for you to observe all wildlife, especially the kingfisher, a bird that can be viewed on the river.

Another 2008 winner of the Greenflag award is The War Memorial Park consisting of beautiful garden features and historic trees. Visitors can walk though this well preserved nature landscape and may wish to spend time in the play area, which has been refurbished recently alongside a newly built skating park, tennis court and sports pitch. This park is also located in central Basingstoke and free parking can be found at Crossborough Hill.