Tourist Attractions near Basingstoke The Vyne Silchester Roman City Hampshire

The Vyne National Trust Jane Austen

A few miles north of Basingstoke is The Vyne, a sixteenth century country manor house managed by the National Trust. It was originally built as a Tudor power house and was visited several times by King Henry VIII. For 350 years it was the home of the Chute family and the decoration of the house reflects the different styles throughout the centuries. You can take a tour around the house, wander around the walled garden or see if any birds have been attracted to the wetland area and hide.

The Austen family had some associations with The Vyne. Jane Austen's brother, James, was the Vicar at Sherborne St John so became an acquaintance of the family. It is thought that when William Chute arrived at the Vyne in 1790 the ensuing gossip was used in the opening of Pride & Prejudice when discussion of 'a single man in possession of a good fortune' heralds the imminent arrival of Mr Bingley. Jane Austen also attended balls at The Vyne.

You can also take a stroll around the gardens or further beyond in the woodlands on the estate. Find out more information from the National Trust link right where you can download a woodland walk audio tour.

The Vyne, Sherborne St John, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 9HL. Telephone: 01256 883858.

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Silchester Roman City

Silchester was the location of one of the most important Roman towns in the country - Calleva Atrebatum. The site was originally an Iron Age settlement of the Atrebates tribe. When the Romans took it over they built defensive walls stretching for one and a half miles and a host of buildings inside them including an amphitheatre that could seat 4,500 spectators.

The site is unusual in that when the Romans abandoned it in the fifth century it was never used again. Therefore, archaeological investigations have been able to build up a complete picture of its development. The outline of the houses are buried underfoot but you can still see the complete circuit of the defensive walls and visit the amphitheatre. Excavations are ongoing and sometimes open to the public. Open days are organised periodically too.

You can find the site one mile east of Silchester. The site is open to the public every day during daylight hours.

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Basingstoke Canal

Stretching from Basingstoke through Aldershot and into Surrey is the Basingstoke Canal. It's popular for walking and cycling and has been restored to be fully navigable. The canal has long been a good site for wildlife with a rich variety of aquatic plants - more than any other waterway in Britain - including water crowfoot, frogbit, arrowhead and pondweeds . Twenty five species of dragonfly have been recorded here!

You can cycle or walk short stretches of the canal or even attempt longer stretches and stop over at bed and breakfast accommodation along the way. The railway runs nearby so it's possible to walk or cycle the whole towpath using public transport.

If you want to navigate the canal yourself you will need a licence which is available by printing off the information on the Basingstoke Canal website or by contacting the Canal Visitor Centre direct.

There's a Canal Visitor Centre at Mytchett in Surrey from where you can take boat trips on an authentic narrow boat. The Centre is open Easter-September Tues Sun 10.30am 4.45pm. Oct-March Tues-Fri 10.30am-4pm. The Centre is open seven days a week during school holidays. Canal Visitor Centre, Mytchett Place Road, Mytchett, Surrey GU16 6DD.

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