It’s so nice to see a video like this of The town I was born. I’m in my 30s and and a lot of this looks alien to me. I recognise the pubs that are still here and some of the streets where the pubs are no longer. Both my parents are Londoners from the overspill days
Great video. Lived in Basingstoke from 1966 until 1984. My Dad was a barman at the Hole in the wall, remember going there as a child, landlord was a gent called Tom and had a daughter called Sarah she would be early 50’s now. Lived near the Great western near the rail station that was our local
The view of the horse trough and the tree and Wote Street brings back my childhood memories. The Tufty Club road safety club for kids was in that street, but Mum wouldn't let me join because she said it was too expensive. When the London overspill plan was announced my dad hightailed it out of Basingstoke, because he hated London and Londoners (he was from the Midlands). We moved far, far away in 1966, and when I went back a couple of years later to be a bridesmaid the town centre was - gone. Demolished. Unrecognisable. Heartbreaking. I remember a pub on the corner of the road leading under the railway bridge. I must have been about five years old, in winter, wearing woolly red tights and little zip up brown leather boots which made my tights "go to sleep". We stopped there while I hauled up my tights yet again, and the little many paned windows of the pub, with an intriguing glimpse of lights glowing from within caught my attention. I was swiftly discouraged by my tea total mum from showing interest in a pub, and on we went. I started life in Cole's Yard, in a caravan. That has gone. Our first house in Basingstoke was compulsory purchased from us and demolished for the new town centre plans, and an undertakers now stands more or less on the spot. I do enjoy these videos which bring back memories from over 60 years ago.
00:20 Angel Inn Corner of Potters Lane and Wote St 01:00 Barge Bottom of Wote Street. Later became the “Goat and Barge” in Lower Market Square, 1960's 70's version of Town Centre 01:30 White Hart Still with us 01:50 Wheatsheaf Still with us 02:30 Feathers, as Laarsens Still with us 02:50 Harrow Bottom of Church St 03:14 Golden Lion Still with us. Harrow Way. 03:20 Bell Inn London Street 03:40 Black Boy Hotel/Hop Leaf Building still exists in Church Street 04:05 Cricketers May Street 04:30 Anchor Closed about 1978 04:50 Lamb Inn Recently demolished, junction of Hackwood and Cliddesden Rd 05:20 New Inn Still with us. Bottom of Sarum Hill. 05:45 Engineers Arms Corner of Basing Road and Reading Rd 06:28 Rose Inn Chapel Street 06:44 Old House At Home Bunnian Place 07:00 Rose and Crown Potters Lane and Church Street. Note Methodist Church, now the ramp at M & S 07:35 Old Junction Inn/ Top of Station Hill Station Hotel 07:55 Self Defence Bottom of Church Street. 08:10 Pear Tree Flaxfield Road 08:22 Railway Arms Brook St 08:34 Castle Reading Road. Survived until about 2000. 08:45 Swan Wote St 08:55 Stag and Hounds Still with us. Winchester Road. Now the Harvester. 09:12 Plough Hackwood Road 09:30 Victory Inn Victory Square 09:40 Victoria Winchester Street. Lasted until the early 80's as a night club. 09:50 Ship Inn Top of Church St 10:05 Bounty Still with us 10:20 Grapes Wote St 10:30 Queens Arms Still with us. Bunnian Place. The ugly office block next door is now derelict. 10:45 Horse and Jockey Hackwood Road 10:55 Forresters Arms (New Inn) 11:05 Goat See Barge 11:25 Crown Winchester St What about the George/Hole In The Wall, now Zizzi'z?
I've lived here for over 30 years and I don't know of a Chapel Street (The Rose Inn) in Basingstoke - perhaps you're thinking of Chapel HILL, with the railway bridge in the distance? Brook Street (The Railway Arms) is also a road I've never heard of (maybe removed from existence entirely during the expansion of the town in the 60s?). Good nostalgia though, well done.
Chapel Street was from the junction with Brook Street up to the railway bridge. Chapel Hill was from the railway bridge up to the junction with Kingsclere Road and Sherborne Road. Brook Street was removed from existence, approx where Churchill Way is today. Basingstoke has changed completely since the 1960s when a lot of buildings were demolished.
Ah right David, I see, I understand now about Chapel Street/Hill and you've confirmed my theory as to the demise of Brook Street. Yes, I agree, B'stoke has changed utterly (some would say for the worse!) since the 60s. Surprising also to learn that the expansion at that time was deliberate and planned and was done so with a figure of 11,500 people moving out of the slums of London. A botched social engineering project perhaps? Still, nice to see the 'old place' and ponder over of thoughts of 'what if...'
My Dad was a regular at The Feathers, my parents lived in the town from 1953, I was born in 1956, and we finally moved in 1966. I remember what a friendly place it was. Such a shame. Nothing to do with the pubs but is May St still there? I remember it as being the longest street in the town
Hi Ben. Yes, thanks for that. This is looking down Wote Street with the Angel on the left and The Grapes on the right. The hoarding at the bottom is where the New Market Square was to be built. Thanks again Ben.
Thought of some more closed and survivors: Survived :Rising Sun in Chapel Hill, Soldiers Return, Great Western (often open and closed ), King of Wessex, modern but of interest, Closed: Hammer and Tongs, Hare and Hounds, though that may yet re-open.