The war memorial park is a Georgian parkland and features a bandstand, woodland walk, aviary, children's play area, skatepark, sports pitches and tennis courts. The park hosts the weekly park run and also some larger events including Basingstoke Live.
Eastrop park is a popular park where the river Loddon runs through it. A viewing area allows you to see wildlife below and beside the water. Many birds inhabit here and a kingfisher has been spotted. The park offers a boating lake, children's play area and paddling pool and two man-made lakes. A cafe and the boating are weather dependant and usually available at holiday times.
Basingstoke model boat club use the smaller of the two lakes for all variety of models and is well worth a visit.
Basingstoke common is a pretty open space actually in Old Basing with excellent views of the town centre. Popular for walking dogs, you may also see the cattle grazing in the summer.
Opposite the common is the crabtree plantation, a nature reserve just moments from Basingstoke centre. The woods house a variety of oak, horse chestnut, sycamore, elms and ash trees. It is a significant site for butterflies and a regular survey is carried out. A great view of Basingstoke town can be seen from the top of the hill, and you can enjoy picnics and kit flying in the open fields with a play park and self guided walks included.
Stratton park, so called after Sydenham S Stratton in the 1970's who worked to give young people the opportunity for sport, especially football. A popular park with local residents, facilities are football pitches, a cricket pitch and tennis courts which are well used and looked after
Other parks include Russell Howard park, the lime pits park and garden, Chineham park with a splash pad, Beggarwood park, Hatch warren playing fields and black dam ponds.
Basingstoke is also surrounded by remarkable countryside, like the watership down hills and the North Wessex Downs. There is so much to be discovered in and around Basingstoke.
