Basingstoke in General > Reviews > A little bit of Basingstoke

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around

Advantages:	cheaper property, cleaner air, not so over crowded, close to the coast and motorway .
Disadvantages:	dont know any as yet, watch this space !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

My family and I are all hoping to relocate.
Basically we have had enough of living near Heathrow and its new influx of residents so we have decided to look for property in Hampshire.
Heathrow and its surrounding area just isn’t safe anymore, the crime rate has soured and our poor hospitals cannot cope with the extra patients.
For the past few months we have spent most of our weekends viewing property around Basingstoke, Andover, Chineham and Southampton etc.
The kids have been very good but there is only so much house viewing they can take in before they get really fed up and bored.
Usually on the way home, my eldest would say, “mum let’s go to McDonald’s”. There was one situated ‘conveniently’ on the M3 near Fleet.
I am not a fan of McDonalds and find the place awful along with the food. I will do anything to stop my kids from going inside a Mac’s.
However, on this occasion my son asked if he could have a pub dinner. I was relieved to hear he didn’t want his fix of rubbish food and my husband found by chance this wonderful family friendly pub in Hatch Warren, Basingstoke. It is called quite simply “The Hatch” and is situated opposite a VW dealership and close to the Old Basing turn off.
There is a huge well lit car park to the rear in which I noticed there were many MPV’s situated. That’s a good sign when you’re looking for a family pub!
To access the Hatch you have to go over a small bridge in which my children will stand for ages looking down at the fish. The garden is safe and secure, ideal for the summer evening out (weather permitting).
Inside it is very quaint, with old wooden beams and candlelit tables. There is a separate side for smokers. Watch the candles with the little ones. They don’t mind if you blow them out on your table.
The Hatch is owned by the Chef and Brewer chain and the food is first rate at very reasonable prices.
When visiting there the first time, don’t sit down waiting to be served; you have to place your own order at the bar. If you have a large family like me, take a pen and paper, as you might not remember all orders! You can have a tab set up enabling you to return and order more drinks and deserts if needed. If you have kids, I am sure there will be a few return journeys.
The food is brought to your table after only a short time. It is always piping hot and fresh.
My boys love the sausage and chips kids’ meal. They receive a good sized portion and its not one of your off the shelf value range sausages. If you like Cumberland sausages then this is similar to what the kids will get. My daughter likes nothing but pasta or jacket potatoes, this is served with salad and she gets a large plate full as well.
The Thai Chicken curry is delicious, as is the Spinach and Stilton pie. There is a vast menu, enough to cater for everyone’s taste. Not all dishes come with chips; you might have roast potatoes on offer or a jacket potato as an accompaniment. A welcome change if you ask me.
The children’s menu is around £2.99 per dish and the adult menu starts at £5.95 upwards.
As for the deserts, a must have is the Chocolate Orio Cookie. This is the sort of pudding that when you start devouring, it tastes so delicious but sickly, you just cannot leave it, though your stomach is saying “bloated bloated”, you just have to carry on regardless. Afterwards you fell like a right hog but it’s to die for and you will enjoy it. Take a tip from me, if you undo your top button on your jeans; remember for dignity sake to do it up before you go to the loo.
I didn’t on one occasion and my 4 year old tugged at my jeans to get my attention. You can imagine the rest!
My sons love the treacle sponge and custard. I wish they would leave a bit but they never have yet.
With a family of five, food, deserts and drinks will cost around £40, which isn’t bad by any means.
The place is clean, cosy and the staff very, very friendly.
There are always high chairs available to accommodate the younger ones. On the down side though, there are no baby changing facilities in the ladies loo, I have to lay my little girl on her nappy mat on the floor, not very practical.
There is a disabled toilet and more than likely there is probably a baby changing facility in there that I don’t know off!
I do know that when God willing, we find our ultimate home in Basingstoke, we will make this place our local.
Generally as an area, Basingstoke is very quiet and very rural. My husband works there and he has been testing the water so to speak. Many of the people who work in his department have lived in the area for some time and no one has given us any bad feed back.
In fact it’s all been very positive.
The property is on the same price scale as my current property but the difference being, I can now buy a 4 bed detached when at the moment I am in a small 3 bed semi. Big difference! Also the council tax is a bit lower. Every bit helps.
Making a move from the area where you have lived most of your life is scary and yes, I know I am not going as far as Australia (though that’s on the cards in a few years time too if this country keeps going the way it does - downhill). I will still be Billy no mates and my children will be the new kids on the block, so they will have to adapt too.
The schools in Basingstoke, Kempshott and Chineham have all good marks from the Ofsted report. Its worth checking their website out if you are considering relocating as they give a good idea as to what the schools can achieve and offer in your child’s education.
So far though, all the people we have encountered in this area are friendly and it’s certainly not a run down area with a crime rate to boot. We have checked out various websites from www.upmystreet.com and www.streetmap.com for a non-biased report. The air is certainly a lot cleaner there than jolly old Heathrow! That’s a bonus.
I can’t report on shops etc yet, as we haven’t investigated that side of it yet. When we finally move (as long as we can sell our house that is) I will certainly find out where the best shops are and let you know.