Local Studies at Basingstoke Discovery Centre

The Basingstoke Local Studies Collection is housed in Basingstoke Discovery Centre. It offers a centre for local research covering the Basingstoke and Deane Borough and immediate surrounding area, plus general information on the County of Hampshire.

You can find out more about your home, your ancestors, your old school or your local community. A selection of local publications is also available for sale.

In the collection you will find a wide range of local history resources including;

Newspapers and magazines

• Basingstoke Gazette 1878 to date

• Hampshire Observer 1903-1916

• AWRE News 1971-80

• BasingstokeHigh School Magazine 1951-68

• Basingstoke Review 1960-65

• Hampshire Life 1998 to date

• Hampshire: The CountyMagazine 1961 to date

• Hampshire Family Historian, 1985 to date

• Hampshire Field Club Proceedings 1885-2006

• Berks Archaeological Journal 1895-1972

• Odiham Society Journal 1879-1976

Local and parish magazines

• All Saints, Basingstoke 1995-2003

• Basinga [Old Basing] 1976 to date

• Bramley Magazine 2003-2007

• Brighton Bell [Brighton Hill] 1995 to date

• Hill and Dale [Farleigh Wallop, Dummer and Cliddesden] 1991-1993 and 2006 to date

• Chineham Chat 1985 to date

• Focus [Tadley and London Street URC] 1989 to date

• Hook Focus 1995-2005  

• Kempshott Kourier 2003 to date

• Link [Tadley] 1993 to date

• Messenger [St Michael’s Basingstoke] 1991-2004

• LoddonValley Link 1984-91 and 1992-2003

• North Waltham, Steventon, Ashe and Deane Parish Magazine 1992 to date

• Popley Matters 2005-06

• Popley Directory (2005-06

• Rabbiter [Hatch Warren] 1993 to date

• The Villager [Sherbornes and Pamber]  2003 to date

• Brookvale Blurb (Community Association Newsletter) 2005 to date

Directories and Registers

• Kelly’s Directory of Basingstoke 1937, 1939, 1941, 1948, 1952, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969-74

• Kelly’s Hampshire Directory 1899, 1927, 1931, 1939;

• Aubrey’s Hants 1934;

• White’s Gazetteer 1859, 1878;

• Basingstoke Official Guides 1968-90

• Kingsclere and Whitchurch District Guides

• Basingstoke Borough Electoral Registers 1952-74

• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Electoral Registers 1975 to date

• Thomson local directories, 1980s to date

• Local phone books, 1992 to date

• Local business directories 1990s-2000s

• Hampshire Directories on fiche, 1784-1974, including Pigot’s Directory of Hampshire

• Kelly’s Post Office Directory for Basingstoke 1970s

• Kelly’s Post Office Directory for Andover 1959-70s

Maps and Photographs

We hold large-scale Ordnance Survey maps of the Basingstoke and Deane Borough area as well as old editions of the Landranger and Explorer small-scale maps for the area.

Goad plans of Basingstoke Town Centre

Copy of tithe maps and awards for: Ashe, Basing, Basingstoke, Bradley, Church Oakley, Cliddesden, Deane, Dummer, Eastrop, Ewhurst, Freefolk, Greywell, Hannington, Mapledurwell, Monk Sherborne, North Waltham, Silchester, and Steventon

Copy of Basingstoke and District Definitive Rights of Way map/statement, 2007-8

Geological maps for Aldershot, Andover and Alresford

We hold a good collection of photographs covering the Basingstoke Borough area. We also hold a collection of photographs by local photographer R L Brown.

Census and International Genealogical Index

• International Genealogical Index 1992 for Hampshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire

• General Record Office Indexes of: Births, 1837-1912, and Deaths 1837-65

• Basingstoke census records 1861-1901

• Hampshire Genealogical Society Indexes to 1851 census for Hampshire

• 1851 census index for Western Surrey

• 1881 census index for Hampshire

• Index to 1891 census for Basingstoke and Hartley Wintney;

• Hampshire published census reports 1951-91

Parish Registers

Various parishes in the local area. Please check Parish registers in Hampshire for details.

Local Government

• Basingstoke Borough Council Minutes 1946-74

• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Minutes, 1974 to date

• Basingstoke and DeaneTown Development Joint Committee Annual Reports 1961-78

General

• Planning documents relating to Basingstoke

• Village Plans from the 1960s for the following locations:

  • North Waltham

  • Oakley

  • Odiham

  • Pamber Heath

  • Sherborne St John

  • Sherfield on Loddon

  • Tadley

  • Whitchurch

  • Woolton Hill

• Village Design Statements from the 1990s to date for the following locations:

  • Cliddesden,

  • Dummer

  • Ellisfield, Highclere and Penwood

  • Kingsclere  

  • Overton

  • Sherborne St John

  • Steventon

  • Whitchurch

• Material relating to Basingstoke’s twin towns of Alençon and Euskirchen

• Local History Factfile’ comprising typescript and photocopy info on e.g. archaeological sites, Domesday and VCH extracts, general history, etc., for surrounding villages

• Willis Scrapbooks (microfilm)