Basingstoke 

Despite Basingstoke’s reputation as a modern, concrete jungle it does have a surprisingly long history and many interesting sites to visit. A quirky mix such as the Basingstoke canal, which is widely held to be one of the country’s most attractive artificial waterways! Indeed Waterways World wax lyrical about it, ‘the perfect antidote to modern living… relax among the lilies, the kingfishers and endless dragonflies’.

A most interesting attraction is Basingstoke's Wote Street Willie statue, weighing in at 7 tonnes, it is believed to be the largest phallus on public display in Britain.

• Basing House was destroyed during the Civil War but was once a grand Tudor house within the earthworks of a Norman castle. It was a dogged Royalist stronghold and was besieged for long periods between 1643-44.