Crowne Plaza Basingstoke

A 25-minute drive from the hotel, Highclere Castle is a spectacular Victorian mansion and the setting for the much-loved TV series “Downton Abbey”. Guided tours of the interior lead from opulent state rooms and bedrooms to the servants’ quarters below stairs. Outside, the castle is surrounded by beautiful parklands where you’ll find formal plantings, a walled garden, woods and wildflower meadows.

Housed in a former 18th-century paper mill 25 minutes’ drive from the hotel, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery overlooks the River Test. Book a tour for an insight into the production of gin in the still house and discover the 10 botanicals that give Bombay Sapphire its unique flavour. Visits include a complimentary drink at the bar and you can create your own favourite cocktail in a masterclass.

Just over half an hour’s drive from the hotel, Marwell Zoo is surrounded by lush English countryside. It’s home to hundreds of animal species, including giraffes, tigers, rhinos and penguins. The zoo’s most recent residents are a group of pygmy marmosets, the smallest monkeys in the world. Visit the tiny Amazon natives just opposite the fossa, until they move into the zoo’s Tropical House in 2018.

Basingstoke’s premier performing arts venue is the Anvil, a short drive from the hotel in the town centre. So-called because it loosely resembles a blacksmith’s anvil, this ultra-modern, multi-purpose hall is known for its superb acoustics. Thanks to the variety of stage set-ups, the schedule of events includes anything from rock gigs to classical concerts and opera, touring musicals and comedy.

Why not take home some delicious food produced right on our doorstep? A 20-minute drive from the hotel, Laverstoke Park Farm sells its own organic cheese, beef, juice and ale. Even closer, the Wellington Farm Shop in Heckfield offers lamb and beef from its own livestock, plus eggs and dairy produce. Basingstoke’s own traditional street market sells local goodies on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Jarak ke hotel: 3.73 MI/ 6 KM Barat

Dummer Golf Club

Jarak ke hotel: 6.21 MI/ 10 KM Barat Daya